Sharktopus

Erin made a cute and cuddly sharktopus for Christmas. Everyone loved it.

The World

The world is all spirit
The spirit is one
The spirit is infinite

the name is Love

take care

Perfect Balance

nature's balance
the Balance of Nature
always in balance

you cannot disturb the balance of nature
in her perfect poise
as she dances her dance

her balance is perfect and infinite

when you awaken
you see a cosmos
eternally in perfect balance
perfect harmony
and there you are

always resting on the foundation of love
always resting on the foundation of eternity
always resting on the foundation of the infinite

perfect balance from one instant
to the next

Fighting Is Foolish

Fighting is foolish.
The wise do not fight.

So when we are told to fight, we are told to be fools.
When someone says they are ready to fight, they are saying they are ready to be a fool.
When someone is praised as a fighter, they are praised as a fool.
And when someone says they will fight for you, they are saying they will be a fool for you.

Stop fighting.
Just stop!
Stop now.
Stop being a fool.

ANSWER
But... we must fight. It is our nature to fight.
To deny our nature would also be foolish.

Enlightenment

Enlightenment

Enlightenment is not when you accept everything. It is when you accept everything.

Stand Where You Live! Citizenship

My idea of good citizenship is to stand where you live. You can't take care of all the problems of the world, but you can defend what goes on in your own neighborhood, in your own provenance.

Today I complained to the city of Los Angeles about leaf blowers, noisy and polluting, at the public tennis court early on a Saturday morning.
Made playing very unpleasant. Also hazardous to our health, inhaling nano-particles of dust from blowers just a few feet away.
And there are nice homes right across the street. I don't see why they would tolerate this noise at 7 AM on a Saturday.
It just isn't right for this to go on.
And it is the city doing it! I hope the city will act against itself. I hope the one agency will tell the other to quit the nuisance.

Experts Who Claim To Understand things...Don't

That is what history teaches.

Was There Really A Housing Bubble?

We have all heard so much about the housing bubble that I am sure everyone would answer yes to the question of was there really a housing bubble. And I am sure that some definition of bubble would make what happened in the U.S. housing market qualify as a bubble.

But how does it compare to other bubbles?

Prices may have fallen as much as 35% over a four year period. This was after prices had increased by perhaps 100% over a 15 year period.

This does not resemble any of the historical bubbles that people study. It is much less severe. I argue that it does not qualify as a bubble. It is a correction and it is a bear market. But it is not a bubble. That is hyperbole.

Gold had a bubble where prices went up 800% and then came down 75%.
The NASDAC index went up 150% in a couple of years and then down 70%.
Those sound like bubbles.

Down 35% just doesn't measure up. Calling it a bubble is just propaganda.
It is just a bear market.

Standard Of Care

Medical expenses are rising beyond reason because there is no adequate mechanism for determining a proper standard of care.

The default standard of care seems to be "whatever costs the most"

I need to get down to cases.

But I am not involved in medicine.
I just don't go to the doctor.

I figure I am almost 60 years old now. Definitely feeling my age. Noticing changes in the body.
I can accept that.
I see no reason to live to be 100.

It is all spirit, after all. The material world is just a projection of the infinite spirit.

Something is going to change. I don't know what. But you can't keep overspending forever. Some day the bill must be paid. When that day is, I have no clue.

What is a reasonable standard of care?
How can we trust the people who make money from providing the care to give us a realistic opinion of the proper standard of care?

At all levels of our society we should stop letting the foxes guard the chicken coops.

And we don't need to hate in order to stop playing the game.
Live frugally.
Figure out who "your self" is.

Rapyscan, Ray-Pee-Scan, NO! Rapiscan

How strange is it that the company that makes those airport x-ray scanners is
"Rapiscan"? Like from a bad TV movie!

This is something that should be stopped yesterday!
Can't Obama do anything to stop it?

Who is running this country?

Unconstitutional search.
Invasion of privacy.
Sexual assault.

"Spiritual sufficiency is the best health insurance"

Hua-Ching Ni wrote a book called, "Esoteric Tao Teh Ching."

What he means by spiritual sufficiency is that we have a personal reservoir of Tao that can become depleted, leading to illness. He cautions against exhaustion and suggests gathering and nurturing the "natural resilience of the universe."

Here is a quote from his translation of the Book Of Tao.

The way of Heaven benefits
and causes no harm.
The way of wise people
is to nurture their inner essence.
They do not fight.

And like our American philosopher, Thoreau, he advocates simplicity as an approach to living.

Good Service From Government

Couple of happy experiences in Santa Monica yesterday

I was at my office (in my apartment building)
I heard a lot of yelling and cursing. A madman was in the street, with bare feet.
He saw me and seemed belligerent.
I called 911 on my cell
Several police cars came out within an hour.
They took the man in for psychiatric evaluation.

At the same time two city workers were repairing the sidewalk at my driveway. They did a very good job. I had put in a request on the internet for the repairs about a month earlier.

I was happy with the services I got from Santa Monica.

All Is Health

life is not a disease
the disease model is not healthy
look for it and you will find it
seek and ye shall find
stop looking for disease
all is health
freedom
God doesn't do things to you
God allows you to do things
God gave you freedom

You are creating your own experience
the only way to change the world is to change yourself

and yet the world is change
constant change

perception is reality
we have created disease out of the freedom of our imaginations

reality is spirit
there is no disease
it is a dream
it is imaginary

life is spirit
life is GOD
life is LOVE
life is ETERNAL

You just can't go around telling people that everything is fine.
but it is fine
it is good
it is delightful

do not fear evil

How much is the market up from the bottom in 2009?
S&P 500 touched 666.79 on March 6, 2009. Now it is 1207.08. Gain of 81%.

A Ton Of Money

What should you do if you suddenly have a ton of money?

Give it away?

Spend it?

Save it?

Invest it?

Or some combination of all four?

Obama Speaks On 60 Minutes

I must say, I am for President Obama. I voted for him with a great deal of hope.
And I still expect good to come from this administration.

Regarding his remarks on 60 minutes there are two points I would like to make.

He said we should not settle for a new normal of higher unemployment. Looking back, unemployment was down around 5% when we got into trouble. Trying to get back down to that level is a mistake. That level is an overheated economy. I don't know what the right number is for full employment, but I estimate it to be around 8%. I expect that would not be acceptable to the administration, but I believe it would be healthy.

He also remarked about the expiring tax cuts. He gave me the impression that he values consumption more than investment. He is willing to raise taxes on high incomes because that would not hurt consumption spending as much.
I believe that investment spending is more important for a good economy than consumption spending. It seems the higher income people are more likely to invest than the lower income people. Cutting investment hurts the economy.

