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Film titles appear below in alphabetical order...
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Many of my reactions as a consumer come in oral rather than written form. For example, a couple of months ago I left a voice message for a service manager about outstanding service I received from one of his auto technicians. While traveling last month, I spoke directly with the chef of a restaurant to compliment his dish, after telling the manager about it.
In essence, the majority of my reactions as a consumer -- whether published online, or spoken, are positive. This past week was abnormal in that I published two reviews of healthcare professionals: one an Orthodontist (positive) and the other an Optometrist (negative).
The hyperlink to the Orthodontist will take you to the website associated with this business that dispenses superb care and service; in my view. I issued a glowing, albeit brief, "5 star" , Google review for them.
The hyperlink to the Optometrist, will take you to a one star review I wrote on Yelp, which reveals my poor experience.
Note to the gentleman in the Philippines emailing me about online safety and a shared desire to root out fake reviews: thanks for your messages, but I haven't been able to confirm your identity and your website is not yet functional.
(Image above by freepik)
If Seinfeld became a hit TV program as a show about "nothing," then this post is a nod to that empty theme of everyday life. Here are two items about nothing in particular...
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By George Webb Corporation - http://www.georgewebb.com |
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| John Maddente photo |
2. I'm guessing few of my seven readers are familiar with Luckbox magazine. Its stated focus on "Life, Money, Probability" is geared toward Traders and other professional investors. I do not belong to that group, but a copy of this magazine at an airport lounge with snappy graphics and offbeat topics, caused me to subscribe.
The latest issue has an interesting article on the high stakes fight to preserve, or slowly kill, AM radio. Spoiler alert: The piece reminds readers that AM radio remains relevant to 82 million American listeners and also government officials that rely upon it as a medium for public emergency alerts. What's more, AM radio defenders in Congress are remarkably bipartisan.
Today I close with a friendly jab at the Luckbox editor of this article. Dear Madam or Sir, Re: the copy under "Night Radio" -- I believe your columnist intended to cite the laws of physics not "psychics". Your oversight reminded me of a M*A*S*H episode when Col. Potter exclaims, "We order rectal thermometers, we get spark plugs. Both useful articles, but hardly interchangeable."
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There were two parts to Trump's NATO invective. The first should be ignored as "noise" and the other should be heeded as a "signal". First, the ridiculous assertion that he'd invite Putin to invade NATO countries that don't pay their bills should be ignored, but the second one about NATO members not paying their "bills" requires closer examination as a signal.
One problem with the American Left, is that they fail to understand why Trump was elected in 2016 and instead they focus on Trump's hyperbolic noise which, to be fair, is often preposterous or dangerous. However, I believe that most Trump barbs and threats are designed to agitate others, fire up the base and keep him in the headlines.
In this case, I heard a podcast commentator -- obsessed with Trump's use of the noun "bills" -- remind listeners that NATO "is not a country club" with its members getting billed. That observation is noise. Of course, no administrative entity issues annual dues invoices to 31 member nations, but members have agreed to fund a minimum of 2% of their GDP to pay for their own defense.
In the last report by the NATO Secretary General (the 2022 report was issued before Finland became a member in 2023) just 7 of the 30 NATO member nations met their minimum 2% of GDP military spend commitment. That's the signal.
Most NATO countries are not paying their share. The rest is just noise.
(Image Above By freepik)
"Moral clarity" is a phrase I heard recently and it comes to mind when sorting out these troubling times and who's done what for whom and why. In the case of the $200,000 (or $240,000) sum(s) transferred between the Biden brothers, there is absolute clarity someplace. We just don't know where it is yet.
The money transfers under scrutiny, either represent a legitimate extension and repayment of a loan, or they don't. Much seems to hinge upon a trust account established by a Delaware law firm used to transact business on behalf of ___________ and that's the question....who?
Rep. Comer and company seek to prove that the trust fund was used to launder money for the benefit of Hunter Biden, his Uncle and partners -- and ultimately to compensate the elder Joe Biden.
The White House and their acolytes seek to prove that the trust account in question was controlled exclusively by Joe Biden and simply used as a conduit for the funds extended by Joe Biden to his brother, in the form of a personal, interest-free loan.
Neither side has definitively proven its case. Only one side can be correct and that's the missing clarity.
