Rush Limbaugh did us all a great disservice. Before I name this vast blunder to the English language let me blather on about Rush for just a moment. I was once a fan, listening when I could and even making the journey the great bake sale in Colorado. I enjoyed his frank criticism of the politics of the time and his ability to make sense at a time when so few where even trying to. Does anybody even remember the silliness of the Hightower report?
But somewhere along the way Rush became famous and then his ego was courted and from the sounds of this listener became little more than a mouth piece for the Republican Party. All his attacks were directed at the Clintons and very little criticism was leveled against the Republicans even though they were still making the same kind of bone headed moves that Rush used to thrive on. I got tired of the same old grind and tuned out for some time simply catching a tidbit here and there at lunch time or on a very long road trip. I must admit I did hear him this past week making a point against a Republican though I couldn’t tell you what or who. The fact that he did was enough to catch my attention.
So what was the big Rush faux pas of which I speak? Rush broke the sum total of his us versus them argument into two labels, Liberals and Conservatives. This would have been fine except for two things. First, his agenda broke down over time to be a Republicans versus Democrats discussion and not much more. Second, Rush created a new definition for what a Liberal and a Conservative is and because of his popularity his faulty definitions took hold on the American people.
http://www.wikipedia.com/ has many wonderful articles including much subject matter on just these kinds of definitions. I suggest a surf over there to explore in depth Liberalism, Conservatism as well as many other ism’s to understand why I am so disappointed with Rush’s new dictionary creations. From Wikipedia I will take a portion of the definitions for both.
“Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. The term is derived from the Latin, com servare, to preserve; "to protect from loss or harm". Since different cultures have different established values, conservatives in different cultures have differing goals. Some conservatives seek to preserve the status quo or to reform society slowly, while others seek to return to the values of an earlier time, the status quo ante.”
“Broadly speaking, Liberalism emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity. Different forms of liberalism may propose very different policies, but they are generally united by their support for a number of principles, including extensive freedom of thought and speech, limitations on the power of governments, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market or mixed economy, and a transparent system of government. All liberals – as well as some adherents of other political ideologies – support some variant of the form of government known as liberal democracy, with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law.”
The definition given conservatism seems to fit Rush’s position in many ways so maybe his use of it is not so far off though it doesn’t seem to fit across the board for his depiction of the Republican party.
His labeling of Democrats as Liberals is far from valid. He has given the name Liberal a bad conotation using it in a derogative manner but according to the classical definition of Liberalism, the ideals are similar to the definition he associates with that of a conservative. In fact, by the above definition I would consider myself a Liberal though I think I am much too diverse to be limited by a label.
So what label should be used to best describe the Democrats policies and platforms? There is only one that comes to mind time and again and that is Socialism. As I have listened to the political debates of the Democratic party, I can’t help but worry what this country has come to. The founders of this great nation must be tossing and turning too realize that all of their efforts to create a nation based on liberty and freedom and to be protected of the people, for the people, and by the people has spiraled into the political processes we find ourselves today.
To borrow another definition “Socialism refers to a broad array of ideologies and political movements with the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils—or indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an economic system, socialism is often characterized by state, worker, or community ownership of the means of production, goals which have been attributed to, and claimed by, a number of political parties and governments throughout history.”
With the exception of state ownership the definition is pretty close. If you consider that control through taxation and legislation provides pretty much the same results as direct ownership, the definition becomes very close indeed.
Listening to the debates, the common theme I hear from Obama, Clinton, McCain, Huckabee and such is ‘Put me in charge and I will take care of all your problems’. It seems like such an easy solution to just turn over all your responsibilities to them and they will take care of all your problems and provide all your solutions. Trouble is, their plans don’t seem very thoroughly thought out and what they have done in the past hasn’t really solved anything let alone provided any confidence that this time will be different.
The real problem is that I am not willing to give in just yet thank you very much. I want to solve my own problems. I want to be my own person and come to my own conclusions. I want to make my own mistakes and my own successes. ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man I put away childish things.’ 1 Corinthians 13:11.
Maybe that is why I am liking Ron Paul. He doesn’t have the solution to all mankinds problems, and he doesn’t always have a good understanding of what the problems entail as evidenced by his answers in the debates. By the way, none of the other candidates do either. What he does have is an understanding of the Constitution as a guiding principle. It is that fundamental principle that tells him that the government is not supposed to be the nurse maid for every passing whim of the people. It defines the role of government in very limited terms beyond which it should not venture. Though he is not as polished in his presentations, his message is still getting through to many people who are looking for the one thing that is missing in this run up to the 2008 presidential election, balance.
He won’t be allowed to make it to the finals but wouldn’t be grand if some of the basic principles this nation was founded upon did. May we not forget the past as we work on building a better tomorrow. A lot of effort was made to give us that opportunity.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
31 January 2008
28 January 2008
The World loses a Prophet
On January 27, 2008 about 7 pm MST, President Gordon B Hinckley of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints past away at his home surrounded by his family. According to church spokesman Bruce Olsen “President Hinckley had been in failing health for some time and his passing is due to age.” He was 97 years old.
He was married to Marjorie Pay Hinckley in 1937 in the Salt Lake City temple. She preceded him in death passing away in 2004. They had 5 children, 25 grandchildren and 38 great-grand children.
As prophet, seer and revelator President Hinckley worked with a passion and energy that inspired all who came in contact with him. You could not help but admire this man. In the 70 years of working in the church his efforts more than doubled the number of temples available worldwide. He was open to the media to increase the knowledge of and clarify issues surrounding the church and its position on many issues. And he was always a strong advocate for families.
He was a great man, a man of God. He is much loved and will be greatly missed. He will not be forgotten. May the examples of this great man live on in all of us.
If you would like to know more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints please go to http://www.mormon.org/. There you will find a wealth of information.
He was married to Marjorie Pay Hinckley in 1937 in the Salt Lake City temple. She preceded him in death passing away in 2004. They had 5 children, 25 grandchildren and 38 great-grand children.
As prophet, seer and revelator President Hinckley worked with a passion and energy that inspired all who came in contact with him. You could not help but admire this man. In the 70 years of working in the church his efforts more than doubled the number of temples available worldwide. He was open to the media to increase the knowledge of and clarify issues surrounding the church and its position on many issues. And he was always a strong advocate for families.
He was a great man, a man of God. He is much loved and will be greatly missed. He will not be forgotten. May the examples of this great man live on in all of us.
If you would like to know more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints please go to http://www.mormon.org/. There you will find a wealth of information.
27 January 2008
Hot Tip on Hot Tips
If you have ever made and investment through a brokerage or bought into a mutual fund or made a subscription to a money magazine you have probably been put on a mailing list. And if you are like me and are always on the look out for a good place to invest, your interest will be tickled to see such offerings for the most part, especially if they are coming by way of snail mail and not making a total waste of your e-mail account. There will be a large slice of these offerings that come through that will be junk and they can be very time consuming if you don’t know what to look for. Here is the key.
Most of them will look very familiar when they arrive. They all say pretty much the same thing. Here is my next stock pick that will be moving up big time in the near future. Jump on board now before you have time to think about it. They will proceed to give examples of the last big picks they made and how much money these picks went up since they recommended them. Then they will go into how great and wonderful their latest pick is. They will use less than great detail on their latest wiz bang selection however. When I say less than great detail, I mean that they will use every possible way of letting you know where this stock could be headed if such and such happens and why it can’t miss. This is selling the sizzle and it has been around for years, just look at MLM and other investments that are driven by hype . It is when you start looking for the meat that things come up short.
They won’t tell you what sales are or were but they will project rosy estimates for future years. This usually means there aren’t any current sales to report, but they won’t tell you that. All real companies have expenses but for some reason these never seem to be important enough to tell you about in their company analysis. Profits and losses are computed from sales and expenses so here again you may see sky high estimates for the future but seldom if any current real numbers. Also, the balance sheet is almost always overlooked, a sure sign that the actual sight of it would scare off any rational investor.
Rule #1 If you run to your broker to put in a buy on these or any recommendations/hot tips before doing your due diligence and properly analyzing the stock, Do Not Blame Me.
Now for the big time saving hint. Flip through the pages to find the small print. They will have it because it is the law that they tell you this one thing, “Important notice and disclaimer: This stock profile should be viewed as a paid advertisement”. If you see this or any words of a like manner, read no further, throw the thing away, it is of no value.
Well maybe there can be a little value. They are good for a laugh sometimes. And you can get an education of what to look for in order to know what to avoid. But once you know the basics, there is nothing more to glean. Just be sure to recycle if it’s available.
The close cousin to this is the Pump and Dump scheme were a person owns a stock and talks it up, promoting it as much as possible to see if he can increase demand for the stock and thereby make the price go up. Once it is up, he sells off his shares to reap the profits and let the chips fall were they may. If you read the fine print you may well see that the advertiser has been paid a fee and quite often a chunk of stock so that if he does well in his selling efforts he will reap rewards twice. This works on small cap stuff the best and this is were you will see the most of it happen, but it can happen on a larger scale. The important thing to remember in the investing game is to know what it is you are buying, know what it is worth, and know what you are paying for it. Oversimplified I know, and a lot more learning to make it so, but anyone can gain knowledge and apply it if they are willing to put forth the effort, and when it comes to your investments there isn’t anything more important than putting forth your effort.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Most of them will look very familiar when they arrive. They all say pretty much the same thing. Here is my next stock pick that will be moving up big time in the near future. Jump on board now before you have time to think about it. They will proceed to give examples of the last big picks they made and how much money these picks went up since they recommended them. Then they will go into how great and wonderful their latest pick is. They will use less than great detail on their latest wiz bang selection however. When I say less than great detail, I mean that they will use every possible way of letting you know where this stock could be headed if such and such happens and why it can’t miss. This is selling the sizzle and it has been around for years, just look at MLM and other investments that are driven by hype . It is when you start looking for the meat that things come up short.