Also, our economy is healthier with business investment and not with housing investment. Houses are actually liabilities. They don't produce anything.

So we should get used to higher unemployment and make policy that accepts it. And we should stop promoting consumption and instead promote investment.

Rainy Day Fund

Roof is leaking
My building needs a new roof
OMG where will I get the money?

Oh, right... I have a rainy day fund
I have the cash
Lucky I have the cash

But it was not all luck
It was a plan
And the plan is working out pretty good
so far.

So I don't need to
beg
borrow
or steal

I have the resources at my disposal.
Good plan
Good strategy

Happy Stock Market

New recovery highs on the DOW 30 today. Up 219 points.
They say the market likes QE2.
Money is usually well-received.

But what the market really likes is a Republican House!
The fear of new anti-business legislation is gone.
Mr Business says, "If they will just leave us alone and get off of our backs, we can prosper."

Would you rather have a prosperous country with Republicans in power, or a stricken country with Democrats in power?
Let's be less partisan and stop demonizing people who disagree with us. We are all in this together and we can all pull together. We are on the same team.
Just one team.
We are all on that team.

Happy people. Learn how to be happy.
Be happy first!

Mystery Solved

What caused the recession?
Not any of the economic fundamentals.
Economies are nothing but human behavior.

CONFIDENCE

Lack of confidence, loss of confidence, that is what a recession is!

Go back in time to January 2007. Democrats recaptured control of the house. Economy faltered. Recession ensued.

MYSTERY SOLVED

"Change"
And what made the recession get worse?
Fear of Obama!

FEAR of Democrats controlling the government caused the lack of confidence.

SAD BUT TRUE

Thanksgiving 12,000

Maybe it will still happen.
DOW 12,000 by Thanksgiving.
Less than 6% up from today.

That could happen quickly and easily.
November 25, 2010.
A month to go until then.

Somehow I expect the market to drop right after the election. But then it could go up some more.
Anyway, to refine my opinion. I mean that some time before Thanksgiving I expect the DOW to touch 12,000.

If it doesn't, my heart will not break.

And the main reason I am bullish now is that business is good. Profits are going up. Unemployment is actually good for business because it makes it easier to hire good workers at reasonable wages.

And the main reason I am bullish on the long term is that I believe in people. People are creative and adaptable. They can overcome any obstacle. They have a lot of desire. Animal spirits. Progress. Innovation. It's getting better all the time.

Employment Crisis

Hyperbole

Healthy unemployment rate might be 5% to 8%
Now it is 9.6%

so the problem is for only from 4.6% to 1.6% of the labor force.

The problem is not "the economy"

it is individuals who are not very employable.

Those individuals need individual attention.

Just goosing the economy is not going to get them jobs.

But look for good too!

It is good for business if there is a large labor pool.
Keeps down inflation
Keeps profits up

NOT A CRISIS

why must everything be a crisis?

20% Solution, Community Spirit

Read today how teachers are getting fired because there is not enough money.

How about sharing what money there is?

Works for me.
I could live on less.
I could live on a lot less.

I suspect that is really where most people are. Cut out the luxuries and the non-essentials and we could live well on a lot less.

But we have it set up so that people will not take less. They choose nothing over a cut.
Unemployment for some, rather than lower wages for all.
That is the choice we are making.

Lucky I have my own business.
I can lower my prices as much as needed in order to stay occupied.

If I was not allowed to lower my prices I would probably be out of business.

If everyone would take a 20% cut, then we wouldn't need the layoffs.

I Was Wrong About Gold

I thought $1,250 was a top. Sept. 4 I posted my opinion that gold would start to go down and go back to $800. It isn't happening.
In fact gold is up almost 5% from there.
At that rate it would be up to $2,000 in a year.
But I still believe gold is in a bubble.
And it is not easy to call the top of a bubble.
The shape of the bubble curve is usually a hyperbola followed by a quick crash.
How high is high?
Can't say until the crash happens.
When will the top arrive?
The future is not predictable.

Why Does California Have Budget Problems?

I wish there was a comprehensive analysis of this question somewhere.
Maybe there is.
The usual suspects

Public employee unions
Public employee pensions
Poor immigrants needing services such as public education and medical care
demographic changes, too many young and too many old
tax policy causes wealthy to move to Florida
Anything else?
Prop 13
unemployment
initiatives of all sorts

So what is the truth? Who has really looked at it carefully?

SWAN

What's Wrong With 2% Inflation?

A little thought experiment

You have a million dollars
You invest it all in a nice stock that pays no dividend.
The stock goes up exactly 2% a year. Inflation is also exactly 2% a year.
10 years later you sell for $1,220,000 (compound return)
A nice gain of $220,000
You pay tax on the gain at 15% for a tax of $33,000

That $33,000 was really just a confiscation of your wealth.
The gain was no real gain
After inflation you just broke even.
And then you paid a tax on a gain that was no gain.

I suggest indexing capital gains. That would be fair. In this situation there would be no gain to report if the gain were indexed.

Infinite Growth And The Fed

The Fed came out yesterday and said they want a higher rate of inflation. They said they have a comfort level for the core rate on inflation and that recently it is running too low for them. Sounds like they want 2% inflation.

To me, this is just sick. 2% doesn't sound like much, but in the long run the dollar still goes to zero. Even a slow persistent inflation eventually takes away all the value. There is a curve to describe this process. It is the curve for exponential growth. They call it hyperbola.

Our rulers want a hyperbolic economy. Don't they realize this is impossible in the long run? Hyperbolas go to infinity, and it happens rapidly.

To me, the comfortable level of inflation is zero! In my lifetime the dollar has lost about 90% of its value. And the policymakers like that and want it to continue.

Inflation is not a good thing. The fear of deflation is not a good thing.

Genius Returns

Humanity is not a bunch of fools, or idiots.
We are resourceful.
We are creative.
We make progress.

Things keep getting better.
When problems come up, we solve them.
And people are not evil.
I believe everyone is doing the best they can.

Everyone does the best they can.
Things are already wonderful but if you need them to be better, or choose for them to be better, then the best thing is more education and freedom of information.
Knowledge
Truth
Thought

What a great world we live in.

The Folly Of Gold

Yes, gold has done well recently.
But experience of the long term tells a different story.
My family came to Los Angeles in the 1920s. Bought land. Recently sold the land.
Price had gone up 700 times.
Gold then was $32 per ounce. Now around $1,250. That is up around 40 times.
700 is much better than 40.
And guess what.
That land was an income producing item. Over the years that land generated spendable income.
Gold just sits there. In fact, storing it costs money!

I hope for real prosperity.
I hope for the people to live in praise and thanksgiving.

