Ken Nelson

Were things 12% better, or different, 1 month ago?  I’m dubious.

I’ve a confession to make… the stock market makes no sense to me. 

Why?  Let me flip the questions… why would it make sense?

I buy “shares” in a company.  I’m now an “owner”. Except I have no control.  Other people, inside and outside the company, have more information than I do. I can vote, but my vote is meaningless, as compared to, say some large pension fund that bought a big hunk.

The “value” of my holding is dependent on what other people think of the company. But what they think is based on what they think other people will think.  And the weird self-dependent circle continues on and on.

Our nation has made serious financial mistakes. These are known numbers, and have been known for ages. So on Monday, after a ratings agency finally says “uh oh” the market tanks. Then it bounces up and down in wild swings, when essentially the macro picture hasn’t changed a lick. It makes no SENSE!

It’s uninformed speculation on what other people, the mob, will think.

How would I change it?  I’d have stock value be mathematically tied to the book value of the company. Book value being derived from assets, cash on hand, and likely receivables and other measurable, unmanipulatible values.

I would still permit speculation, but I would tax it heavily.  Ownership above, I probably wouldn’t tax at all. Nor would I tax the accumulation of value, and the sharing of value (dividends) at all.

You would still have to guess about company performance, but you wouldn’t be guessing what other people would think of it.

Speculation always ends badly.

Could have been in the military. Wasn’t.

Obama consistently shows that he is a crude, vile, petty man that is narcissistic to the core. 

This week’s affront?   Photo op at the Dover AFB casualty receiving ceremony.  Family didn’t want him there. Families the day or week before probably wonder why their husband or child wasn’t as important.  As will families later.

Photos aren’t permitted, well, except for Barry.

The affronts just never end with this guy. And it’s all so that Sony can interleave his visit to the Presidential poll improving Osama killing Seal Team 6’s tragedy into the movie they are making that is sure to feature Blair Underwood pensively saying “go”.

It’s all Barry all the time at this White House. The nation??? just props, victims or productive people ripe for exploitation.

If you voted for this fool, you should be ashamed. And if you still support him then you really need your head examined.

This is the next best thing to do to a looter:

Of course, dropping him from a distance would be more effective, and just as satisfying.

Check out these images from London/England:

I’m tempted to tell England it is getting what it deserves. It sucked opportunity from these young people’s futures many decades ago.  But at the same time the responsible person in me abhors the waste of a life they represent.  To me, acting as they do now, they are just targets. Something to be destroyed.   England should treat them as such or expect more ill behavior.

We aren’t immune, as recent events in Wisconsin and Philadelphia show.

Compare and contrast to an entirely different sort of person.

Night and day. The difference?  Generally… family. The rioters no doubt had government as their primary caretaker. Those rolling out of a Chinook?  Quite different.

These crazed youth in England, Wisconsin, Philadelphia represent the new breed of unproductive. Not content to just take and whine. They now want to take, whine and destroy.

I hope you liberals are happy. This is what happens when you suck opportunity from the future to pay for your votes, your cushy federal / state pensions, and your lattes.

President Downgrade hopes to borrow from more future youth and tax the currently productive to keep you happy, donating, organizing and voting for him.   Never mind that we are now facing the fruit of Lyndon Johnson’s similar purchases.

In case you wonder why we Tea Partiers are fighting the professional political class in D.C….

Via Powerlineblog.com

Via WiseStartupBlog.com

A recent study shows that most businesses that try Groupon will not do it again:

http://www.businessinsider.com/groupon-survey-results-2011-7

About 60% of businesses considered their Groupon experience a success, but more than half of customers do NOT want to run another Groupon. Almost 40% of Groupon customers, meanwhile, thought their experience failed.

How viable can a business model where 40% of the customers view the experience as “failed” be?   I’m sure it will settle out somewhere. But long term those bad experiences will permeate out as those involved start new businesses, or manage other businesses.

I’d be interested in polls about the experience of consumers using the Groupon offerings. I watch the offerings come in on my smart phone, but I’ve never “bit” on any.

John Boehner is lying to you. Just like Obama. Just like McConnell, just like ALL of them.

Here is why….his big “bill” with the 850billion in “cuts” is just a cut in desired GROWTH.

Put another way

“If we JUST CAPPED SPENDING– spent the same amount next FY as we did this FY, the CBO would score that as a $9.5 trillion dollar cut.”