They won’t tell you what sales are or were but they will project rosy estimates for future years. This usually means there aren’t any current sales to report, but they won’t tell you that. All real companies have expenses but for some reason these never seem to be important enough to tell you about in their company analysis. Profits and losses are computed from sales and expenses so here again you may see sky high estimates for the future but seldom if any current real numbers. Also, the balance sheet is almost always overlooked, a sure sign that the actual sight of it would scare off any rational investor.
Rule #1 If you run to your broker to put in a buy on these or any recommendations/hot tips before doing your due diligence and properly analyzing the stock, Do Not Blame Me.
Now for the big time saving hint. Flip through the pages to find the small print. They will have it because it is the law that they tell you this one thing, “Important notice and disclaimer: This stock profile should be viewed as a paid advertisement”. If you see this or any words of a like manner, read no further, throw the thing away, it is of no value.
Well maybe there can be a little value. They are good for a laugh sometimes. And you can get an education of what to look for in order to know what to avoid. But once you know the basics, there is nothing more to glean. Just be sure to recycle if it’s available.
The close cousin to this is the Pump and Dump scheme were a person owns a stock and talks it up, promoting it as much as possible to see if he can increase demand for the stock and thereby make the price go up. Once it is up, he sells off his shares to reap the profits and let the chips fall were they may. If you read the fine print you may well see that the advertiser has been paid a fee and quite often a chunk of stock so that if he does well in his selling efforts he will reap rewards twice. This works on small cap stuff the best and this is were you will see the most of it happen, but it can happen on a larger scale. The important thing to remember in the investing game is to know what it is you are buying, know what it is worth, and know what you are paying for it. Oversimplified I know, and a lot more learning to make it so, but anyone can gain knowledge and apply it if they are willing to put forth the effort, and when it comes to your investments there isn’t anything more important than putting forth your effort.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
26 January 2008
They endorsed who?
The New York Times is endorsing Hillary Clinton and John McCain. So What? Big Fat Hairy Deal. What difference does it make? Why in the world should I care? Guess what, I don’t.
The real question is who am I going to endorse. And the answer is….
I haven’t found a favorite yet. In fact, I am really in hopes that another candidate or two will come forward. As it is I don’t care for any of the choices. Oh great, there’s that word again. Choice. It is our choice, my choice, but it feels like the only choices are bad for me. "Would you prefer a kick in the shin or a poke in the eye"? Neither thanks, please give me another option.
Why are we still locked into thinking a two party system is a good idea? There is a great Simpson’s episode from the Treehouse of Horrors that has the aliens coming down and taking over the bodies of Dole and Clinton during election season. One or the other wins the White House and then they enslave all of Springfield. The parallels to real life touch too close to home. Some wonderful lines sprinkled throughout the show should cause tears of laughter followed by tears of panic as they sink in. “It’s a two party system, what are you going to do about it?” or Homer’s “Don’t blame me I voted for…”.
We are stuck in the middle of a two party system, again. My problem is I can’t tell one from the other. The competing platforms are ‘tax and spend’ or ‘spend and tax’. The only difference is who they focus the pandering on. Either way I seem to be stuck paying the bill while all the time seeing less or less for my money.
Does this mean I’m jealous for not getting my fair share and would be happier if I were included in more of the government programs? NO WAY. I am one who would like to see less government and less of a bite on my livelihood. I was single for far too long and during that time I lost over half of my hard earned dollars to taxes and let me tell you that that is a tax that is grievous to be born. Now that I am married I get to suffer the marriage penalty (tax wise that is).
You may think that I must make a lot of money but it is not so. I had to scrimp and save to get even simple things like a Playstation 2. I ate a lot of Top Ramen noodles and $1 TV dinners and probably way too many 3 corn dogs for a $1 to do anybody any good. I did these things to be able to do other things like travel (cheaply) and enjoy other hobbies like movies, music, and photography. I watched over the air broadcast rather than pay for cable, and I watched it on my big (depending on how close you sat) 25 inch TV.
I have always tried to pay my own way and take care of my own needs so that I would not be a burden on others. If I couldn’t afford it I did without. And you know what, I did just fine. Maybe these are lessons passed down from my forefathers that instilled values in my growing years. Maybe it is a fear of not having a thing to my name. Maybe it is a natural desire to pass from childhood to adulthood. Either way, the search for independence and self reliance is very empowering.
So of the current field of players who can I support when all of them are promising more of the same only more so? Who of the bunch will help 'me' meet 'my' goals? Who of any of them will protect me from them? Until I find the one that actually has my best interest and that of the nation as a primary objective and not just an insincere empty promise to serve their own needs, I will keep looking, and wishing their was another choice.
This is the kind of election that reminds me again that there ought to be a button marked “None of the Above” as one of the choices. It works like this. If “None of the Above” wins, none of the candidates running may be included in the run off for that election and must sit out that election. A whole new group must be put forth and the elections run over for that particular office. This is the one chance for the voting public to say to both the political parties, “you gave us a poor selection so it is time for a do over”. If there is to be any chance of finding better candidates, this one is our best chance.
The last few elections, and by that I mean all the ones in my lifetime, seem to be more about voting against something rather than voting for something. With a nation as great as ours this should NEVER be the case. From the principles of Freedom and Liberty to Honesty and Integrity there is a myriad of values for which to stand. We should have candidates who can translate these values into action. There are still many individuals out there that live their lives by abiding by their principles and stand out as examples to us all by excelling in their fields of endeavor. I am sure that of all her citizens, America must have a willing few out there that can make the phrase ‘Public Servant’ meaningful again.
Clinton, McCain, Obama, Edwards, Thompson, (anyone who doesn’t make it at least to Super Tuesday wasn’t really running no matter who they were), Huckabee, Romney, Paul (who makes some valid points but like the rest offers no real solutions), Gulliani, and the rest (why didn’t they let Colbert run). Who in the bunch can you really vote for, and by the time November rolls around will it just be another vote against? Maybe we should vote for Pat Paulsen http://www.paulsen.com/, after all Tom Smothers says “When I look at the current selection of candidates, Pat Paulsen is the most qualified, regardless of his physical condition.” Right now I’d have to agree. By the way, Paulsen beat Kuchinich in the Michigan Democratic primary. If that isn’t a wake up call I don’t know what is. Perhaps Stephen Colbert should team up with Paulsen, after all Huckabee was just playing Colbert as a running mate looking for the Colbert bump.
Buckle up people, because this time, its going to be a very bumpy ride.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The real question is who am I going to endorse. And the answer is….
I haven’t found a favorite yet. In fact, I am really in hopes that another candidate or two will come forward. As it is I don’t care for any of the choices. Oh great, there’s that word again. Choice. It is our choice, my choice, but it feels like the only choices are bad for me. "Would you prefer a kick in the shin or a poke in the eye"? Neither thanks, please give me another option.
Why are we still locked into thinking a two party system is a good idea? There is a great Simpson’s episode from the Treehouse of Horrors that has the aliens coming down and taking over the bodies of Dole and Clinton during election season. One or the other wins the White House and then they enslave all of Springfield. The parallels to real life touch too close to home. Some wonderful lines sprinkled throughout the show should cause tears of laughter followed by tears of panic as they sink in. “It’s a two party system, what are you going to do about it?” or Homer’s “Don’t blame me I voted for…”.
We are stuck in the middle of a two party system, again. My problem is I can’t tell one from the other. The competing platforms are ‘tax and spend’ or ‘spend and tax’. The only difference is who they focus the pandering on. Either way I seem to be stuck paying the bill while all the time seeing less or less for my money.
Does this mean I’m jealous for not getting my fair share and would be happier if I were included in more of the government programs? NO WAY. I am one who would like to see less government and less of a bite on my livelihood. I was single for far too long and during that time I lost over half of my hard earned dollars to taxes and let me tell you that that is a tax that is grievous to be born. Now that I am married I get to suffer the marriage penalty (tax wise that is).
You may think that I must make a lot of money but it is not so. I had to scrimp and save to get even simple things like a Playstation 2. I ate a lot of Top Ramen noodles and $1 TV dinners and probably way too many 3 corn dogs for a $1 to do anybody any good. I did these things to be able to do other things like travel (cheaply) and enjoy other hobbies like movies, music, and photography. I watched over the air broadcast rather than pay for cable, and I watched it on my big (depending on how close you sat) 25 inch TV.
I have always tried to pay my own way and take care of my own needs so that I would not be a burden on others. If I couldn’t afford it I did without. And you know what, I did just fine. Maybe these are lessons passed down from my forefathers that instilled values in my growing years. Maybe it is a fear of not having a thing to my name. Maybe it is a natural desire to pass from childhood to adulthood. Either way, the search for independence and self reliance is very empowering.
So of the current field of players who can I support when all of them are promising more of the same only more so? Who of the bunch will help 'me' meet 'my' goals? Who of any of them will protect me from them? Until I find the one that actually has my best interest and that of the nation as a primary objective and not just an insincere empty promise to serve their own needs, I will keep looking, and wishing their was another choice.
This is the kind of election that reminds me again that there ought to be a button marked “None of the Above” as one of the choices. It works like this. If “None of the Above” wins, none of the candidates running may be included in the run off for that election and must sit out that election. A whole new group must be put forth and the elections run over for that particular office. This is the one chance for the voting public to say to both the political parties, “you gave us a poor selection so it is time for a do over”. If there is to be any chance of finding better candidates, this one is our best chance.