Time Marches On

HERE I AM
many years ago
in Santa Monica

The Irrelevance of Bankers

If I need my car repaired do I need a banker?
NO! I need an auto mechanic!

If I need a haircut do I need a banker?
NO! I need a barber!

If I need food do I go to the bank?

NO! I go to the supermarket.

All the real stuff is everywhere. I see houses. I see cars. I see people. It is great stuff and there is plenty of it.

It's a Recession Not a 'Catastrophe' | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary

It's a Recession Not a 'Catastrophe' | Alan Reynolds | Cato Institute: Commentary

This is an old article,from February of 2009, but it is good to consider. I really agree that Mr. Obama should not be spreading fear and negativity. Things are so much better than people think. It is amazing to me how negative most people still are even now when the recovery phase is just about over and the expansion phase is for real.

peak to trough gdp this time ended up at almost 4% and unemployment at 10.5%,
so this was severe in those terms

I always look at it from the perspective that we have so much, when you take away 4% of it you still have way more than you need

Also, the accumulated wealth was not destroyed. Saying something is worth $10 one day and $5 the next has not really destroyed any wealth. Wealth is finally real things, not the dollar value that people put on things.

Is Gold Done?

Looks like a double top in gold.
Time to sell? Or sell short?

I expect gold to fall back to around $800 per ounce.
That means a bear market in gold.
As the recovery becomes an expansion and stocks perform better the interest in gold and bonds will be going away.

Recovery or Expansion?

Today I got confused about these terms so I did some research and I have a tentative resolution.

When you talk about recovery you are talking about one thing and when you talk about expansion you are talking about something else.

Recovery and expansion happen at the same time.

Whenever the economy is growing that is called expansion. But when there has just been a recession, as the economy begins to grow, it is called recovery until the economy reaches its previous peak.

Once the previous peak has been surpassed it is no longer called recovery, then it may be called prosperity or something else.

In nominal terms, the economy has already surpassed the previous peak, but when adjusted for inflation, there needs to be about another 2% of growth in order to be considered "recovered."

I am hoping that when all the numbers are in, 2010 will prove to have a larger GDP than any prior year, but it may be close.

Consumer Spending At All Time High

According to the commerce department, personal consumption expenditures are running at an all time high of $10,279,600,000,000.
($10.79 trillion.)
But nobody reports it that way.

Angry Bears Should Cheer Up

News today
2nd quarter GDP revised down
but not as bad as expected

Shouldn't we be glad the economy is not as bad as expected?
The angry bears act like they want a collapse.
Why do they want that?
Are they just mean or have they done a lot of short selling?
Are they just hoping to profit from the pain of other people?

I would like to see happy people and last night I did.
We went down to hear the free music at the Santa Monica Pier.
Two tribute bands, one like the Beatles, the other like Led Zeppelin
Happy crowd
Time to stop being angry and afraid and depressed.
Stop hoping for failure
Wake up to the success all around

Housing Obsession Ending?

Existing home sales down a lot.
That is a good thing.
We have invested too much in houses.
Houses are liabilities. They are expensive to maintain.
Paint, plumbing, roofing, remodeling, property taxes, insurance, utilities, etc.
You do get to live in them. So a need is filled. But we have too many and they are too big and luxurious.
Simple is better.
Our society will do better by investing in productive assets.
The housing industry was bloated by government policies and a real estate mania.
Better that our energy goes elsewhere.

New balance is coming. Rebalancing is painful to some, but not all, and in the long run we will all be better off with less energy going into housing.

Human Population

Imagine our population continues to double, say every 100 years.
In 1,000 years there would be about 5.5 trillion people.
Not so bad
each of us would have 280 square feet of land to support us.
sounds pretty cozy

point being
perpetual growth, even slow growth, is not possible,
we must reach a steady state
population will cease to grow, probably in the near future
governments need to plan for the steady state.
right now our government needs 5% growth to avoid bankruptcy
that is very unrealistic
we need to start living in the real world and forget fantasy land

Take Less Give More

What a concept. The possibility of taking less.
You could give less and take less. Less
They say that less is more.
Looking around I see many addicted to more.
Causes a lot of pain.
Less is OK
Less can even be good.

My business is fine. But when I get a vacant apartment I lower my price. It gets filled fast that way. I can take less. It is OK.
Stubborn people who won't take less. They cause a lot of trouble.

Be willing to take less.
Be happy taking less.
And let some things just fall away.

Truth is
You have more than enough.
You have always had more than enough.

Take A Step Back And See The Truth

Remember that old picture of the whole earth from space.
No borders

One beautiful blue jewel of a planet.

Get some perspective on your own life.
Get some perspective on the life of your community.

Take a step back and see the unity.
All is one.
And it is a beautiful jewel.

A good cosmos

Fairness Yields Peace

Perception is reality.
If people perceive unfairness, then they get upset.
They have minds that find unfairness. But is there any real unfairness in the world?
Most would say, OF COURSE THERE IS UNFAIRNESS!

And thus we do not have peace.

But think it all the way through and you can see the world as totally fair. Then you have peace of mind.
Is it true that the world is totally fair?
Yes, it is the truth.

Nothing to be upset about. The world is totally fair always. It must be.
And we are totally free. Our world is our choice.

Nothing to be angry about.
Fairness leads to peace.
And the world is a fair place. It is all fair. It is all just.
Choose peace!

Business Is Good

Tuesday night we went out to dinner in Cambria, CA.
We went into Linn's. It was crowded. People were waiting. We waited almost 40 minutes for a table for four.
The food was good.
The desserts were wonderful.

Business is good.
40 minute wait on a Tuesday night.

Get Ready For 2% Growth

Somehow we have gotten the idea that the economy can grow at a 3% to 5% rate.
But that rate of growth tends to be inflationary and harmful. We live in such tremendous abundance right now that we could be fine with no growth at all or even with a decline.

But people are addicted to growth. They go crazy if growth does not continually accelerate.

Policymakers need to understand that rapid growth is not going to happen. Policy must be adjusted for an expectation of 2% growth. Depending on higher growth will cause some very bad trouble. I read that the federal deficit increases out of control at less than 4% growth. The feds need to face reality and live more prudently.

Times are good. But living beyond your means always leads to trouble.

There Oughta Be A Law

Too many laws
proliferation of laws
laws nobody knows and nobody understands
laws that need to be tested in court
and one judge says one thing and then another says something else
why do we need so many laws?
they have been making laws for hundreds of years but they always need to be making more
there is always some new crisis or problem and the answer is more law

but we have been trying that for a long time
and apparently it does not work very well

we need a new approach

how about a moratorium on new laws
we should learn to live with the laws we have
could they really be so bad and so in need of change?