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| Image by wirestock on Freepik |
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#1. "10 held by H for the big guy?" According to an article from the Washington Post Fact Checker, an email from one of Hunter's business associates proposes a profit allocation of 20% for each associate except for Hunter's Uncle Jim Biden, who would get 10% -- and a remaining 10% allocable to the "big guy" which would be held by Hunter.
The email author has asserted that the big guy actually refers to Jim Biden, not Joe Biden. However, one of the other business associates in receipt of the email, said that's false and that it actually referred to Hunter Biden's father. Who's telling the truth?
The project was a flop and so there's no financial benefit (at least from this venture) that inured to the benefit of whomever the big guy is, but the whole Jim Biden--Big Guy explanation is odd. If the email author and business partner was already proposing a 10% allocation for Jim Biden, why would he propose that his nephew hold another 10% for him? Why escrow this 10% kicker with Hunter instead of just paying Jim Biden 20%? And is there a history of these business partners calling Jim Biden the big guy?
#2. The second problem is an allegation that if proven, could become equally injurious to President Biden's administration. The allegation is that the Justice Department may have deliberately impeded the investigation of Hunter Biden's tax problems. That allegation is supported by two highly credible IRS sources. If this can be proven, President Biden would presumably allege he knew nothing of it and sack Justice officials on the order of President Nixon's firing of Archibald Cox in 1973 to thwart impeachment. Of course, if it is proven that Joe Biden did know of investigation obstruction; let alone approved of it, he's finished.
I hasten to add, that's a big "if" and it's too early to credibly draw such a conclusion. Yet, if problem #2 has legs, America could sadly witness corruption on par with the famous cover up of a third rate burglary.
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(Image above by vecstock on Freepik)
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1. Let's start with a new movie called, "Dumb Money". After watching the trailer for Dumb Money and seeing a couple of ads, the experience raised a question in my mind....is it OK to criticize a film one has never seen? Logic dictates that the answer is no. Call me illogical.
What turned me off initially was the commercial touting how the film"...gives a riotous middle finger to the capitalist swine on Wall Street." How deliciously Populist. The film creators have obviously positioned Dumb Money as a paean to the little guy fighting against the evil asset managers, punctuated with an F-bomb per minute, until the digitally-wired counter culture decks the big money guys holding a large short position.
In this case, people will make a lot of money by trashing Capitalism and its adherents. Quite a paradox.
2. Let's end with a positive take on American Express's new method to redeem cardmember reward points. In the old days, if you wanted to cover a portion of your card charges with points; you had to go through this ritual of scrolling through transactions and applying points individually by transaction, in order to obtain the credit against your balance of charges. Not anymore!
One click and the entire value of your points is credited against your next bill. No more trolling and scrolling through your transactions and applying points by transaction to obtain the credit. Stupendous.
(Image above by macrovector on Freepik)
We all use it, but how should we use it and when? I'm talking about that automatic email feature known as an "Out of Office" reply.
Let's ignore the when consideration for now; but it's the "how" behind the usage of the out of office reply that piques my interest today. I received one recently that reads exactly like this with nothing added before or afterward:
"I'm ooo."
That's it. I'm ooo. First, imagine receiving a voicemail greeting like that -- spoken exactly the same way followed by a beep to record a message. Now consider, that you need something from the email author of that "ooo". You might reasonably conclude after receiving this sorry example above that he/she:
a) doesn't know when he/she will return
b) doesn't wish to be bothered and
c) doesn't care enough to mention an alternative contact in his/her absence.
I understand the desire to have a clear delineation between work time and personal time, but should that desire trump common courtesy?
Here are two simple guidelines for composing an out of office reply:
1. Give the reader some idea of when you'll be back on the job reading emails, or at least the frequency with which you plan to review email in the coming days.
2. More importantly; give the recipient an alternative in your absence. Mention either another email address of someone who can handle a request, or if you prefer to handle responses yourself; invite the sender to text urgent matters to your cell phone.
Within an hour of posting this little screed about out of office replies; I received an excellent example of one that allows me to close this post on a positive note. Here's an "ooo" done right:
"I am currently out of the office on vacation the week of 8/21 and will be back at it on Monday 8/28. I will be checking email at least once a day and will try to get back to you timely for anything that is urgent. Send a text for anything especially urgent. Thanks."
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Last month I walked the beaches of Normandy and in so doing fulfilled a longing I first realized as a boy during the 1970s while reading about D-Day and Operation Overlord.