The last few elections, and by that I mean all the ones in my lifetime, seem to be more about voting against something rather than voting for something. With a nation as great as ours this should NEVER be the case. From the principles of Freedom and Liberty to Honesty and Integrity there is a myriad of values for which to stand. We should have candidates who can translate these values into action. There are still many individuals out there that live their lives by abiding by their principles and stand out as examples to us all by excelling in their fields of endeavor. I am sure that of all her citizens, America must have a willing few out there that can make the phrase ‘Public Servant’ meaningful again.
Clinton, McCain, Obama, Edwards, Thompson, (anyone who doesn’t make it at least to Super Tuesday wasn’t really running no matter who they were), Huckabee, Romney, Paul (who makes some valid points but like the rest offers no real solutions), Gulliani, and the rest (why didn’t they let Colbert run). Who in the bunch can you really vote for, and by the time November rolls around will it just be another vote against? Maybe we should vote for Pat Paulsen http://www.paulsen.com/, after all Tom Smothers says “When I look at the current selection of candidates, Pat Paulsen is the most qualified, regardless of his physical condition.” Right now I’d have to agree. By the way, Paulsen beat Kuchinich in the Michigan Democratic primary. If that isn’t a wake up call I don’t know what is. Perhaps Stephen Colbert should team up with Paulsen, after all Huckabee was just playing Colbert as a running mate looking for the Colbert bump.
Buckle up people, because this time, its going to be a very bumpy ride.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Tax rebate is wrong approach
The government is in the process of making a big mistake in trying to buy the confidence of the American people and at the same time stimulate the economy with a “tax rebate”. This is a bad idea. Most of us are so excited with the idea of getting back some of our money that we will take it no matter what form it may come in. But this is just the sort of Neanderthal short term thinking that gets us into these kinds of jams in the first place.
We have a very serious problem here and the government solution, as they so often do, is to throw money at it. But if you stop and think about it for even a moment you start to ask yourself, where is this money coming from. We are already way in over our heads as a country trying to pay for a bloated government that doesn’t function well, overly rich social entitlements that are eroding our social fabric, military actions that don’t seem to be working out the way they should, and politicians running around promising more of the same if elected. If they have done so well with all our countries other ills, why not let them take a stab at fixing the economy?
The fact of the matter is that economies move by market forces that have been studied for many, many years by very highly educated individuals and institutions all trying to figure out how it works and how to control it. If there is one thing we should have learned by it all it is that we can’t control it. But many of these forces have been observed and named and given terms like supply and demand. We understand how markets are supposed to work for the most part even if we can’t control it. So if we can’t control it should we even be trying to? The concepts of market forces seem simple enough. So simple in fact that if Congress can set policies and enact legislation that will control more and more facets of our lives why then not the economy.
The economy like most things in nature tries to seek balance and harmony. When forces are applied that push it out of balance it can only take so much until like a rubber band it will return to its natural state. The word bubble is often used to describe an out of balance situation, such as when prices expand too rapidly. The bubble will continue to expand as it is filled with air until the pressure exerted on the surface is too great and the bubble collapses. Bubbles can be maintained for a long time but only so long as the pressure does not exceed the bubbles ability to contain it. Once that is reached it will collapse.
Likewise, prices can continue to go up on things like houses but only so far as there is enough cash flow to support those prices. Once that point is past, then the prices will have to fall back to a point where the cash flow can sustain it again. Economist term this market cycles and you can generally see it happen on the prices of most goods. Everything seems to follow these trends. Even the price of Beany Babies will rise and fall as the fad comes and goes. Many people have gotten rich by studying these market cycles and buying and selling accordingly. Many have also lost a lot of money because it is not as easy to call these market cycles at just the right time. It is referred to as timing the market or market timing and there is a lot written on the subject.
If prices get out of line, there are natural market forces that will come into play to bring those prices back to a normal state. If the price of red apples goes too high we start to buy green apples until the price of red apples comes back down. Or if the price of all apples goes up, we might buy grapes or pears or bananas instead. If the price of wheat was high last year, more farmers will grow wheat this year in the hopes of taking advantage of the high price but when too many convert to growing wheat the supply will go up causing the market forces to kick in and the price will come down to the point that all the new wheat will be bought by the market. In any case the market does this on its’ own and it does it fairly well.
The trouble starts when the government steps in. In its desire to ‘fix’ things what generally happens is the government tries to place mandates on the market through artificial means using subsidies or price floors and ceilings. This will give the appearance of doing something and will seem like a fix but it is only a short term band-aid solution. With this approach, the market forces become even more out of balance than before and this means when it is time to return to its natural state it will have farther to go and will do it with more force.
Think of a rubber band on your wrist that you pull out and let snap back. The farther you pull it out the more you will feel it when its time to let go. Governments think they can control how slowly to let it go but it always seems to be slipping out of their fingers. Only thing is it is our wrist they are pulling the rubber band on.
RULE # 1. Any time you subsidize something you do it at the expense of something else.
When the government passes out funds or subsidies in any form, remember this, it is never free or without costs. Just who will pay the costs? The going attitude is if it isn’t me I don’t care. But it is me, and it is you. It is all of us. Whither directly or indirectly we are paying for the actions our government is taking on our behalf.
We have been criticized for not taking care of our own household finances for a long time. We are told that we don’t save enough, and that we don’t plan for our future and save for retirement. We are living on too much debt, and placing too much of a burden on our children. Yet we are on a small scale compared to the example our government has been to us. This tax rebate is continuing to spend our country into a debt that has become too expensive to support and too large to ignore. Adding to it will not solve anything.
It is time for us to get our financial houses in order and that goes even more so for our governments, local and national. Spending needs to be brought under control in all its forms. The tax laws need to be overhauled so that they are simplified and equitable. It is so bad that they should through nearly the whole thing out and start again. That is not easily done but I will tell you how easy things could be in another entry.
For now suffice it to say that we as a nation are in need of a real change, not just the ones the presidential hopefuls are spinning, and not one most people are ready or willing to make because they continue to buy into the hype that is passed to them by politicians through the media. If we are to make a real difference, we will have to face real change. Without it, we will continue this slide and the longer the slide the harder and more painful the recovery will be. When you borrow, eventually the debt must be settled, and the longer the term the higher the costs.
We don’t need this rebate check now. We do need permanent and meaningful tax reductions and equalization. We do need fiscal responsibility in our government. Until that happens, we will all pay a price.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
We have a very serious problem here and the government solution, as they so often do, is to throw money at it. But if you stop and think about it for even a moment you start to ask yourself, where is this money coming from. We are already way in over our heads as a country trying to pay for a bloated government that doesn’t function well, overly rich social entitlements that are eroding our social fabric, military actions that don’t seem to be working out the way they should, and politicians running around promising more of the same if elected. If they have done so well with all our countries other ills, why not let them take a stab at fixing the economy?
The fact of the matter is that economies move by market forces that have been studied for many, many years by very highly educated individuals and institutions all trying to figure out how it works and how to control it. If there is one thing we should have learned by it all it is that we can’t control it. But many of these forces have been observed and named and given terms like supply and demand. We understand how markets are supposed to work for the most part even if we can’t control it. So if we can’t control it should we even be trying to? The concepts of market forces seem simple enough. So simple in fact that if Congress can set policies and enact legislation that will control more and more facets of our lives why then not the economy.
The economy like most things in nature tries to seek balance and harmony. When forces are applied that push it out of balance it can only take so much until like a rubber band it will return to its natural state. The word bubble is often used to describe an out of balance situation, such as when prices expand too rapidly. The bubble will continue to expand as it is filled with air until the pressure exerted on the surface is too great and the bubble collapses. Bubbles can be maintained for a long time but only so long as the pressure does not exceed the bubbles ability to contain it. Once that is reached it will collapse.
Likewise, prices can continue to go up on things like houses but only so far as there is enough cash flow to support those prices. Once that point is past, then the prices will have to fall back to a point where the cash flow can sustain it again. Economist term this market cycles and you can generally see it happen on the prices of most goods. Everything seems to follow these trends. Even the price of Beany Babies will rise and fall as the fad comes and goes. Many people have gotten rich by studying these market cycles and buying and selling accordingly. Many have also lost a lot of money because it is not as easy to call these market cycles at just the right time. It is referred to as timing the market or market timing and there is a lot written on the subject.
If prices get out of line, there are natural market forces that will come into play to bring those prices back to a normal state. If the price of red apples goes too high we start to buy green apples until the price of red apples comes back down. Or if the price of all apples goes up, we might buy grapes or pears or bananas instead. If the price of wheat was high last year, more farmers will grow wheat this year in the hopes of taking advantage of the high price but when too many convert to growing wheat the supply will go up causing the market forces to kick in and the price will come down to the point that all the new wheat will be bought by the market. In any case the market does this on its’ own and it does it fairly well.
The trouble starts when the government steps in. In its desire to ‘fix’ things what generally happens is the government tries to place mandates on the market through artificial means using subsidies or price floors and ceilings. This will give the appearance of doing something and will seem like a fix but it is only a short term band-aid solution. With this approach, the market forces become even more out of balance than before and this means when it is time to return to its natural state it will have farther to go and will do it with more force.
Think of a rubber band on your wrist that you pull out and let snap back. The farther you pull it out the more you will feel it when its time to let go. Governments think they can control how slowly to let it go but it always seems to be slipping out of their fingers. Only thing is it is our wrist they are pulling the rubber band on.
RULE # 1. Any time you subsidize something you do it at the expense of something else.
When the government passes out funds or subsidies in any form, remember this, it is never free or without costs. Just who will pay the costs? The going attitude is if it isn’t me I don’t care. But it is me, and it is you. It is all of us. Whither directly or indirectly we are paying for the actions our government is taking on our behalf.
We have been criticized for not taking care of our own household finances for a long time. We are told that we don’t save enough, and that we don’t plan for our future and save for retirement. We are living on too much debt, and placing too much of a burden on our children. Yet we are on a small scale compared to the example our government has been to us. This tax rebate is continuing to spend our country into a debt that has become too expensive to support and too large to ignore. Adding to it will not solve anything.