Bad Day For Bears

First trading day of August got off with a bang. DOW over 10,600.
I'm still standing by my prediction of DOW 12,000 by Thanksgiving.
Looks pretty easy from here. 350 points a month will do it. Earnings are good. Interest rates are low. The bears should be exhausted.
And the truth is the economy is very good. This is a good economy with slack that can grow easily without shortages and bottlenecks.
Virtuous
Reasonable
Positive
Happy

Economy Continues To Accelerate

THE NEWS CAME OUT TODAY THAT THE ECONOMY GREW IN THE SECOND QUARTER AT A HEALTHY RATE OF 2.4%.

But that is not what you will read in the media propaganda that passes for news.

July 30 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. economy slowed in the second quarter as a scarcity of jobs eroded consumer spending, leaving the rebound dependent on a surge in business investment.

They call this a slowdown. They say the "economy slowed."
Not so. If I am going 50 MPH and then 60 MPH and then 61 MPH. I am not slowing. I am still accelerating. The rate of acceleration has slowed, but the economy is going faster and faster.

Words make reality. Let us speak the truth.

Slack Is Good

Take it easy
Lighten up
Simplify

We are living in the slack economy now and it is good.
More leisure, no shortages of food or housing.
People still seem to think they are entitled to jobs. Not so.
If you really want a job or need a job then you must do what it takes.
Truth is, most don't really want work, just money.

So here we are in the midst of abundance. We have more than we need. It is a good world.

Long Live The Slack Economy

History Teaches Whole Civilizations Can Collapse

Maybe that is a fallacious concept.
What really happened to Rome or Athens? They did not disappear completely. But there are some civilizations that really did disappear. What comes to mind are the civilizations in the New World, Mayan, Aztec etc. And tribes disappear or go extinct.

But my thought is that a big civilization, like modern America, might collapse or disappear but that it would take hundreds of years. So the idea that things are going to collapse at any moment is fallacious.

Big changes can happen rapidly to smaller systems. Consider the recent bankruptcies of blue chip companies like General Motors. But GM is not gone. It just got restructured.

Watch out for the future.
Many systems are looking fragile. Which will survive? Which will make the changes before catastrophe hits?

Take Care No Blame

Take care of your animal

Don't blame the economy

What do I mean?

Are you an animal? Or is only your body an animal?
Your body is your animal. Take good care of your animal. Love your animal.

Don't blame the environment. Just take the best care you can.

USA Per Capita GDP Hits All Time High in 2010

This is a prediction.
And it looks very likely.
2009 per capita GDP was only .5% lower than the peak of 2008. (LOWER BY ONE HALF OF ONE PERCENT)
It won't take much to surpass 2008 this year.

But you probably won't hear this in the news.
And even if you do. They will put a negative spin on it.

If Democrats would like to hold congress, they should start telling how good the economy is. But I doubt they will do it because it goes against their grain.

Expectations Lead To Gloom

Saw this headline
"WHY GLOOM ON ECONOMY PERSISTS"

It is all about expectations.
If you expect a dollar and you get 80 cents then you are disappointed and gloomy. Whenever reality falls short of expectations people tend to feel bad. If you expect a dollar and get two then you might fell pretty good.

People are expecting too much. They are unrealistic. They almost always expect too much and are habitually disappointed.

Lower expectations and happiness should increase.
Or get rid of expectations completely. Expect nothing and be happy with what comes.
Each moment is sufficient.

Problem With Government Revenue

It is generally thought that government spending is counter-cyclical. That is, when the economy slows down tax revenues go down and government spending goes up. This is thought to be a good thing because it takes up some of the slack in the economy. For example, the public is borrowing less lately and the government is borrowing more.

But there are big problems with this approach and the problems are filling the headlines. All over the world governments have already taken on enormous debt even while economies were healthy. Now that there is a recession the government sectors are looking like economy killers rather than healers.

I see two main problem areas with government debt.
Interest on this debt is becoming very large.
Government spending is less efficient than private spending.

Solution

Change gears

Assumptions about economic growth have been made that are very false. Economies cannot grow as rapidly as has been thought without creating inflation or bubbles. Maximum good growth is probably only 1% to 2%, not 4% to 5%.
The natural rate of unemployment is higher than we are told. It is closer to 8% than to %5.
When governments make budgets they need to plan for less growth and higher unemployment and have balanced budgets at those lower levels. Trying to get back the bubble economy of the last 50 years is very foolish and counterproductive and will continue to give bad results.

Economy OK for Most People

Getting down to cases.
We hear a lot of bad cases. Those stories happen all the time regardless of economic cycles.
Even in the Old Testament they knew about cycles. Store your grain for seven years so you will have enough food during a drought.

Anyway
Coca Cola is a good case of a company doing well rain or shine.
Per share earnings

2007 $2.70
2008 $3.15
2009 $3.06
2010 $3.45 (predicted)

So earnings up 17% then down a little but 2009 is still 13% higher than 2007 and 2010 is predicted to be up again and may be 27% higher than 2007.

So here is a case of the economy being OK for a big company.
Doom and gloom sells papers but it is not the truth. The economy is OK for most people!

The Virtue Of Illness

Illness and misfortune can remind you to turn to God.

Is Attitude Everything?

Good attitude
bad attitude

what is it?

Right attitude?
Wrong attitude?

Posture
Standing
Where do you stand and how do you stand?

Are justice and peace compatible?
Is justice revenge or retribution or truth?
Truth and beauty could be justice.

What is the truth? Whatever you experience is truth, but not the complete truth.
The complete truth is everything.

Work on your posture, truth may follow

The Happy Economy

We really do have more than enough.

More than enough of all good things

Sun
wind
love

But you can never have what you want.
Wanting creates its own lack.

Thankfulness creates its own fullness.

Be full now. Accept your good. Accept the gift you are offered in every now.

The world is good. It is sufficient.

Expect Idiocy

"The Los Angeles City Council will consider major changes to the city's water conservation rules Tuesday morning."


Here is a good example of unintended consequences. Changing rules can have bad consequences that nobody expects. Maybe we should think hard before changing rules, or laws....



"At issue: the city's lawn-watering rules, which were cited in a recent report by an independent group of engineers as a factor in a series of water main bursts last year.

For more than a year, residents across the city have been barred from irrigating their yards and gardens on days other than Mondays and Thursdays. The new proposal, backed by the Department of Water and Power, would allow those who live at odd-numbered addresses to water on Mondays and Thursdays and residents at even-numbered addresses to water on Tuesday and Fridays.