That longing was stoked in 1998 after viewing the film Saving Private Ryan with it's horrific, albeit accurate, depiction of the slaughter and ultimate triumph of American forces at Omaha Beach on June 6th, 1944.
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John Maddente photo |
I felt awe walking on those beaches near the 100 foot cliffs the Rangers scaled at Pointe Du Hoc and raw emotion while walking the nearby Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
If you've ever spoken with veteran who's experienced combat and suggest that he is a hero, he will likely answer that the real heroes never returned.
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I will however express my views about another equally polarizing topic: foods and beverages! I won't equivocate on that topic. Here's a tasty sample of seven culinary flashpoints that are suitable for most socially-acceptable debates.
Pizza & Hot Dogs
Possibly America's favorite food, I must have thin crust pizza with cracker crisp qualities and zesty toppings (toppings is a whole topic for another post). To my friends in Chicago; please forgive me, but what you call "Deep Dish Pizza" is actually a satisfying tomato casserole with too much dough. However, Chicago can lay claim to the finest hot dogs (and I agree, no ketchup on a dog allowed). For store bought beef frankfurters; I'm partial to Nathan's or Hebrew National brand.
Bacon
Make mine crisp. This iconic cut of meat from the hog's belly should not be served limp, chewy, or with visible fat globules.
Coke vs. Pepsi
Talk about polarizing debates! Cola devotees might not patronize both giant beverage makers, but I do. Diet Pepsi is not only wildly superior to Diet Coke, but I find Diet Coke almost undrinkable. Regarding Coke Zero vs Pepsi Zero -- I'll give Coke Zero the edge.
Gluten
Follow your own Doctor's or Nutritionist's advice. Gluten doesn't affect me.
Peanuts
When did this onslaught of Peanut allergies begin? Why did it begin? I love these little legumes and Virginia Peanuts are the best I've found. Please do not serve me the un-salted type and consider serving Peanuts really cold. That chill factor is something I learned from a dear friend with a serious taste for chocolate covered Peanuts.
Charcoal and Smokers vs. Gas Grilling
For purposes of taste comparison -- there is no comparison. Charcoal is best. I sometimes hear the argument about the speed of Gas Grilling, to which I normally respond, "What's your hurry?" The same principle applies to smokers vs. gas grills -- smoking is well worth the wait.
Orange Juice
There are few things in this life I find as gratifying as a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice. Unfortunately, every substitute for the fresh variety I have found distasteful. Take McDonald's, I've long believed that their orange juice is the worst-tasting item on the whole menu.
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Greetings
I'm grateful for many things this holiday season and I'm posting a few of the less obvious ones below:
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Last but not least, I'm reminded that "Jesus is the reason for the season". |
Like a pebble in your shoe that won't go away; I've long been annoyed by the amount of ad time viewers suffer through while watching broadcast TV and Cable TV. Internet streamers and social media viewers are not immune either. More on that score in a moment.
The increased viewer burden is not your imagination. See Toni Fitzgerald's Forbes article, "Yes, You Are Seeing More Commercials Than Ever Before". The theme was echoed by Gerry Smith of Bloomberg in his 2019 piece; "TV networks vowed to cut back on commercials. Instead, they stuffed in more".
The unabashed Capitalist in me hastens to add that the ad industry is an essential component of a robust consumer-based economy. This post is about advertisers and media platforms practicing reasonableness and a more viewer-considerate methodology.
We all land on web pages that hijack the viewer with an unwanted solicitation blasting on the screen before one can even view anything relevant. We're often ambush-surveyed too, with that vapid net promoter score question (but that's another post).
Now consider streaming TV by way of one example from my personal entertainment viewing habits.... watching YouTube. I love the free access to music videos and movie shorts on YouTube and in exchange, I willingly watch and listen to ads that appear in-between songs and film clips. It's a fair tradeoff.
However, here's the worst example of viewer ad intrusion that I can think of.
A shot of my recent YouTube music video selections below....  Imagine that instead of me watching one of my prized music videos, you're watching a football game with seconds left on the clock. Your home team is down by 2 points but has the ball on fourth down 40 yards from the opposing team's goal line. Next, your field goal kicker watches the snap go to the holder and then instantaneously --- your TV screen converts to an ad for motor oil. That's essentially what YouTube often allows to happen to viewers watching a music video. The artists are performing beautifully and at some point, DURING THE SONG -- they cut to a mini commercial. Fortunately, it doesn't happen often; but it needn't happen at all. I was taught to offer a solution or try to help matters after you grouse about something; so, here's my post-grouse attempt... |
Many times I've driven past the military vehicle and large sign in front of Mission BBQ with curiosity, but never enough to actually go in and check it out. Today I did so; and I'll be back.