It is time for us to get our financial houses in order and that goes even more so for our governments, local and national. Spending needs to be brought under control in all its forms. The tax laws need to be overhauled so that they are simplified and equitable. It is so bad that they should through nearly the whole thing out and start again. That is not easily done but I will tell you how easy things could be in another entry.
For now suffice it to say that we as a nation are in need of a real change, not just the ones the presidential hopefuls are spinning, and not one most people are ready or willing to make because they continue to buy into the hype that is passed to them by politicians through the media. If we are to make a real difference, we will have to face real change. Without it, we will continue this slide and the longer the slide the harder and more painful the recovery will be. When you borrow, eventually the debt must be settled, and the longer the term the higher the costs.
We don’t need this rebate check now. We do need permanent and meaningful tax reductions and equalization. We do need fiscal responsibility in our government. Until that happens, we will all pay a price.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
25 January 2008
Does religion matter in our politicians?
Short answer is yes … and no. But why?
Religion is one indication of the values and principles that we ascribe to an individual. These values may or may not be true based on our truthful knowledge of any given subject, in this case religion. For example, many people have heard that Mitt Romney is a Mormon but what does that mean?
A Mormon is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church was founded 6 April 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr. in Fayette, New York and was originally known as the Church of Christ. On 3 May 1834 the name was changed to The Church of the Latter Day Saints and then changed again on 26 April 1838 to the current name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based on revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.
The nickname Mormon comes from the book of scripture used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called ‘The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.’ This book goes hand in had with the ‘Holy Bible’ to declare unto the world that Jesus is the Christ. ‘The Book of Mormon’ can be found at many booksellers such as Amazon, or Barnes and Noble or if you would like to get a free copy you can go to http://www.mormons.org/ and ask for one. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has freely given away millions of copies to anyone who asks. The web site has a wealth of searchable information and is a great way to get a quick overview of the church and its basic beliefs.
There are of course many rumors and misinformation about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I only want to dispel one here. Many have claimed that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not Christians. Nothing could be further from the truth. But don’t just take my word for it, or anyone else’s word for that matter. Find out for yourself. Check out the web site. Request a copy of the ‘Book of Mormon’ and read it thoroughly. Then follow the advice given in the New Testament. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” James 1:5-6. Find out for yourself.
So how does this relate to our current selection of politicians vying for the office of President? Well, if anyone aligns themselves with any organization and that organization espouses certain values then it is common to associate those values with that individual. In other words if a person claims to be a Christian, one would expect them to act like a Christian. It also seems that if one aligns their values with a religious organization; that we place a higher level of standards for them to meet as our expectations are raised to the level that the religious organization holds. Likewise, we don’t seem to expect quite as much from those individuals that do not align themselves with organizations that have high standards.
So first, what do they believe and second do they actually practice what hey believe? We had a Mayor in a town I used to live in whose attendance at church would go up on the month or two before his elections. Afterward he would fade away again. This seemed like a perfect example of pandering. As this election goes forward, there is much pandering going on from all sides. The question then is how can we discern what each candidate’s core beliefs and values are and how true to them will they be? And most important, are those beliefs and values similar to my own?
The question of religion and the politician will help decide the spiritual beliefs and values, especially if we know a little bit about where they are coming from and what they stand for. But a politician’s job is mostly temporal or more worldly in nature. Therefore the beliefs and values must be defined beyond just the spiritual. This is where the meat of an elected official’s values system should be measured. The spiritual values are not left out when facing challenges but they are not the only component.
It is better to look at the whole of the person than to get caught up with one single characteristic, or trait. Let us not focus just on a candidate’s sex, color, religion, age, or party. Let’s look at the whole person and try to decide which will be best. If a candidate has strong core values and practices what they believe, count that in their favor. In the coming years, it will be more important than you realize to find someone of good report to represent this nation. Good, strong values and beliefs are an important plus in this one.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Religion is one indication of the values and principles that we ascribe to an individual. These values may or may not be true based on our truthful knowledge of any given subject, in this case religion. For example, many people have heard that Mitt Romney is a Mormon but what does that mean?
A Mormon is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church was founded 6 April 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr. in Fayette, New York and was originally known as the Church of Christ. On 3 May 1834 the name was changed to The Church of the Latter Day Saints and then changed again on 26 April 1838 to the current name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based on revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.
The nickname Mormon comes from the book of scripture used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called ‘The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.’ This book goes hand in had with the ‘Holy Bible’ to declare unto the world that Jesus is the Christ. ‘The Book of Mormon’ can be found at many booksellers such as Amazon, or Barnes and Noble or if you would like to get a free copy you can go to http://www.mormons.org/ and ask for one. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has freely given away millions of copies to anyone who asks. The web site has a wealth of searchable information and is a great way to get a quick overview of the church and its basic beliefs.
There are of course many rumors and misinformation about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I only want to dispel one here. Many have claimed that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not Christians. Nothing could be further from the truth. But don’t just take my word for it, or anyone else’s word for that matter. Find out for yourself. Check out the web site. Request a copy of the ‘Book of Mormon’ and read it thoroughly. Then follow the advice given in the New Testament. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” James 1:5-6. Find out for yourself.
So how does this relate to our current selection of politicians vying for the office of President? Well, if anyone aligns themselves with any organization and that organization espouses certain values then it is common to associate those values with that individual. In other words if a person claims to be a Christian, one would expect them to act like a Christian. It also seems that if one aligns their values with a religious organization; that we place a higher level of standards for them to meet as our expectations are raised to the level that the religious organization holds. Likewise, we don’t seem to expect quite as much from those individuals that do not align themselves with organizations that have high standards.
So first, what do they believe and second do they actually practice what hey believe? We had a Mayor in a town I used to live in whose attendance at church would go up on the month or two before his elections. Afterward he would fade away again. This seemed like a perfect example of pandering. As this election goes forward, there is much pandering going on from all sides. The question then is how can we discern what each candidate’s core beliefs and values are and how true to them will they be? And most important, are those beliefs and values similar to my own?
The question of religion and the politician will help decide the spiritual beliefs and values, especially if we know a little bit about where they are coming from and what they stand for. But a politician’s job is mostly temporal or more worldly in nature. Therefore the beliefs and values must be defined beyond just the spiritual. This is where the meat of an elected official’s values system should be measured. The spiritual values are not left out when facing challenges but they are not the only component.
It is better to look at the whole of the person than to get caught up with one single characteristic, or trait. Let us not focus just on a candidate’s sex, color, religion, age, or party. Let’s look at the whole person and try to decide which will be best. If a candidate has strong core values and practices what they believe, count that in their favor. In the coming years, it will be more important than you realize to find someone of good report to represent this nation. Good, strong values and beliefs are an important plus in this one.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
21 January 2008
Please send me a real cell phone company
On a trip to Budapest Hungary 10 years ago shortly after the fall of the iron curtain it was interesting to note the number of cell phones in use on the streets of the city. I remember stories of ten year waiting list to get a phone installed in your home yet here was an explosion of cell phone users. When the free market was finally able to operate, the market seemed to skip right over the old technology and went for the current offerings.
When digital and broadcast high definition TV came out, Europe and Japan were enjoying what it had to offer while we had to send the decision to congress to decide for us the format that would become the standard. Here we are years later and still waiting, of course now it is a wait for the prices to drop to the level of affordability. And while I am waiting I still notice that the standard doesn’t seem to be set in stone yet. Are we broadcasting in 720i or 1080p or something else entirely? The old system is supposed to go away in 2009 or something like that, but then we all converted to the metric system exclusively back in the 70’s, remember.
Capitalism works if you let it. We are supposed to be the champions of the free market system. We are supposed to be the leaders in technology. We are supposed to be the ones to introduce the rest of the world to the new ideals. Alas, we seem to be missing the boat because we are stuck in our present paradigms and are afraid to cross the street unless Uncle Sam is holding our hand. I think it is time for some shackle breaking people.
Anyway, it is time for me to breakdown, get rid of the land line and venture into the world of cell phones. It is not that I am a Luddite; I just really, really, really don’t like the pricing structure of current cell phone companies. You would think that with the number of companies out there plying their wares that phone services could be had at a much more reasonable price. That and this radiation thing has me concerned.
I like the idea of Cricket and the one fixed all included pricing but they are in a limited market area and from those I’ve talked to, they have had limited coverage even in those areas. I like to travel and if I am going to subject myself to the electronic leash then it better be able to go wherever I do.
I was leaning toward Cingular because I liked the roll over feature of their phones. They also have the free talk to those in their plan which is o.k. because I know people I talk to that have Cingular phones. Most plans have some version of that so it is no big deal unless you are talking to someone not on your plan, and guess what, that is bound to happen. Cingular blew it big time by selling out to at&t. at&t is the absolute worst in terms of customer service. They do not deserve to exist. Their advertisements are horrid and misleading. As for more bars, I borrowed a phone for a time and got dropped more times than I care to say. I couldn't even connect standing next to their sales booth in the local Wal-mart. It told me I could use it for emergencies only. That means someone had a connection there, they just weren’t willing to pay the sharing price and so the customer has to pay the price of no service. The quality of the sound was a 50/50 affair, where half the calls were barely usable and many ended in “I’ll call you back later”. This kind of defeats the purpose of going mobile.
So I tried to check reliability ratings with the consumer reports and various on-line sources (most of which are just trying to sell you a service, though some offer an attempt at value comparisons). Sprint/Nextel seem to be in the also ran category not scoring very high in any area. The two best names seem to be Verizon and T-Mobile. Both of which have lousy ads by the way. Verizon’s baby delivery taxi in the tunnel ride took me 4 tries before I figured it out. What the heck were they thinking with that one?