The changes were recommended after a panel of experts concluded that the two-day-a-week irrigation rules helped trigger a series of pipe breaks by creating dramatic fluctuations in water pressure. Some water main breaks damaged homes and businesses. One created a sinkhole that swallowed part of a firetruck."

Bad Attitude Leads To Unemployment

This is a hard remark to make in a world where compassion is required.
Hard love

People who are unemployed are unemployed because of their attitude.

Is this a bad attitude? Not necessarily.

The fact remains that 90% of people who choose to be employed are employed!
9 out of 10
That is a very big ratio.

Some of the 9 have been unemployed but are working again. How did they do it?

You do what it takes to get a job. You show your character. You show you will be a plus for the employer. You are willing to work at a competitive wage.

Right attitude leads to right employment.
We all have more than we need.
Each of us has more than he needs.

Economy must grow 2% But Population only grows 1%

" Consider that the economy needs to grow roughly 2% per year just to keep unemployment from rising."

Why?
We hear this a lot.
What is the explanation?

Population is growing at less than 1% a year. Why would the economy need to grow 2% to accomodate a 1% increase in the population?

Steady State Economy What To Call It?

There is a movement advocating a steady state economy for the world. They advocate that by growing GDP we are harming the environment.

They make a good case, but they could make a better one.

To change the public mind or to just give up, that is the question.

How might the public mind be changed? Education, propaganda, advertising. A simple message.

Growing GDP is making you sick.
It causes war, mental illness, crime, misery and environmental degradation.
Unfortunately there are many apologists for growth. They actually argue that growth is good for the environment.

But a simple case needs to be made. Just a few words. A few slogans that are true. That can be backed up with good facts when needed. As positive as possible.

try this

WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH

But what to call it? Steady State Economy is awkward.
Sustainable is suggested but that is already a euphemism for growth that is manageable.

How about
Growth Economy or Happy Economy?

What would be a happy economy?

Happy Economy

We Do Not Need Growth The Economy Is Big Enough

Growth is not the answer to anything unless you want more environmental degradation.
We have more than enough.
We need to slow down and take it easy and count our blessings.

We Assume Too Much

The jobless rate fell to 9.5 percent in June, still far too high to signal a healthy

economy.

That is a typical news remark. Unbiased journalism
Who is the "authority" that decrees what a healthy economy is?
We all just agree on this because we have been told what to believe.

Let us make a new assumption.
10% unemployment is a healthy economy.

What is wrong with that idea?
I'm sure everyone would object to that idea. But why? We have been told what to believe. Who really understnads what a "healthy " economy would be?

We live in an economy that makes people sick. It drives them to death. It causes war and drug addiction and depression and cancer and heart disease and VD and murder and litigation and rape and on and on.

Maybe a healthy economy would not do all those things?

Maybe if people were less impatient and less greedy and less ambitious etc.

But I don't think this will change any time soon.

What Really Caused This Recession?

People love to point the finger of blame at each other, at bankers, at foreigners, at dumb consumers, at politicians, at government taxing and spending etc.
But what really caused the recession?

ONE WORD

OVERHEATING

Things get too good and out of balance. People borrow to invest in new capacity with overly optimistic predictions and then the cash does not come in sufficient to pay the debt. This always happens. It is not a mystery.


"When a prolonged period of good economic growth and activity causes high levels of inflation (from increased consumer wealth) and inefficient supply allocations as producers overproduce and create excess production capacity in an attempt to capitalize on the high levels of wealth. Unfortunately, these inefficiencies and inflation will eventually hinder the economy's growth and cause a recession.
Investopedia Says
Investopedia explains Overheated Economy
Rising rates of inflation are typically one of the first signs that an economy is overheating. As a result, governments and central banks will usually raise interest rates in an attempt to lower the amount of spending and borrowing.

Between June 2004 and June 2006, the Federal Reserve Board increased the interest rate 17 times as a gradual means of slowing America's overheated economy."

Fewer Workers, More Output

Imagine a small economy with two types of jobs, skilled and unskilled.
You have 20 workers, 10 skilled and 10 unskilled.
Skilled workers produce $100,000 a year. Unskilled produce $10,000 a year.


all are employed so unemployment is 0%.

Total output is $1,100,000.

Recession hits.
Things get shuffled a bit.
You end up with 11 skilled working and only 7 unskilled working. (one unskilled went to school and became skilled).

Now there are two unemployed so unemployment is 10%.
But the total output is now $1,170,000, an increase of 6% in output.

Here is one way that output can be larger with fewer workers. I am sure there are many other possible reasons why this could be.

In our economy the number of workers working has declined by around 7% but output has declined by only about 1%. It is no mystery to me that less productive workers would be let go during recession. Thus the decline of output would always be less than the decline of employment.

Sellers? Or Short Sellers?

Wall St tumbles to worst quarter since Lehman fall
REUTERS — 6:33 PM ET 06/30/10

By Chuck Mikolajczak

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks staggered to the end of a dismal second quarter on Wednesday in another low volume session as investors found little reason to take on risk after conflicting economic data.
To make matters worse, leveraged short ETFs, widely blamed for a portion of Tuesday's losses, were also cited for the late sell-off as managers piled on bets the market will fall. Those funds shorted the market to keep up with customer demand.

But this is ultimately good for stocks because those shorts will need to be covered and that will drive prices up.

Don't Buy What You Can't Afford

SIMPLE RULES

Don't buy what you can't afford.

Don't loan money to people with poor credit. If a situation calls for charity then call it what it is.

Plan for idiocy.

Be responsible.

Don't forget to pay your bills.

Don't ask other people to pay your bills.

Be thankful! Live in gratitude!

Austerity Means "Pull The Plug"

Austerity is the best route because it means reducing the least efficient parts of economies.
Government spending is inefficient and wasteful.
I wish I had a big argument to support that assertion. Maybe it is just axiomatic.
Stimulus means taking money from the efficient and giving it to the failing. That just ends up with less for everyone.
So, right now people don't like austerity, but it is best in the longer run.

We should not be lavishing our energy and attention on failing enterprises. Businesses and governments should be allowed to fail. Bankruptcy is good for the community. It is pruning, it is getting rid of dead wood. It is not euthanasia, it is just pulling the plug and letting the dead die.
They call them zombie businesses.
We are much better off without zombie businesses.

On another note.

We should not be searching for new energy supplies. We should be learning to use a lot less energy.

We should not be trying to return to past levels of employment. We should let the labor force shrink. People not looking for work are not unemployed. In my household none of the four of us are employed. But tomorrow we could decide we want jobs and then there would be three more unemployed people.

We are producing and consuming more than enough. We don't need to grow the economy. We need to be content.