My dining companion explained that the franchise began out of efforts from two military veterans who'd served together in the Middle East. He went on to explain that at noon -- which was moments away -- we'd likely see the place stop normal activities to observe the national anthem. It happened at noon sharp and it was great.
My whole experience began by walking into a pleasantly rustic environment with loads of military and patriotic memorabilia all punctuated by a wonderful smoky aroma from the BBQ. This is an organization that gives back and is quite serious about its mission. However, the whole thing would collapse if the food fell short of the brand and purpose but it doesn't--some of the best BBQ I've had and each table is equipped with six -- yes count them -- six different BBQ sauces. What more could I want?
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| Mission BBQ public website |
There's nothing conventional about investment manager, author and media personality, Jonathan Hoenig. Even the name of his hedge fund Capitalistpig, defies comparison.
Years ago, I recruited Jonathan Hoenig to speak at financial industry events and then I began to notice his frequent TV appearances on Fox business programs.
Characteristically, in his new book with Stuart Hayashi, Price Is Primary: how to profit with any asset in any market at any time Mr. Hoenig challenges several fundamental principles that some retail investors hold as immutable, even if professional traders do not.
Consider dollar cost averaging; Hoenig argues instead that an initial purchase of a security should be your largest one, then on the basis of rigorous observation and disciplined use of rules, one should quickly pare losses or "let the winners run." Rebalance your portfolio? No, not a strategy he embraces.
Similar to some of his prior published work, Mr. Hoenig fuses elements of Objectivist philosophy and history to the art of investment management in some imaginative ways that may animate traders and non-traders alike. The book is easy to read and worth a look.
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(Source: Wall Street Journal).
Why I Won’t Support Spending Another $3.5 Trillion
The nation faces an unprecedented array of challenges and will inevitably encounter additional crises in the future. Yet some in Congress have a strange belief there is an infinite supply of money to deal with any current or future crisis, and that spending trillions upon trillions will have no negative consequence for the future. I disagree.
An overheating economy has imposed a costly “inflation tax” on every middle- and working-class American. At $28.7 trillion and growing, the nation’s debt has reached record levels. Over the past 18 months, we’ve spent more than $5 trillion responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Now Democratic congressional leaders propose to pass the largest single spending bill in history with no regard to rising inflation, crippling debt or the inevitability of future crises. Ignoring the fiscal consequences of our policy choices will create a disastrous future for the next generation of Americans.
Those
who believe such concerns are overstated should ask themselves: What do we do
if the pandemic gets worse under the next viral mutation? What do we do if
there is a financial crisis like the one that led to the Great Recession? What
if we face a terrorist attack or major international conflict? How will America
respond to such crises if we needlessly spend trillions of dollars today?
Instead
of rushing to spend trillions on new government programs and additional
stimulus funding, Congress should hit a strategic pause on the
budget-reconciliation legislation. A pause is warranted because it will provide
more clarity on the trajectory of the pandemic, and it will allow us to determine
whether inflation is transitory or not. While some have suggested this
reconciliation legislation must be passed now, I believe that making budgetary
decisions under artificial political deadlines never leads to good policy or
sound decisions. I have always said if I can’t explain it, I can’t vote for it,
and I can’t explain why my Democratic colleagues are rushing to spend $3.5
trillion.
Another
reason to pause: We must allow for a complete reporting and analysis of the
implications a multitrillion-dollar bill will have for this generation and the
next. Such a strategic pause will allow every member of Congress to use the
transparent committee process to debate: What should we fund, and what can we
simply not afford?
I,
for one, won’t support a $3.5 trillion bill, or anywhere near that level of
additional spending, without greater clarity about why Congress chooses to
ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government
programs. This is even more important now as the Social Security and Medicare
Trustees have sounded the alarm that
these life-saving programs will be insolvent and benefits could start to be
reduced as soon as 2026 for Medicare and 2033, a year earlier than previously
projected, for Social Security.