I have talked to someone that said T-Mobile has very good customer service and I understand that Verizon takes care of its customers as well. Both are supposed to provide the best service and coverage; it’s their pricing structures that leave much to be desired. All services provide a discount, but that is only if you qualify. I can qualify for at least one in most cases but if you have ever seen them listed you will notice that there are several different discounts offered depending on whose group you belong to, and those discounted amounts can vary by quite a bit. It’s simple, I want the biggest discount they offer, no matter whose discount it is.
I know, I know, I am the picky consumer that wants it all. I do. I hate it when there is differential treatment of customers. I don’t think it is fair that one person should pay this and another that for the exact same item no matter what the reason. I also realize that these pricing differences are a fact of life, and with that realization, I want to get my fair cut. It just isn’t always that easy to find and get. That is part of the reason that I will wait as long as I have to in order to find a fair deal.
So what is a fair deal? With the state of technology given today, and the coverage that is available, and the number of companies supposedly trying for my business, I feel I should be able to get a phone service on a family plan of 2 phones (one for the wife and I) that we can use without worry for minutes, or who we are talking to and which plan they have, or when we call so that we get those free weekend and middle of the night minutes, and be able to get this for about the same price as basic land line services are costing now. No fancy add ons needed, though they should be included since the costs to include is practically nothing. The prices the want for caller id, three way and voice mail is sad.
Is that too much to ask? So far it seems to be. Yet, there are enough out there that are dissatisfied with their phone service that they are willing to switch at the drop of a hat. I hear enough complaints to know that not everyone is happy with what they have. I also know that there are many who think that things are just fine and won’t bother to switch because that’s just the way things are. This all reminds me of what we had before cell phones were an option, when Ma Bell was all there was. All this competition and new technology and we are still operating the same old way with the same old expectations. No wonder so little has changed.
You would think that Verizon and T-Mobile would be attacking the number one position hard and you would think that the pickings would be easy since the number one position is held by at&t, the one with the worst reputation for customer service. Maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part because what I am wanting does not exist yet. That’s o.k., I have waited this long, what’s a little longer. Who knows, maybe Sprint/Nextel will make a leap of discovery that will place them in the running. I am not holding my breath. Reality says that there is nothing on the horizon to suggest a change anytime soon. But all it takes is a desire to make the customer happy and a company could raise the bar, not just talk about having some bars. Maybe it’s too much government regulation interfering in the free market process. Maybe I am just dreaming of how things could be.
Give the people what they want. They will come.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
When digital and broadcast high definition TV came out, Europe and Japan were enjoying what it had to offer while we had to send the decision to congress to decide for us the format that would become the standard. Here we are years later and still waiting, of course now it is a wait for the prices to drop to the level of affordability. And while I am waiting I still notice that the standard doesn’t seem to be set in stone yet. Are we broadcasting in 720i or 1080p or something else entirely? The old system is supposed to go away in 2009 or something like that, but then we all converted to the metric system exclusively back in the 70’s, remember.
Capitalism works if you let it. We are supposed to be the champions of the free market system. We are supposed to be the leaders in technology. We are supposed to be the ones to introduce the rest of the world to the new ideals. Alas, we seem to be missing the boat because we are stuck in our present paradigms and are afraid to cross the street unless Uncle Sam is holding our hand. I think it is time for some shackle breaking people.
Anyway, it is time for me to breakdown, get rid of the land line and venture into the world of cell phones. It is not that I am a Luddite; I just really, really, really don’t like the pricing structure of current cell phone companies. You would think that with the number of companies out there plying their wares that phone services could be had at a much more reasonable price. That and this radiation thing has me concerned.
I like the idea of Cricket and the one fixed all included pricing but they are in a limited market area and from those I’ve talked to, they have had limited coverage even in those areas. I like to travel and if I am going to subject myself to the electronic leash then it better be able to go wherever I do.
I was leaning toward Cingular because I liked the roll over feature of their phones. They also have the free talk to those in their plan which is o.k. because I know people I talk to that have Cingular phones. Most plans have some version of that so it is no big deal unless you are talking to someone not on your plan, and guess what, that is bound to happen. Cingular blew it big time by selling out to at&t. at&t is the absolute worst in terms of customer service. They do not deserve to exist. Their advertisements are horrid and misleading. As for more bars, I borrowed a phone for a time and got dropped more times than I care to say. I couldn't even connect standing next to their sales booth in the local Wal-mart. It told me I could use it for emergencies only. That means someone had a connection there, they just weren’t willing to pay the sharing price and so the customer has to pay the price of no service. The quality of the sound was a 50/50 affair, where half the calls were barely usable and many ended in “I’ll call you back later”. This kind of defeats the purpose of going mobile.
So I tried to check reliability ratings with the consumer reports and various on-line sources (most of which are just trying to sell you a service, though some offer an attempt at value comparisons). Sprint/Nextel seem to be in the also ran category not scoring very high in any area. The two best names seem to be Verizon and T-Mobile. Both of which have lousy ads by the way. Verizon’s baby delivery taxi in the tunnel ride took me 4 tries before I figured it out. What the heck were they thinking with that one?
I have talked to someone that said T-Mobile has very good customer service and I understand that Verizon takes care of its customers as well. Both are supposed to provide the best service and coverage; it’s their pricing structures that leave much to be desired. All services provide a discount, but that is only if you qualify. I can qualify for at least one in most cases but if you have ever seen them listed you will notice that there are several different discounts offered depending on whose group you belong to, and those discounted amounts can vary by quite a bit. It’s simple, I want the biggest discount they offer, no matter whose discount it is.
I know, I know, I am the picky consumer that wants it all. I do. I hate it when there is differential treatment of customers. I don’t think it is fair that one person should pay this and another that for the exact same item no matter what the reason. I also realize that these pricing differences are a fact of life, and with that realization, I want to get my fair cut. It just isn’t always that easy to find and get. That is part of the reason that I will wait as long as I have to in order to find a fair deal.
So what is a fair deal? With the state of technology given today, and the coverage that is available, and the number of companies supposedly trying for my business, I feel I should be able to get a phone service on a family plan of 2 phones (one for the wife and I) that we can use without worry for minutes, or who we are talking to and which plan they have, or when we call so that we get those free weekend and middle of the night minutes, and be able to get this for about the same price as basic land line services are costing now. No fancy add ons needed, though they should be included since the costs to include is practically nothing. The prices the want for caller id, three way and voice mail is sad.
Is that too much to ask? So far it seems to be. Yet, there are enough out there that are dissatisfied with their phone service that they are willing to switch at the drop of a hat. I hear enough complaints to know that not everyone is happy with what they have. I also know that there are many who think that things are just fine and won’t bother to switch because that’s just the way things are. This all reminds me of what we had before cell phones were an option, when Ma Bell was all there was. All this competition and new technology and we are still operating the same old way with the same old expectations. No wonder so little has changed.
You would think that Verizon and T-Mobile would be attacking the number one position hard and you would think that the pickings would be easy since the number one position is held by at&t, the one with the worst reputation for customer service. Maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part because what I am wanting does not exist yet. That’s o.k., I have waited this long, what’s a little longer. Who knows, maybe Sprint/Nextel will make a leap of discovery that will place them in the running. I am not holding my breath. Reality says that there is nothing on the horizon to suggest a change anytime soon. But all it takes is a desire to make the customer happy and a company could raise the bar, not just talk about having some bars. Maybe it’s too much government regulation interfering in the free market process. Maybe I am just dreaming of how things could be.
Give the people what they want. They will come.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
What's your browser?
The internet is not the same place it used to be. That is how it should be although sometimes I miss the way things used to be. In the old days, it was much easier to find individuals that created content and posted it on the web to share with others of their same interest. Notice the key word there is “find”. There are still many individuals out there that are trying to share themselves and their interest, in fact many more than ever before, but the hard part is finding them.
Search engines are not doing it. In the past they were tools of marvel. They would look at all the web had to offer and bring it to your doorstep offering a wide palette of choices to explore. The term surfing the web actually meant something because you would surf your way across a tidal wave of individual and commercial sites that offered a wealth of information. For every page that was a 'skip it' there were at least three others that had something to offer. And those that had common interest would link up in a ring so that you could enjoy numerous different pages from different individuals with similar interest. It was great to find so many others out there that shared your interest in cars, and planes, obscure books and such.
Now there are so many web sites that have learned how to game the search engines or have bought themselves a place at the top, that it is making it nearly impossible to find the truly content rich pages that made the web such a remarkable place to begin with. I have tried to find some pages on ultralight aircraft that I had run across in the past but have been unable because I could not think of the right combination of words to use in a search engine that would lead me to my target. Even though it says there are 2,250,000 pages found for my search of ultralight aircraft there are only so many that are actually useful. Many don’t refer to my topic at all. And if you are like me and want to get off the beaten path by selecting something that isn’t listed on the first ten or even 100 pages only to find that the search engine gives out after the first 200 references (if they are even able to give you that much).
It doesn’t seem to matter which search engine you are using either. IWON, Ask, Yahoo, MSN, Google, Dogpile, Jeeves, etc., all seem to give similar results. That may be because there have been so many mergers and consolidations taking place that many sites are using the same search engine even if under a different name. I’m afraid I can’t even recommend one as being better than the others. I don’t have one high enough on my favorites list to recommend. Yes I use more than one as the need arises and when it comes to surfing new ground I can’t say that any of them stands out above the rest.
Most of the search engines have taken on a life of their own with main pages and personal pages that deliver information overload if you let it. All the information they think you will need is loaded right there on their pages so that you never have to leave, which is a pretty good business model if you are trying to sell ads and deal in pages viewed and stickiness and repeat/return netizens, but the goal is business oriented and so the content becomes more and more controlled and directed.