Consumer Spending Hits All Time High

In spite of the "great recession" consumer spending is hitting new highs. But you won't hear that reported very often. Somebody seems to want to keep us thinking that the economy is terrible.

California Is Full

In the last ten years the population of California has increased by about 4.4 million people.
PEOPLE 4,400,000

Too many people are already in California.
My hope is that this increase will cease immediately.

INCREASED!

This increase is more than the total population of 25 states

JUST THE INCREASE is more than the total population of
Kentucky
Oregon
Oklahoma
Connecticut
Iowa
Mississippi
Arkansas
Kansas
Utah
Nevada
New Mexico
West Virginia
Nebraska
Idaho
Maine
New Hampshire
Hawaii
Rhode Island
Montana
Delaware
South Dakota
Alaska
North Dakota
Vermont
Wyoming

Pray For Property Rights

If my neighbor sprays oil on my property, he has violated my property rights.
I should be able to get damages.

If the government caps damages in this situation, then my property rights have been taken away.

Who owns the Gulf of Mexico?
Whoever it is, they should be able to get damages from whoever damages that property.

Canada Oil Economy

I was reading that the economy in Canada is better than the USA or Europe.
The article mentions banking regulation as a cause of the good economy. The article does not mention that Canada exports a lot of oil to the USA. In fact, the USA imports more oil from Canada than from any other country.

Texas and Alaska are also doing pretty well lately.
Being rich with oil certainly helps.

They must be really smart to have all that oil!

Problems With Gold

Gold just sits there. It does not generate any income.

If you hold it a long time and sell for a gain, you pay a gain tax.

Therefore, if gold appreciates at the rate of inflation, then when you sell you end up a loser.
It would need to appreciate more than inflation in order to just keep you even when you sell.

The nice thing about gold is that it is fun to hold. It has a nice weight. Gold coins are fun. But is that fun worth $1,200? I think a computer would be more fun.

No Bear Market

There is no bear market.
There has never been a bear market.
There is only a vast bull market.
It started with the Big Bang.

One enormous unending expansion.

Abundant Cheap Oil

There is a lot of oil at the bottom of the ocean.
Really deep oil
the entire Pacific ocean has oil under it, not just on the continental shelves
the problem is getting that oil

30 years from now we will be able to extract that oil cheaply
robots will work at great depths
no need for oil rigs at the surface

oil price will drop to under five dollars a barrel

technology will yield cheap oil

One Billion Americans by 2100?

The twentieth century was amazing for population growth and economic growth, which tend to go together.
U.S. population went from 76 million to 281 million. It increased by a factor of 3.7
Will that happen again?
If it does there will be more than one BILLION americans.

Who wants that?

Weirdthink Slowdown Not A Slowdown

"Slowdown Looming but No Double Dip"

What?
If I accelerate to 70 and then stop accelerating would anybody call that a slowdown?

Economic metaphors confuse and conceal reality.
Do economies really expand and contract?
Do they grow? Does growth speed up and slow down?
Do economies slow down?

CESSATION OF ACCELERATION IS NOT SLOWING DOWN

But in the news, if GDP growth slows, that is called a slowdown. It is a slowdown of growth, but not of "the economy."
Nobody would say that cruising at 70 MPH is slowing down.
Why do we always need to accelerate?

What is wrong with cruising along.
Why can't we be contented with a cruising economy?

To call gradual deceleration a slowdown is WEIRDTHINK!

Perpetual growth is impossible. If the economy were to grow at %5 perpetually, then it would double about every 15 years.

At that rate it would be one million times bigger in 300 years.
One million times bigger?
I don't think so.

Can't Plug Leak Too Busy Socializing

People will usually only drop their plans for an emergency like a funeral or a fire.

But sometimes the little things turn into emergencies.

Better to nip it in the bud, better to stay on top of things, put first things first etc.

So where is our attention? Maybe it is OK and maybe not. Maybe our attention is not on the leaks that need to be plugged but somewhere else. Like on ego trips

anyway....
seems to me the president does a lot of socializing
takes eye off ball at ball
party, ceremony, dinner, concert
how can the president really do a good job when there are so many distractions?

and we can all take a lesson from this

less is more

take care of business first
plug the leaks before they become catastrophes.

Disconcerting Corrections

The market has been correcting for a few weeks.
This is normal and healthy.
Investors and players always go to extremes. Too high and then too low and then too high again.

Asset allocation strategy indicates selling on the way up and buying on the way down. This correction is a message to do some buying.

To repeat
This correction is normal and healthy


In fact, it is what must happen. Corrections strengthen markets. They are no cause for despair.
The important thing is for earnings to continue to improve. Earnings are the most important thing. The value of a company is really just the value of earnings plus any real assets such as land.

I believe the correction has already almost run its course. However the road back to new highs will be long and slow. A period of consolidation may last for another six weeks. July looks good.

I still expect DOW 12,000 by Thanksgiving.

Poetry Evolving

I used to enjoy
hearing
angry, crazy, depressed, frustrated poets
telling me how awful the world is
and foretelling doom

but now that I am old and gray
and close to death
close enough to call him a friend

all I can hear is the sound
of little children laughing
and playing
and splashing in the fountain of youth

Geoffrey Francis Morgan Orator Civic Leader Writer

If you take a stroll on the Santa Monica beach you might see this monument to Geoffrey F. Morgan. Who was he? What did he do to deserve this?

For many years he was president of the Shoreline Planning Association of California. He sparked this organization to success in obtaining legislative appropriation of $10 million for beach acquisition. Back then that was a lot of money!

He wrote the words to the Stanford song, "Sons of the Stanford Red."
The Morgan Wixson Theater was named after him.
He was a California Assemblyman.
He wrote librettos for many operettas.
He was a professor of education at Ohio University.
He was a speaker on the circuits of the Redpath Lyceum. He travelled the country lecturing on inspirational subjects. He spoke in all 48 states.

Other posts and memberships:
President of the Santa Monica Theater Guild
Director of the Chamber of Commerce
Member of the Board of Education
Member of the Library Board
Rotary
Dramatists Guild
Actors Equity
Phi Alpha Tau
Tau Kappa Alpha
St. Augustine's Episcopal Church

here is a link to the Morgan Wixson Theater

http://www.morgan-wixson.org/

http://orlabs.oclc.org/identities/lccn-n82-90913

MIND OVER MONEY bubble or flight?

I watched the documentary on PBS, "Mind Over Money."
I found a lot to disagree with.
Mainly I dispute the premise that we have just experienced a terrible financial bubble.
They start off with Tulipmania and somehow equate that with inflated house prices.
There is no comparison!

