brahmburgers

How Kindle Will Kill the Book Star

I am a writer who has a few titles on Kindle. For starters, their format restrictions change the format of the book, and doesn't do good enough job for graphics. One of my titles, dealing with Thai language, won't work with Kindle because of the foreign fonts in the original text - so Kindle is a limited platform for readers.

The Banking Time Bomb Test

To expand upon Alan Young's analogy; If you take your car in to a mechanic for a check up, and the fluids are low, you'd expect the mechanic to not only fill them to proper level, but to tell you of the deficiencies. You might be leaking fluids, or your fan belt might be mis-aligned, needing fixing. The feds appear to be willing to prop up corporations that have been badly run - thereby awarding bad management and poor biz decisions.

Obama Wants a 'Better Plan'? Here's One: Bite the Bullet

Americans, in particular, don't really produce much in the way of useful tangible items. GM and such large Corps had chances, but chose to make overwrought SUV's and now realize their mistake is causing their demise. GM and others, with their engineering skills and production facilities could have make useful products, lean and expensive, maybe even alternative power items. Instead, 99% of Americans produce nothing of worth, yet they fiercely covet whatever payments they get for SSI and other hand-outs. Plus, the major reason for the financial meltdown, and its ensuing hand-wringing is to preserve the sacred concept of credit which enable consumers to spend beyond their means, and which enables companies to stay afloat from week to week. As for services, well, that's what the paper-pushing bankers/insurers/stock traders were supposed to provide. They screwed up big time, now they want the Feds to speed up the printing presses at the Commerce Dept, to flood them with replacement money - for the bad decisions fueled by greed.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

From half a world away, in Thailand, it's an eye-opener to see the house of cards crumble from above (the fattest corporations) rather than from below - or maybe it just appears that way, because news headlines showcase the tribulations of the big players.

U.S. Economy: Spending and Phantom Financing Will Only Lead to Ruin

well said! Let failing businesses fail. Allow heads of failing companies to roll. Employees to lose their jobs, which is a bummer - but that will enable better products and services to enter the market. Those who were unemployed earlier, will get re-employed at (hopefully) a better managed company. For decades the US has spouted 'free market' rhetoric and railed against 'protectionism and/or the unfair trade practices of foreign gov't's propping up their industries.' What gross hippocracy - that is just what the Feds are currently doing big time.

When Will Things Get Better?

Until 8-08 I had zero debt, but was poor as a church mouse, selling home-made potting soil in bags - out of the back of my beat up p.u. truck.
In 8-08 I came in to a modest inheritance, all in stocks and bonds. Instead of keeping it at Morgan Stanley (where it was parked), I opted to cash out 100% right away. Glad I did! Now I got cash in an Asian bank, and life's a bed of roses - albeit with a few thorns. Sorry for all the people who're worth half of what they were before the crash. Too bad they were so overextended. Interesting, it wasn't just the bottom falling out, but the crisis was has also been the top falling down. Nearly every person and every business which lived on credit suffered. Even GM paid its weekly payroll with borrowed money. Lesson: live within your means.

Microsoft vs. Google: Battle of Epic Proportions

google schmooble porgie and pie,

turn off your computer and go play outside.

Government's Ponzi Scheme: 1000 Times Worse than Madoff's

In Nevada County, CA. a tractor driver who died a few years ago. Willie had a small private auto wrecking/re-cycling biz. They found him in his tractor cab - keeled over the wheel. They also found lots of dollar bills, all denominations, stuffed in every crevice inside the cap of his old machine - payment from customers. We need more like Willie, who put money away for a rainy day. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get to spending much of the stuff.

Uranium: Red Hot Yellow Cake

I'm an American residing in Thailand. Thailand plans to build their first 4 nuclear power plants - though there will be public resistance and scarcity of funding. I'm on the fence about nuclear - was once was adamantly against, now cautiously in favor - though not for Thailand, because of its dismal record with building safe large-scale structures. Indonesia, Vietnam, even Burma have plans to build their first nuclear plants also.