This is what happened to AOL as they tried to pretend that they owned the web and that is why they expected you as the costumer to pay them to access it. Thank you free market. Competition comes in and offers alternatives and pretty soon you aren’t the only game in town and if you don’t adjust you are no longer a part of the game at all.
So what is a person to do? First, there needs to be a product of worth, second it must be made available, and third it needs to be made known. The first two have their own challenges but the third is one of the hardest to establish, especially in this day of noise. We have all seen the ads on TV and even during the Super Bowl announcing their new web site. I wonder if they worked. Some have because you still remember the name but a good share have found the quick way to being nothing more than the answer to a trivia question that most people will get wrong. The other way of course is word of mouth. Where would many of the sites you visit be if you hadn’t heard about them from someone you know? How would they last beyond next Tuesday if they didn’t have something to offer to make it worth your while to go there? Word of mouth still takes me to more places than advertising.
So if you have a favorite search engine that hasn’t been overcome with itself, or one that you think still delivers the goods, leave a comment telling us which one and more importantly why. These are the ones you like and would recommend only. The bad ones get enough attention as it is. Keep surfing the independents.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Search engines are not doing it. In the past they were tools of marvel. They would look at all the web had to offer and bring it to your doorstep offering a wide palette of choices to explore. The term surfing the web actually meant something because you would surf your way across a tidal wave of individual and commercial sites that offered a wealth of information. For every page that was a 'skip it' there were at least three others that had something to offer. And those that had common interest would link up in a ring so that you could enjoy numerous different pages from different individuals with similar interest. It was great to find so many others out there that shared your interest in cars, and planes, obscure books and such.
Now there are so many web sites that have learned how to game the search engines or have bought themselves a place at the top, that it is making it nearly impossible to find the truly content rich pages that made the web such a remarkable place to begin with. I have tried to find some pages on ultralight aircraft that I had run across in the past but have been unable because I could not think of the right combination of words to use in a search engine that would lead me to my target. Even though it says there are 2,250,000 pages found for my search of ultralight aircraft there are only so many that are actually useful. Many don’t refer to my topic at all. And if you are like me and want to get off the beaten path by selecting something that isn’t listed on the first ten or even 100 pages only to find that the search engine gives out after the first 200 references (if they are even able to give you that much).
It doesn’t seem to matter which search engine you are using either. IWON, Ask, Yahoo, MSN, Google, Dogpile, Jeeves, etc., all seem to give similar results. That may be because there have been so many mergers and consolidations taking place that many sites are using the same search engine even if under a different name. I’m afraid I can’t even recommend one as being better than the others. I don’t have one high enough on my favorites list to recommend. Yes I use more than one as the need arises and when it comes to surfing new ground I can’t say that any of them stands out above the rest.
Most of the search engines have taken on a life of their own with main pages and personal pages that deliver information overload if you let it. All the information they think you will need is loaded right there on their pages so that you never have to leave, which is a pretty good business model if you are trying to sell ads and deal in pages viewed and stickiness and repeat/return netizens, but the goal is business oriented and so the content becomes more and more controlled and directed.
This is what happened to AOL as they tried to pretend that they owned the web and that is why they expected you as the costumer to pay them to access it. Thank you free market. Competition comes in and offers alternatives and pretty soon you aren’t the only game in town and if you don’t adjust you are no longer a part of the game at all.
So what is a person to do? First, there needs to be a product of worth, second it must be made available, and third it needs to be made known. The first two have their own challenges but the third is one of the hardest to establish, especially in this day of noise. We have all seen the ads on TV and even during the Super Bowl announcing their new web site. I wonder if they worked. Some have because you still remember the name but a good share have found the quick way to being nothing more than the answer to a trivia question that most people will get wrong. The other way of course is word of mouth. Where would many of the sites you visit be if you hadn’t heard about them from someone you know? How would they last beyond next Tuesday if they didn’t have something to offer to make it worth your while to go there? Word of mouth still takes me to more places than advertising.
So if you have a favorite search engine that hasn’t been overcome with itself, or one that you think still delivers the goods, leave a comment telling us which one and more importantly why. These are the ones you like and would recommend only. The bad ones get enough attention as it is. Keep surfing the independents.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
A snowy day in Utah
It is snowing outside today and between shoveling the stuff and thawing out I decided to take a few minutes and make a few notes.
My wife is a big Green Bay Packer fan from Wisconsin and though we were sad that our team lost to the New York Giants we were fortunate enough to have spent time together curled up on the couch with the fire going. These last two games were as good as they get. The talent was on the level with what you would expect a championship game to be. And to spend some quality time with the wife enjoying a leisurely activity in the middle of our hustle bustle lives was a real treat. I know these moments don't come along often enough so I need to enjoy them when they come around.
That's the thing about life. So much of the time is spent looking for the next big thing or slaving our lives away trying to obtain that long lost dream, that we miss out on the simple little pleasures of life. That's right. Take pleasure in the simple little things. Notice them, appreciate them, relish in them, count your many blessings. You will be suprised at how good things really are. You will also find that when you always look on the bright side of life that it helps keep the scales balanced better. It makes it harder to be overwhelmed. And that's a good thing.
It's too easy to get caught up in the game of comparisons. Keeping up with the Jones' is nearly impossible since you are keeping up with the Jones's new iPod, and the Smith's new lawn mower, and the Wilson's new car, and the Harmon's new (fill in the blank). The trouble with this is we lump all their stuff together into one big collective Jones' garage and wonder why our garage doesn't measure up. The thing is, there is probably someone looking at your garage and wondering why theirs doesn't include the same stuff yours does. You see you can always look around you on any particular subject and find someone who is better off than you and someone who is worse off than you. And really it doesn't matter.
If you have to compare yourself to anyone one, let it be the person you were yesterday. If you are striving to make yourself better today than you were yesterday and your comparison shows even the a smallest amount of improvement then you are on the right path. Keep it up. Your doing o.k. and you are the only one that needs to know it. Don't let the way others think get in your way. They are working on their own path. If they are on a good path and you can help, by all means do. The favor may well be returned. But, and this is a big but, you are the only one that decides which path you want to be on and you are the only one to decide how best to be on that path.
If you need help along the path, just ask. Sometimes you get just what you need. Sometimes the help is good and sometimes not so good. When you get the help be grateful for it. Even the not so good help is usually done from a place of love and caring.
Along with the help will come the occasional words of advice. This can also be good or bad. It is up to you to decide how well it fits your path, and if you should follow it or not.
I just looked out the window and noticed that all my previous work is now buried under another layer of the white stuff, so I better go hit round two. Until next time, keep Healthy, Wealthy and Wise (HWW).
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
My wife is a big Green Bay Packer fan from Wisconsin and though we were sad that our team lost to the New York Giants we were fortunate enough to have spent time together curled up on the couch with the fire going. These last two games were as good as they get. The talent was on the level with what you would expect a championship game to be. And to spend some quality time with the wife enjoying a leisurely activity in the middle of our hustle bustle lives was a real treat. I know these moments don't come along often enough so I need to enjoy them when they come around.
That's the thing about life. So much of the time is spent looking for the next big thing or slaving our lives away trying to obtain that long lost dream, that we miss out on the simple little pleasures of life. That's right. Take pleasure in the simple little things. Notice them, appreciate them, relish in them, count your many blessings. You will be suprised at how good things really are. You will also find that when you always look on the bright side of life that it helps keep the scales balanced better. It makes it harder to be overwhelmed. And that's a good thing.
It's too easy to get caught up in the game of comparisons. Keeping up with the Jones' is nearly impossible since you are keeping up with the Jones's new iPod, and the Smith's new lawn mower, and the Wilson's new car, and the Harmon's new (fill in the blank). The trouble with this is we lump all their stuff together into one big collective Jones' garage and wonder why our garage doesn't measure up. The thing is, there is probably someone looking at your garage and wondering why theirs doesn't include the same stuff yours does. You see you can always look around you on any particular subject and find someone who is better off than you and someone who is worse off than you. And really it doesn't matter.
If you have to compare yourself to anyone one, let it be the person you were yesterday. If you are striving to make yourself better today than you were yesterday and your comparison shows even the a smallest amount of improvement then you are on the right path. Keep it up. Your doing o.k. and you are the only one that needs to know it. Don't let the way others think get in your way. They are working on their own path. If they are on a good path and you can help, by all means do. The favor may well be returned. But, and this is a big but, you are the only one that decides which path you want to be on and you are the only one to decide how best to be on that path.
If you need help along the path, just ask. Sometimes you get just what you need. Sometimes the help is good and sometimes not so good. When you get the help be grateful for it. Even the not so good help is usually done from a place of love and caring.
Along with the help will come the occasional words of advice. This can also be good or bad. It is up to you to decide how well it fits your path, and if you should follow it or not.
I just looked out the window and noticed that all my previous work is now buried under another layer of the white stuff, so I better go hit round two. Until next time, keep Healthy, Wealthy and Wise (HWW).
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Google comes through
In and earlier post I mentioned my frustration setting up this blog account and that I had been denied an account to include AdSense on the site. A little later an e-mail showed up telling me that a mistake was made and it was now available. This came quicker than the original request and it seems to be working as advertised. Thank you Google and AdSense. Chivalry is not dead and customer service still lives. Keep up the good work.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
16 January 2008
Google blogging not as easy as it looks.
O.K. so I thought I was getting the hang of this blogging thing but now I am having second thoughts. I was feeling good about my first attempts and have been enjoying myself but something has happened, or rather not happened. Like many of you I have had a desire to have this experience be supplemented with a few sponsorship ads placed using Googles own AdSense. I have applied for an account but my application was denied for an incomplete name and address which I am sure I submitted. Every attempt to try again has met with failure. I sent back a reply e-mail but now have to wait another 4 days for a response.
Here then lies the test of a true modern day company – company service. It seems so lacking in this day and age. The subjective test of how well does a company do what it is supposed to do when it is doing what it is supposed to be doing and how well does it handle things when they go wrong.