Real estate has been rising for a hundred years! That is not a bubble. That is something else.
That is a flight from the currency.
Governments around the world have been debasing their currency. That is what has been going on. People are constantly trying to get out of cash and into something that will hold its value. The best thing is income property. You get a stream of income and as the value of the money declines that income increases and the value of the asset also increases.
This is not rocket science.
This is easy and obvious stuff.

And cycles are nothing new. They are not bubbles. People habitually take on too much debt and then there is a correction. That is normal and healthy.
Every twenty years or so there are a lot of REO properties on the market. Those are bank owned properties that were foreclosed on.

Is it news that there are fools? There will always be fools. Should we all suffer to protect the fools from themselves. I am against that. Let them fall. That is the only way to learn to be responsible. People do learn. Most people do become more responsible during the course of their lives.

We are not victims of "behavioral psychology." We are able to make intelligent decisions.

WHO AM I?

http://www.youtube.com/user/worldonenesstv

Video with Sri Bhagavan: 27.4.2010



"Basically at the psychological level, you are the question 'who am I?' You are the question. And once the question goes, you are gone with it. If there's a question, you are there - no question, you are not there. So by asking 'who am I?' You are sustaining the I. There is no answer to this question. If the questioner realizes there is no answer, the question will disappear and along with that the questioner also is gone. Now what happens in that case: suppose you are gone, but how do you know that you are there in the first place? What happens from now on is, the observer becomes the observed. You are defined by what is being observed. Suppose you are in a room - the television, the walls, the lighting, the people around - because they are there, you are there.

Remove them, you are gone. In other words the teaching here is, the observer is the observed. Let us say, there is a tree - because there is a tree, you come into existence. The tree only defines it. In other words: you are the tree. Because there's a wall, you come into existence. The wall is what you have become. You are the wall. You are the tree. You are other people. The observer has become the observed. This is for the enlightened person. But if you go into a still higher state of Oneness - still higher state - then you will actually become the tree. You will experience the tree breathing. You will actually become the wall."

Who am I?
I am what I create.

First The Flower

First the flower
Then the fruit
Then the feast

First the feast
Then the night
Then the dawn

First the dawn
Then the flower
Then the fruit

First the fruit
Then the feast
Then the night

First the night
Then the dawn
Then the flower

Chaos In Their Wake

You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.
But why do some people have to make so many omelettes?

Celebrate The Common Man

Who will take care of us? Who will do all the work to take care of us?
Who will grow the food?
Who will build the houses?
Who will maintain and repair and renew?

Will it be the rich man?
Will it be the poor man?
Will it be the common man?

The common man is the man we most depend upon.
He is the factory worker, the plumber, the gardener, the school teacher, the nurse and on and on. He goes to work. He does a good job. He creates all the material abundance we enjoy.
He is the man we need. He is the woman we need.

Let us celebrate the common man.
The man who takes care.
He is truly rich. And he makes us all rich.

Now For The Hard Work

So the market has been very good lately. We got to 11,000 and punched through. But the climb to 12,000 will not be so fast and easy. My predicton is 12,000 by Thankgiving. Seven months from now. It looks like earnings will be very important to allow this rise.
There could be some discouraging corrections coming up.

But the truth is always that things are getting better. People are getting richer.
Sometimes it is hard to believe because as individuals we age and grow feeble and die.
Not easy to be optimistic when you imagine your destiny.

But your projects don't all die when you do. They are handed over to the new generations. They stand on your shoulders and continue to find wonder in an expanding universe.

Signs of Overheating

inflation is running around 2%.
The powers like that, but it is not a good thing. It should be zero.

GDP growth is 5.5%. Wow! That sounds high to me. I thought 3% was the sustainable number.

Gold is $1,148 per ounce. What can I say?

Oil is $85 a barrel. That is great news if you own an oil well.

All the stimulation is to make the rich richer. Always a wonderful plan. The excuse used to sell the stimulus is to get people employed. The unemployed are generally in two groups, those between jobs and those who are not employable. The unemployable don't need an overheated econoomy. They need other forms of help.

Already Overheating

Is the economy already showing signs of overheating?
Is there inflation? Is the rate of inflation increasing?
Are there shortages or supply bottlenecks?
Are things selling out?
Is it hard to find qualified employees?

Business and government are both seeking an overheated economy. That is what they want. If the economy is healthy, they complain loudly that there is not enough demand. They demand more stimulus and lower interest rates.

They want the economy to be overheated.
They do not want a healthy economy.

News Bias Blame, Credit or Cause?

Birthrates drop in California, and experts blame recession

How about "experts credit recession"?
or
"Experts site recession"?

Blame has a negative connotation, as if to say a fallng birthrate is a bad thing.
Who is to say if that is good or bad or neutral?

I personally see it as a good thing. But that is my bias.

The Estrogen Bunny

I saw her this morning.
Lovely!

What Is The Truth?

The master said, The truth will set you free."

Another way of saying,

"YOU ARE FREE!"

The truth is that you are free. You have always been free. You will always be free.

Ab Intra (from within)

Inside and outside
Where does our experience come from?

From Within
Ab intra

Sickness ab intra
happiness ab intra
love ab intra

People go to the doctor, they get the treatment, they get the cure
then a year later they are right back with a new condition
finally they are dead

what does not get treated is the inside man
the spiritual man
the soul
the mind

treat the soul
then enjoy real health

remember
all is to the good

tell yourself the right story
sow the right seeds
reap health and wealth and happiness

watch how the flowers grow
LET THEM GROW

experience comes
ab intra

From within

Faith Or Fear?

Is it more comfortable to live in faith or to live in fear?
Is it more profitable to live in faith or to live in fear?
Is it more realistic to live in faith or to live in fear?

Do we have a choice?

Wouldn't you rather live without fear, without anxiety, without worry, with a peaceful mind?

How can you choose to live without fear?

DOW 12,000 By Thanksgiving

What a happy market we are having.
Already 10% above the recent February low of 9835. Today at 10,838. 11,000 is within spitting distance.
The next 10% will be slower, but I expect 12,000 before Thanksgiving.

Why is the market going up? Because business is very good.
The economy is healthy.
High unemployment is good for business because it keeps wages down. The overheated economy of the past was not healthy. Overstimulation is not healthy. There should be slack in labor markets. There should be a large pool of potential employees.
The inflation of an overheated ecomony looks good but is really destructive of prosperity.
I hope this low inflation environment will continue. Then we can all muddle through and have real prosperity.
Unemployment of 8% should be the new standard of full employment. If government can adjust to that reality, all will be well.

Everything Is To The Good

To the Good

everything

is

everything is good to the good

"peace on earth to men of good will"

to men of good will there is peace on earth

Peace is here already. War is over. This is the good world of our dreams. It is here right now. This is it.
For all things are to the good.

