The power of twitter explained... this is one bit of information to pay attention to. Businesspeople better wrap their brain around this concept because it could be a serious way to affect business... positively or negatively.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Revolutionary Ideas Start with Ridiculous Questions
This idea comes from an article I found on the web
Revolutionary Ideas come from Ridiculous Questions
Some of the questions the author points out:
What if I met everyone with my same name?
What if I said "Yes!" to everything?
What if everyone in Seattle read the same book?
Now these are just three, but the stories behind these questions reveal how just taking a few moments to consider a unique question is enough to generate a whole new way to make a living. The mind is a terrible thing to waste... yet we spend most of our time running on the proverbial treadmill chasing fiat paper money to turn around and give it right back and start the process over again... endlessly.
My challenge to you is to stop running and start thinking. And the best way to start is to ask a question that really makes you think or wonder. That gets you excited to find out! There are so many things to question. Sometimes the treasure you've been seeking might be right under your own nose.
Revolutionary Ideas come from Ridiculous Questions
Some of the questions the author points out:
What if I met everyone with my same name?
What if I said "Yes!" to everything?
What if everyone in Seattle read the same book?
Now these are just three, but the stories behind these questions reveal how just taking a few moments to consider a unique question is enough to generate a whole new way to make a living. The mind is a terrible thing to waste... yet we spend most of our time running on the proverbial treadmill chasing fiat paper money to turn around and give it right back and start the process over again... endlessly.
My challenge to you is to stop running and start thinking. And the best way to start is to ask a question that really makes you think or wonder. That gets you excited to find out! There are so many things to question. Sometimes the treasure you've been seeking might be right under your own nose.
Friday, January 14, 2011
The power of invention
The only real natural resource we can't do without is the mind. Although we hear of threats of scarcity all the time it's really just another opportunity for us to recognize someone's bright idea.
Here's just a few I've found in a quick search... on a whim.
Using roads to generate electricity
Piezoelectric Power Generation
A water powered battery
Lighting solution for the third world
Here's just a few I've found in a quick search... on a whim.
Using roads to generate electricity
Piezoelectric Power Generation
A water powered battery
Lighting solution for the third world
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Building productive groups by getting to know people's strengths.
If you happen to come across Malcolm Gladwell's first book Tipping Point, you will find it an excellent introspective into why things go from a great idea among a very few people into a movement of the masses. The second chapter in the book is called Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen. It's about the people that make it happen. If you haven't read it, your in luck, I'm going to give you a brief overview along with some practical applications to turning the group of people around you into something much more effective. A way tip the scales in your favor. Now I'm not one to put people into boxes and I most certainly put myself at the top of that list but I think what Malcolm has uncovered is important.
Although I read the book, I derived most of my information from the following blogs.
Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen - Mary Jacsch
Connectors, Mavens and Salesman: The Secret to your Success - Pam Slim
Connectors are people specialists.
“These people who link us up with the world, who bridge Omaha and Sharon, who introduce us to our social circles – these people on whom we rely on more heavily than we realize – are Connectors, people with a very special gift of bringing people together.”
Connectors are fantastic at expanding your network. They say things like:
Although I read the book, I derived most of my information from the following blogs.
Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen - Mary Jacsch
Connectors, Mavens and Salesman: The Secret to your Success - Pam Slim
Connectors are people specialists.
“These people who link us up with the world, who bridge Omaha and Sharon, who introduce us to our social circles – these people on whom we rely on more heavily than we realize – are Connectors, people with a very special gift of bringing people together.”
Connectors are fantastic at expanding your network. They say things like:
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Tax the Rich! What a great idea... if it only worked...
It certainly has worked for politicians! They've been using it for a long time... in 1913 it sure worked to get the 16th Amendment passed. It worked in the 30's, the 40's and the 50's... and here we are again... only lets take a little closer look at what actually happen.
Poll: Tax the Rich! 61% say tax the rich to balance the budget.
In 1913, there was no income taxes. People were told they would tax only the richest 1% income. That one didn't turn out so well. Somehow the rich survived... yet today we all are subordinate to the IRS.
During the 30s, 40's, 50's and 60's the "rich" were taxed up to 90%. They somehow survived that too. In fact the gap between rich and poor has only continued to widen. How could it be possible the rich actually got richer? The short story is... they understand how to play the game.