I like companies that have easy access and an open ear to listen to its customers. It seems like such a simple little thing but few companies know how or even seemingly want to do right by their lifeblood – the customer. Many companies spend large amounts on feedback campaigns but you seldom see any real results from them. It’s sort of like when bosses ask ‘How are things going?’ you just know that anything other than “Great” is an unacceptable or unheard answer.
I have seen some creative request for feedback such as giving out pennies by a restaurant as patrons finished their meals that they could put in their choice of gumball machines as a way of casting a vote as to the quality of their meal. I have also seen far too lengthy surveys given using questions and responses that never really capture the true feelings of the respondent with nothing more in thanks than a million to one shot at some trivial prize.
But that covers the day to day, average business transactions that are made. What is a company willing to do when something goes wrong? When I have experienced something that has gone wrong to a large enough degree, I generally like to inform the company so that they might correct the problem. They might not be aware of it and with good intentions, things are made better. For many this is the final step in quality control for those things that may have slipped past all the other testing and checks to ensure a good product reaches their customers. Most are grateful for the information and will replace the damaged item quickly. Calling the local Coke producer to let them know of a can problem I had, or letting the Fritos people know of a recent bag of chips that was missing its seasoning, or commenting to the makers of Puffs tissues about a packaging issue I was noticing are all replied to with a sincere thank you and a coupon for replacement product.
On the other hand I have seen companies that have gotten defensive and combative when all you are trying to do is work through a problem and come to a mutual resolution. The worst example that still haunts me to think of it, was trying to work through a billing problem with AT&T. This occurred twice when trying to solve my Grandmother's account and one episode that lasted almost two years with an account at work. I went in with the best of intentions simply trying to correct a mistake made by AT&T and was met with sugary sweet remarks and promises of swift action resulting in nothing to being turned over to collections agency. I had the problems blamed on everything from people changes to Hurricane Katrina. I was lied to so many times that there is no credibility with them any more.
As a result I will not deal with AT&T for anything else, at all, ever again if I can help it. I tell that to anyone that will listen if the subject comes up. In looking for a new cell phone I was strongly considering Cingular but when they were bought by AT&T, there is just no way. Apple brought out the new iPhone but I won’t even look once, let alone twice because they made it exclusive to AT&T. (There is a lesson here about who you make friends with and even more importantly who you take on as a business partner.) The experience left such a bad taste in my mouth that they are one of the few companies that genuinely earns the phrase AT&T SUCKS.
In this whole affair I wanted to pass along the knowledge of the misguided customer service that was experienced but in all my efforts I could not find an outlet. I would have talked to the president if there was even a remote possibility of doing it. After the whole thing was completed however, I am pretty sure that it wouldn’t make any difference. The culture at AT&T is so bad that it seems beyond repair. It doesn’t matter what Jim Kramer of Mad Money thinks, bad customer service will eventually make an impact.
Now don’t get me wrong. I did run into a few well meaning employees and I think they were honest in their efforts to make amends, but they were powerless to do so. For the most part, the ones I had to deal with were incompetent in problem resolution and wholly inadequate in customer relations. And to have so many different departments that did not begin to know how to communicate with each other in this day and age is usually a sign of the coming end. It appeared on occasion that they deal with each other internally as poorly as they deal with the paying customer.
I know some of you have been with AT&T and have had nothing wrong to report and think that all is well and I am glad for that. I hope that you or anyone you know or ever will know ever in your life will never have to go through what I had to. It is just not worth it. As for me and anything I have a say in, there is no use for AT&T. I will not deal with them.
The point I am trying to make here is that all this bitterness towards one company came from an extended bad experience, and one at this point that can not be repaired. I know that the loss of one customer to them is nothing. But this one customer has a voice. And bad experiences are shared. I remember seeing a report somewhere that said a bad experience is shared 10 times where as a good experience is shared about three. The report also said that it is better and cheaper to keep a good customer than to acquire a new one. Sage advice.
I hope that my ratio of sharing is better than 10 to 3 of bad to good. In fact, I have tried over the years to find someone doing something good with which to praise and then trying to do so. Many places have the comment box or an 800 number to provide feedback and most of us will only use them when we find something wrong, but how many will try to find something right or praiseworthy to positively provide reinforcement for good service. If you note something good, take the time to pass it on. It can, and should make a difference. If it only affects the person you are praising, then it is still worth it.
So Google I await your response. I am hopeful and optimistic as I am with most companies. I give most the benefit of the doubt and several second chances. Please don’t disappoint. We’re all in this together. I’m pulling for ya.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Here then lies the test of a true modern day company – company service. It seems so lacking in this day and age. The subjective test of how well does a company do what it is supposed to do when it is doing what it is supposed to be doing and how well does it handle things when they go wrong.
I like companies that have easy access and an open ear to listen to its customers. It seems like such a simple little thing but few companies know how or even seemingly want to do right by their lifeblood – the customer. Many companies spend large amounts on feedback campaigns but you seldom see any real results from them. It’s sort of like when bosses ask ‘How are things going?’ you just know that anything other than “Great” is an unacceptable or unheard answer.
I have seen some creative request for feedback such as giving out pennies by a restaurant as patrons finished their meals that they could put in their choice of gumball machines as a way of casting a vote as to the quality of their meal. I have also seen far too lengthy surveys given using questions and responses that never really capture the true feelings of the respondent with nothing more in thanks than a million to one shot at some trivial prize.
But that covers the day to day, average business transactions that are made. What is a company willing to do when something goes wrong? When I have experienced something that has gone wrong to a large enough degree, I generally like to inform the company so that they might correct the problem. They might not be aware of it and with good intentions, things are made better. For many this is the final step in quality control for those things that may have slipped past all the other testing and checks to ensure a good product reaches their customers. Most are grateful for the information and will replace the damaged item quickly. Calling the local Coke producer to let them know of a can problem I had, or letting the Fritos people know of a recent bag of chips that was missing its seasoning, or commenting to the makers of Puffs tissues about a packaging issue I was noticing are all replied to with a sincere thank you and a coupon for replacement product.
On the other hand I have seen companies that have gotten defensive and combative when all you are trying to do is work through a problem and come to a mutual resolution. The worst example that still haunts me to think of it, was trying to work through a billing problem with AT&T. This occurred twice when trying to solve my Grandmother's account and one episode that lasted almost two years with an account at work. I went in with the best of intentions simply trying to correct a mistake made by AT&T and was met with sugary sweet remarks and promises of swift action resulting in nothing to being turned over to collections agency. I had the problems blamed on everything from people changes to Hurricane Katrina. I was lied to so many times that there is no credibility with them any more.
As a result I will not deal with AT&T for anything else, at all, ever again if I can help it. I tell that to anyone that will listen if the subject comes up. In looking for a new cell phone I was strongly considering Cingular but when they were bought by AT&T, there is just no way. Apple brought out the new iPhone but I won’t even look once, let alone twice because they made it exclusive to AT&T. (There is a lesson here about who you make friends with and even more importantly who you take on as a business partner.) The experience left such a bad taste in my mouth that they are one of the few companies that genuinely earns the phrase AT&T SUCKS.
In this whole affair I wanted to pass along the knowledge of the misguided customer service that was experienced but in all my efforts I could not find an outlet. I would have talked to the president if there was even a remote possibility of doing it. After the whole thing was completed however, I am pretty sure that it wouldn’t make any difference. The culture at AT&T is so bad that it seems beyond repair. It doesn’t matter what Jim Kramer of Mad Money thinks, bad customer service will eventually make an impact.
Now don’t get me wrong. I did run into a few well meaning employees and I think they were honest in their efforts to make amends, but they were powerless to do so. For the most part, the ones I had to deal with were incompetent in problem resolution and wholly inadequate in customer relations. And to have so many different departments that did not begin to know how to communicate with each other in this day and age is usually a sign of the coming end. It appeared on occasion that they deal with each other internally as poorly as they deal with the paying customer.
I know some of you have been with AT&T and have had nothing wrong to report and think that all is well and I am glad for that. I hope that you or anyone you know or ever will know ever in your life will never have to go through what I had to. It is just not worth it. As for me and anything I have a say in, there is no use for AT&T. I will not deal with them.
The point I am trying to make here is that all this bitterness towards one company came from an extended bad experience, and one at this point that can not be repaired. I know that the loss of one customer to them is nothing. But this one customer has a voice. And bad experiences are shared. I remember seeing a report somewhere that said a bad experience is shared 10 times where as a good experience is shared about three. The report also said that it is better and cheaper to keep a good customer than to acquire a new one. Sage advice.
I hope that my ratio of sharing is better than 10 to 3 of bad to good. In fact, I have tried over the years to find someone doing something good with which to praise and then trying to do so. Many places have the comment box or an 800 number to provide feedback and most of us will only use them when we find something wrong, but how many will try to find something right or praiseworthy to positively provide reinforcement for good service. If you note something good, take the time to pass it on. It can, and should make a difference. If it only affects the person you are praising, then it is still worth it.
So Google I await your response. I am hopeful and optimistic as I am with most companies. I give most the benefit of the doubt and several second chances. Please don’t disappoint. We’re all in this together. I’m pulling for ya.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
14 January 2008
Choices matter
This is a strong warning to all who would heed. In America and all around the world, you are a consumer. You have a choice. You are free to make that choice. Your choices matter. Why does it matter? Because your choices directly affect the most important person you know – “you”. They also affect those around you. They affect those you know and those you may never meet. You can and do make a difference.
As a consumer we are faced with choices on a daily basis. What to wear, what to eat, what to drink, what to read, what to listen to, what to watch, what to drive, where to drive, which road to take, which store to shop, which restaurant to patronize, which show to see, which station to tune in, which team to watch, who to vote for, who to vote against, who to talk to, who to avoid, should I have the last bite or leave it on the plate, should I go for a walk or go for the remote, should I sit down and talk with the wife or go in the other room and play on the computer.