Almost A Sure Thing

When a stock first starts making new highs, it is very likely to keep going up. But after many new highs the odds of it going down increase.

and

on the day it peaks, it will make a new high
that will be the last new high for a long time

but the first new high is a buy signal in most cases

The Far Side Of Bliss

all I can say is goodbye
that's all I can say

summer and winter are gone
and now it is May

maybe we'll meet
in another land

on the far side of bliss
we can all hold hands

and if I see you again
you'll know me for sure

after so many good years
our love is all pure

China How Many People?

You could take away a billion people from China and the population would still be greater than the USA.

There are more people in China than in North and South America combined.

China 1,339,000,000

USA 310,000,000

North America 486,000,000
South America 349,000,000

source of info World Almanac 2010

The Secret Of Happiness

Realize these things

There is nothing to want. You already have everything.

Or,
Stop wanting things.

And appreciate what you have right now.

Bears Are Usually Wrong

Guess what!

The world is getting better.

The optimists are right. The pessimists are wrong.

In the stock market there are always people calling for a correction or a bear market, saying that stocks are soon going to drop. And sometimes they are right.
But they are usually wrong.
Stocks generally go up. That is the reality.
Stocks are usually going up.
People get awfully upset when they go down.

But they usually are going up.
So calling for a correction or a bear market is usually a bad call.

Peak Oil?

"An undeclared world war for oil is already under way." Roger Ebert says this in his review of the movie "Collapse."


World War For Oil

Is that what we are fighting about?

gasoline for our cars to drive around
fuel to fly around
travel around

transportation and travel?

Is that what we are killing for?

How sad!

Attitude Posture Footing

Where do you stand?
What do you stand on?
What do you stand for?
What is your standing?
Do you understand?

This could go on for a long time.

"We are spirits living in the material world."
Except there is no material world. It is all spirit. It is all spiritual.
We are spirits plain and simple living in eternity, in the infinite void, in the mind of GOD.

Posture is important. It is attitude. Your attitude is important. Your attitude can make a lot of difference. A positive attitude, optimistic, happy, loving, accepting. This could go on for a long time.

Postures

Work on your postures.

Feel them. Feel them good. Your posture is a reflection of your spirit. Your spirit is a reflection of your posture. Work on your posture is work on your spirit.
Choose

And stand on the ground. Have a firm footing.
What is the ground? Support, reality, truth.
The ground of being.

Good attitude
Good posture
Firm footing

choose

I Had A Dream

I dreamed of a world where everyone was brilliant
and they all went to college
and they all went to law school or medical school
and they all became doctors or lawyers

and they had nothing to eat
so they all starved to death

Society Works Pretty Well

We have it pretty good around here.
Plenty of just about everything.
It is really amazing.

But people always want more, don't they?

Sure there are things that could be better. But look how good it really is.
We have more than people have ever had. And it keeps getting better.

Let's be happy now. Today. With all that we have got.
Let's not worry about they guy down the block with a nicer car or a bigger house.
Somebody else will always have more.

Be happy now. Smile now. Breathe now. Relax now.
Accept your limitations.
"Without limits we would simply dissolve into the infinite."

Out On A Limb, Things Getting Btter

Market is already done correcting.
It will hold at levels near 10,000 on the Dow 30.
This is a great buying opportunity.
I expect a 20% increase now in broad markets

It should happen within ten months.

Economy is recovering nicely.
Unemployment will gradually drop.
People will never stop complaining though.

Not Like The 30s No Great Depression Here

Really!
Things would need to get very bad for it to be like that time.
How many had indoor plumbing?
How many owned cars?
No TV
No internet
No computers
What kind of roads did we have?

What an amazing difference in the standard of living from 80 years ago.

Airliners?
Antibiotics?
Many didn't even have electricity in their homes!
You just can't reasonably compare our economy to that economy. It is like another world.

Things are great around here.
I see lots of activity. Breaking ground for new homes. New cars. Shoppers out. Restaurants busy.
The economy is great.
It will only get better.

Zero Inflation and Dow Support At 10,000

Didn't quite make it to 11,000 but got close at over 10,700. Now heading back down to 10,000 for a while and then up to 12,000. Markets move down rapidly and up slowly. Most of the time they are going up. Recently there has been a rapid down move. But that move is almost over and yet people are starting to say "bear market" again. When will they ever learn.

And the fears of inflation are overblown.
Looks like zero inflation will be the new normal along with 8% unemployment.
I hope governments will realize the truth and adjust to this reality. Balance would improve things. And a better attitude would help everyone. Live simply. Simplify.
Be at peace. Life is good.

We will be in a world where it makes sense to save to buy rather than borrow to buy. Why pay interest and fees to own an automobile or furniture ar anything at all?
If the debt industry continues to downsize we will all ultimately be much richer.

Praise The Moment

What a wonderful world

How beautiful everything is

We are so blessed to be here to enjoy creation

Awesome
Fantastic
Perfect

Praise this world
See it as a gift
We are all gifted

Crazy Fire Laws

"In a study published today, a decreased likelihood of pregnancy is linked to flame-retardant chemicals found in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets and plastics. Californians may have higher exposures because of the state's strict flammability laws."


Sometimes the firemen put through laws that save lives by taking lives or preventing lives.

Sometimes they put though laws that save lives at the cost of $100,000,000 per life.
These are crazy laws.

How many lives could really be saved with $100,000,000 if the money were allocated intelligently?

How much does it cost to be safe?
When is it better to just take the risk?
Don't ask the experts. They all have vested interests.

Short Sight Sees Doom, Long View Sees Success

Things are just not as bad as you keep hearing.

Take the stock market.

A lot of people have given up and think that the market is a bad place to put your money.

But that is very short-sighted.

Today the Dow Jones Industrial Average stands at around 10,600.

If you go back 20 years to 1990, the highest point the Dow readhed that year was 2999.75 on July 16.

So, if you had kept your money there it would have grown in 20 years by more than 350 percent. And you would have also been collecting dividends on those stocks.

What people are disturbed about is the last ten years. Well, ten years ago was the top of a market bubble. So yes, if you were buying then you are a loser. But that is not how you are supposed to invest.

The process is to invest over your lifetime. Gradually put money in. Then when you retire you can gradually take it out.

Back to the numbers

Even if you bought at the top of the year 1998, which was 9374.27, you are ahead today by about 13%, plus dividends.

A more extreme case is to go back 40 years. The high point of the Dow in 1970 was 842.
Over 40 years the increase has been more than 1,250%. And again, you would have been collecting dividends.

So don't give up on stocks. Business is good and will get better in spite of anything or everything.