Establishing
an artificial $3.5 trillion spending number and then reverse-engineering the
partisan social priorities that should be funded isn’t how you make good
policy. Undoubtedly some will argue that bold social-policy action must be
taken now. While I share the belief that we should help those who need it the
most, we must also be honest about the present economic reality.
Inflation
continues to rise and is bleeding the value of Americans’ wages and income.
More than 10.1 million jobs remain open. Our economy, as the Biden
administration has correctly pointed out, has reached record levels of
quarterly growth. This positive economic reality makes clear that the purpose
of the proposed $3.5 trillion in new spending isn’t to solve urgent problems,
but to re-envision America’s social policies. While my fellow Democrats will
disagree, I believe that spending trillions more dollars not only ignores
present economic reality, but makes it certain that America will be fiscally
weakened when it faces a future recession or national emergency.
In
2017, my Republican friends used the privileged legislative procedure of budget
reconciliation to rush through a partisan tax bill that added more than $1
trillion to the national debt and put investors ahead of workers. Then,
Democrats rightfully criticized this budgetary tactic. Now, my Democratic
friends want to use this same budgetary tactic to push through sweeping
legislation to make “historic investments.” Respectfully, it was wrong when the
Republicans did it, and it is wrong now. If we want to invest in America, a
goal I support, then let’s take the time to get it right and determine what is
absolutely necessary.
Many
in Washington have convinced themselves we can add trillions of dollars more to
our nearly $29 trillion national debt with no repercussions. Regardless of
political party, elected leaders are sent to Washington to make tough decisions
and not simply go along to get along.
For those who will dismiss my unwillingness to support a $3.5 trillion bill as political posturing, I hope they heed the powerful words of Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who called debt the biggest threat to national security. His comments echoed the fear and concern I’ve heard from many economic experts I’ve personally met with.
At a time of intense political and policy divisions, it would serve us well to remember that members of Congress swear allegiance to this nation and fidelity to its Constitution, not to a political party. By placing a strategic pause on this budgetary proposal, by significantly reducing the size of any possible reconciliation bill to only what America can afford and needs to spend, we can and will build a better and stronger nation for all our families.
from Nicole Nguyen. Check out this article about consumer reviews on Amazon.
I love the way that online commerce has democratized consumerism through usage of online reviews -- positive ones, negative ones and those that are simply informational.
(Unfortunately, fake reviews and paid reviews continue to be a problem and Ms. Nguyen writes about that issue here).
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| Computer vector created by pikisuperstar - www.freepik.com |
Since the impact of negative reviews on sales is well understood; some merchants will essentially bribe the author of a negative review to delete their review, or harangue them with multiple e-mails.
Fortunately, Amazon product reviews can be submitted anonymously to avoid unwanted merchant contact. The article behind this post, provides the steps to take.
Wall Street Journal columnist Ms. Nicole Nguyen shares an easy way to digitize your vaccination cards -- instead of a photo copy that might be harder to find. Check out this article. You'll find instructions for both iPhones and Android phones.
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Greetings!
Based upon feedback I received from one of my valued seven readers, what follows is a refinement of the views expressed in the previous post about market timing.
Recall we're talking about predicting the direction of the equity market as a whole, or a large swath of it like the S&P 500 --- not individual stocks.
I didn't mean to imply that one cannot utilize deep experience and technical analysis to correctly predict a stock market peak (or trough) some of the time.
There's an old saying that even a broken clock is right twice a day.
However, who's consistently made these bold calls with enough accuracy to "beat" the market? If you accept the proposition that the answer to that last question is nobody -- why would one ever wager more than they could afford to lose by trying?
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| Vector created by pikisuperstar - www.freepik.com |
I know most of my limitations. I learned a while ago, for example, that I'm not a stock picker. I also learned that trying to predict the stock market's trajectory is an often futile and dangerous exercise.
One financial adviser whom I've known for decades addressed the oft-asked question -- When-will-the-stock-market-crash? -- in his recent client newsletter. A Minneapolis-based adviser with Focus Financial he wrote...
"The chances of individuals guessing when the stock market is going to crash is approximately the same as my guessing when the sun is going to explode. Since I can't reasonably hazard a guess, I prefer to go about my day without worrying about the sun exploding."
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| Animals vector by rawpixel.com - www.freepik.com |
L ast week before leaving Thailand (more about that trip shortly), I learned my brief reader's comment about financial advisory services...