If the folks the Tea Party sent to Washington fall for this then we are pretty much wasting our time with all this “voting” nonsense.  Just stay home, let it collapse and pick up the pieces.

And I just found a plan I like… how about we just SPEND WHAT WE SPENT in 2009?  That government was PLENTY BIG enough.

For now… I’m willing to let the debt ceiling hit and immediately start spending on only what is necessary.

Help me decide…. this t-shirt…

or:

I’m spurred into t-shirt purchasing action by my disbelief as Obama threatens Social Security checks so he can get a deal that pushes this debt ceiling issue past his re-election.  Is there nothing he won’t do for his own self-interest?   Is 4 more years of a job he clearly hates and can’t perform in worth trashing our credit rating, and senior citizens well being?  Apparently so. Schmuck!

Shame on you if you still like the guy. He’s a narcissistic danger to all of us.

Phoenix… dust storm:

The Daily Mail has more…

Glad I don’t live in a dry dusty desert town… oops!

Super 8:  http://www.super8-movie.com/

Pretty good. Predictable, but in an okay way. Very good nostalgic effect if you grew up in the late 60’s and 70’s.  Those who gripe about the tribute to Spielberg’s work miss the point that the tribute IS the point.

Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon/

Also, pretty good. Also, formula driven. But… special effects are terrific. And it is surprisingly funny.

Source: The Internets

My son and I took home 1st (me) and 3rd place (Brian) at the United States Practical Shooting Area 1 2011 Championship.   This is in the B Division (sort of like a handicapping system).   I did very well, finishing 12th of 90 shooters and beating a bunch of Master, A, and even a Grand Master.   Brian did well as well and would have handily beat me except for pistol problems on two stages.

Next stop…. Nationals!

P.S. I like this better than Little League, cause I get to play too!

What are new customers worth?  What are loyal, repeat, customers worth?  These are the questions cogently raised by Rocky Agrawal’s dissection of the Groupon Business Model.

I’ve either built, or played a key role in building, three successful business ventures. And I’m in the process of making another one.    I learned early on that a customer I already have is worth WAY more than one I don’t. have yet.  An easy reminder of that is the $7K just sent me via electronic purchase order by a long time customer.  By my rough gauge that is 1 of 5 orders given me today from folks I’ve done business with for years.  Combined with a couple orders from new customers it was a good day.  And  just another pleasant reminder that that hard work we did for them 5 years ago is still paying off.

Bootstrapping a startup that lacks loyal customers is hard, frustrating and thirsty work.   In the beginning, all customers are new (and expensive to acquire).    My approach is to find strategic customers and make them partners.  I give them a great deal, free in most cases, in exchange for feedback and their assistance and referrals.  Will it work? Time will tell.  If it were easy, everybody would do it!

One thing I won’t be doing is randomly letting price focused customers exploit my offerings without a loyalty / feedback relationship.  That’s what Groupon provides.  Groupon customers remind me of the folks who visit yard sales before the stated opening times. They want bargains but it is better to wait the day out and work with those who arrive when you are packing it in, or to give a great deal on an item that isn’t selling to somebody who just bought your big screen TV and agreed to haul it off for you.

This lack of loyalty is also why I delayed and delayed and regretted putting in a Yellow Page ad for a successful photo business I had through much of the last decade. It was a part-time venture, but it ended up being among the largest (and likely most profitable) photo businesses in my region. Why?   I spent time pleasing customers and making money, not answering phone calls from people asking about pricing.  90% of my business was referral based from customers who would think of using no other photographer for their family, wedding, or business.

That’s why when I decided to start a mobile software company my concept focused around customer loyalty apps.  I wanted to provide a way to help businesses foster, keep, and expand a reciprocal relationship with customers that are loyal to them. Oh… and keep to my other simple formula – value, value, value, and the best support they have ever received ever period. Simple!

We are 5 months into the project, and perhaps a month or so off from the launch of about 20 apps for companies I’m loyal to, or that I think are strategic for feedback, market exposure, and yes… more feedback!

I wish Groupon the best. But I’m pretty sure it will fade as folks realize that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence, and that they really should be nice to the girl that accompanied them to the dance.

The Goodyear Blimp crashed in Hindenbergesque fashion over the weekend:

This bums me out on many levels. I’ve thought for a long time that blimps could play a role in changing how we move freight and people in this country. Or hoped it could. But if they still explode like this, no thanks.  I suppose anywhere you have fuel, you have a fire risk.