We are a people that takes pleasure in helping each other out. We share our experiences with others in an effort to save them from having the same bad experiences that we have had. We tell others of our good fortunes so that they might find them also, as well as have the hope that they will share their good finds with us. We like it when good things happen and don’t enjoy things that turn bad. Too often we hide our bad experiences because we are embarrassed of what others might think or how they will react if we let them know.
That is not right. Do not be ashamed of your mistakes. And don’t be embarrassed from mistakes or bad experiences that happen to you. Face them and make the corrections that will lift you to a better tomorrow. Share them with others so that they might also be uplifted. And for goodness sakes, don’t make fun of, or belittle, or criticize anyone that thought enough of you to share their telling of misfortune. Be grateful for the blessing. You just might pick up a nugget of wisdom.
As this site grows I will share with you some of my experiences good and bad with the hope of saving someone else from making the same bad mistakes I have made or maybe help someone make some worthwhile choices that will lead them down a better path. Remember that all of our choices have consequences, both good and bad. Seek out the choices that will render the best of consequences. If you have made some bad choices though know this, they do not have to be permanent. They maybe painful for a time, but you can change the final outcome. That is the miracle of forgiveness.
I came up with a simple test for decision making for the simple every day living choices that we face based on Benjamin Franklin’s saying of ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.’ Will my choice help me be healthy, wealthy and wise? If not, then leave it alone. If it takes away, then stay far from it. If it helps build you up, then these are the things you should seek after. I have the acronym HWW in various places around to help remind me of this simple test.
For bigger choices that are more life changing in nature, there are two other acronyms to rely on. CTR or Choose the Right and WWJD or What Would Jesus Do? I do mean life changing though I shouldn’t say that they are just for bigger choices because they can be applied to the simplest choices we make every day and we can be enriched for it.
Realize that the power of choice is one of the greatest gifts we have been given. Use it well and your life will be rich with possibilities. Be worthy of the gift.
I now choose to end this little bit to go into the other room and spend time with my lovely wife. Until next time, be well.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
As a consumer we are faced with choices on a daily basis. What to wear, what to eat, what to drink, what to read, what to listen to, what to watch, what to drive, where to drive, which road to take, which store to shop, which restaurant to patronize, which show to see, which station to tune in, which team to watch, who to vote for, who to vote against, who to talk to, who to avoid, should I have the last bite or leave it on the plate, should I go for a walk or go for the remote, should I sit down and talk with the wife or go in the other room and play on the computer.
We are a people that takes pleasure in helping each other out. We share our experiences with others in an effort to save them from having the same bad experiences that we have had. We tell others of our good fortunes so that they might find them also, as well as have the hope that they will share their good finds with us. We like it when good things happen and don’t enjoy things that turn bad. Too often we hide our bad experiences because we are embarrassed of what others might think or how they will react if we let them know.
That is not right. Do not be ashamed of your mistakes. And don’t be embarrassed from mistakes or bad experiences that happen to you. Face them and make the corrections that will lift you to a better tomorrow. Share them with others so that they might also be uplifted. And for goodness sakes, don’t make fun of, or belittle, or criticize anyone that thought enough of you to share their telling of misfortune. Be grateful for the blessing. You just might pick up a nugget of wisdom.
As this site grows I will share with you some of my experiences good and bad with the hope of saving someone else from making the same bad mistakes I have made or maybe help someone make some worthwhile choices that will lead them down a better path. Remember that all of our choices have consequences, both good and bad. Seek out the choices that will render the best of consequences. If you have made some bad choices though know this, they do not have to be permanent. They maybe painful for a time, but you can change the final outcome. That is the miracle of forgiveness.
I came up with a simple test for decision making for the simple every day living choices that we face based on Benjamin Franklin’s saying of ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.’ Will my choice help me be healthy, wealthy and wise? If not, then leave it alone. If it takes away, then stay far from it. If it helps build you up, then these are the things you should seek after. I have the acronym HWW in various places around to help remind me of this simple test.
For bigger choices that are more life changing in nature, there are two other acronyms to rely on. CTR or Choose the Right and WWJD or What Would Jesus Do? I do mean life changing though I shouldn’t say that they are just for bigger choices because they can be applied to the simplest choices we make every day and we can be enriched for it.
Realize that the power of choice is one of the greatest gifts we have been given. Use it well and your life will be rich with possibilities. Be worthy of the gift.
I now choose to end this little bit to go into the other room and spend time with my lovely wife. Until next time, be well.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
12 January 2008
TV is not good for insomniacs
I have a feeling that insomnia is seldom a good thing. I found myself awake in the middle of the night, still very tired but too tired to fall back to sleep. So I went ahead and got out of bed after flipping through many channels of lame TV, got on the computer and played way, way, way too many hands of spider solitaire. This has happened before but not in a long while. I know I am going to pay for this later, probably before lunch time.
If you get up in the middle of the night and are a TV addict like I am, the first thing you notice is that the state of middle of the night television is extremely weak. I had cable when I lived in an apartment many years ago that I gave up when I bought my first house. I lived in that house for 12 years without cable and only saw what cable had to offer when visiting friends and family or staying in motels on the road. After a couple of days viewing I got the idea that I wasn’t really missing much. Definitely not enough to be paying for it, however I did miss my Formula 1 races, and Tour de France.
I have since gotten married and my wife had DirectTV and is a fan of HGTV in particular, so we kept the dish and the programming but it still gives me frustrations. It was bad enough to have thirteen channels with nothing worth watching but now to have 100+ channels with nothing worth watching and to be paying for it seems like the definition of madness.
Why is it that we have to pay for all these channels when they are still driven by commercials? And in the middle of the night it is even worse. 2/3 of the channels are devoted to infomercials, the worst form of punishment to mankind. There has got to be a better business model to follow, one where the advertisements pay to support the producers, and the producers try the best to produce something that the audience will want in order to get a large enough audience so that they can charge the advertisers for reaching said audience enough to pay for the cost to produce and distribute the product to the audience. Wait just a minute. That is the business model used since the inception of TV. Why aren’t they doing that now?
Don’t get me wrong, I like many of the channels on DirectTV, such as SPEED, History, Discovery, BBC, and CNBC. I have also been known to hit VH1 classics to see if there is anything good on, but each of these channels has commercials. Each of them is being paid by advertisers to draw an audience with their content. Why then do we have to pay for them to deliver it to us? Shouldn’t we as the target audience be the ones as consumers to generate sufficient demand by the advertisers that they would willingly provide enough revenue to cover the costs for delivery into our homes?
Local broadcast TV and radio have provided a service of entertaining programming that has been funded by advertisement for years. It is the thinning out of quality content that allowed pay services to establish a foothold as an alternate source but at what cost. And now that the quality of content is thinning out again where will the consuming public turn? If you are reading this, you already know one of these competing outlets. The internet can provide a great deal of tailored product but if you have used it very long you quickly realize that there is a great deal of noise out there.
I just wish it was white noise, it might help me fall back to sleep.
Pleasant Dreams.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
If you get up in the middle of the night and are a TV addict like I am, the first thing you notice is that the state of middle of the night television is extremely weak. I had cable when I lived in an apartment many years ago that I gave up when I bought my first house. I lived in that house for 12 years without cable and only saw what cable had to offer when visiting friends and family or staying in motels on the road. After a couple of days viewing I got the idea that I wasn’t really missing much. Definitely not enough to be paying for it, however I did miss my Formula 1 races, and Tour de France.
I have since gotten married and my wife had DirectTV and is a fan of HGTV in particular, so we kept the dish and the programming but it still gives me frustrations. It was bad enough to have thirteen channels with nothing worth watching but now to have 100+ channels with nothing worth watching and to be paying for it seems like the definition of madness.
Why is it that we have to pay for all these channels when they are still driven by commercials? And in the middle of the night it is even worse. 2/3 of the channels are devoted to infomercials, the worst form of punishment to mankind. There has got to be a better business model to follow, one where the advertisements pay to support the producers, and the producers try the best to produce something that the audience will want in order to get a large enough audience so that they can charge the advertisers for reaching said audience enough to pay for the cost to produce and distribute the product to the audience. Wait just a minute. That is the business model used since the inception of TV. Why aren’t they doing that now?
Don’t get me wrong, I like many of the channels on DirectTV, such as SPEED, History, Discovery, BBC, and CNBC. I have also been known to hit VH1 classics to see if there is anything good on, but each of these channels has commercials. Each of them is being paid by advertisers to draw an audience with their content. Why then do we have to pay for them to deliver it to us? Shouldn’t we as the target audience be the ones as consumers to generate sufficient demand by the advertisers that they would willingly provide enough revenue to cover the costs for delivery into our homes?
Local broadcast TV and radio have provided a service of entertaining programming that has been funded by advertisement for years. It is the thinning out of quality content that allowed pay services to establish a foothold as an alternate source but at what cost. And now that the quality of content is thinning out again where will the consuming public turn? If you are reading this, you already know one of these competing outlets. The internet can provide a great deal of tailored product but if you have used it very long you quickly realize that there is a great deal of noise out there.
I just wish it was white noise, it might help me fall back to sleep.
Pleasant Dreams.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
11 January 2008
Beginnings
This is my opening entry into the world of blogging. As I get familiar with this new adventure, I hope to expound on a great many topics and a wide range of subjects. Some of it hopefully will be interesting, insightful, inspiring, motivational, thought provoking and entertaining though some of it may seem like just so much rambling on. It should all be considered good natured and fun though it may get critical at times and sarcastic at others. Mostly, I want this to be enjoyed by one and all. Welcome to a view from the FARR WEST.
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