The fact of the matter is... this is just a smoke screen. And the people that proclaim it are either ignorant or deceptive. The rich understand how the system works... they really pay little to no taxes. The taxes they do pay are passed through into the cost of goods and services. With corporations, trusts, and off shore accounts they can shuffle money around to make it look like the government owes them money. General Electric, for example, made $10 billion worldwide in 2009, but when they filed their IRS form, it showed up as a $600 million loss... and they didn't pay any taxes at all! Not to mention all the government contracts they profited from... most of that $10 billion probably came right from the US government. How ironic aye...
This is certainly political theater at it's finest. And the people who actually believe it should be ashamed at being so stupid. Falling for this is like being burnt at three-card monte every day of the week... and yet, showing up on Saturday morning with one's paycheck in hand ready to try one more time!
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" was something Martin Luther King Jr. famously said... he was right and it's time people stop trying to stick it to somebody else and realize... when they do, their only really sticking it to themselves. The income tax is a failure. It was never what they promised and it never will be. For the average folks it's just slavery by another name and needs to be abolished.
Update: A recent article from the Wall Street Journal on the perils of taxing the rich. It's been the downfall of many of the most "progressive" states.
The Price of Taxing the Rich
Poll: Tax the Rich! 61% say tax the rich to balance the budget.
In 1913, there was no income taxes. People were told they would tax only the richest 1% income. That one didn't turn out so well. Somehow the rich survived... yet today we all are subordinate to the IRS.
During the 30s, 40's, 50's and 60's the "rich" were taxed up to 90%. They somehow survived that too. In fact the gap between rich and poor has only continued to widen. How could it be possible the rich actually got richer? The short story is... they understand how to play the game.
The fact of the matter is... this is just a smoke screen. And the people that proclaim it are either ignorant or deceptive. The rich understand how the system works... they really pay little to no taxes. The taxes they do pay are passed through into the cost of goods and services. With corporations, trusts, and off shore accounts they can shuffle money around to make it look like the government owes them money. General Electric, for example, made $10 billion worldwide in 2009, but when they filed their IRS form, it showed up as a $600 million loss... and they didn't pay any taxes at all! Not to mention all the government contracts they profited from... most of that $10 billion probably came right from the US government. How ironic aye...
This is certainly political theater at it's finest. And the people who actually believe it should be ashamed at being so stupid. Falling for this is like being burnt at three-card monte every day of the week... and yet, showing up on Saturday morning with one's paycheck in hand ready to try one more time!
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" was something Martin Luther King Jr. famously said... he was right and it's time people stop trying to stick it to somebody else and realize... when they do, their only really sticking it to themselves. The income tax is a failure. It was never what they promised and it never will be. For the average folks it's just slavery by another name and needs to be abolished.
Update: A recent article from the Wall Street Journal on the perils of taxing the rich. It's been the downfall of many of the most "progressive" states.
The Price of Taxing the Rich
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Laws... Bad for Small Business... Bad for Employment Outlook
With the coming of 2011, the battered small business sector has even more to contend with. Thousands of new laws and requirements have been concocted mainly by lobbyists paid for by larger corporations to corner the market and raise the barriers of competition. Just like on January 1st 2010, thousands of new laws are on the books. It sure pays to be politically "well connected"! The good news is there is a solution! And it's already on the books!
In 2008 we saw this scheme in action with the debacle created by the "toy bill", the Consumer Improved Product Safety Act of 2008. Which was spurred primarily by Walmart's importation of defective and dangerous Chinese toys. The company that benefited the most from the bill was Walmart. Surprisingly or not, this was at the cost of many smaller toy businesses, craftsmen and entrepreneurs who simply had to leave the marketplace because of the inability to raise enough money to comply with the new rules and of course the threats of fines and jail time if they didn't. With this kind of success, more large businesses and corporations send lobbyist to continue this in their field. This is the trend in industry after industry. And not surprisingly, with the number of lobbyist at an all time high... the number of laws continue to increase proportionately.
Unfortunately, with over 70% of the employees in the US being employed by small business, this development doesn't bode well for future job opportunities.
As government has become more and more corrupted by this it is becoming increasingly easy for large businesses to prey upon smaller segments simply by calling up their pals in government, passing new laws and raising the barriers to competition. Then sicking which ever police force has jurisdiction on the competition. From haircuts, to cheese, to coffin making government has been used to restrict competition and in particular squeeze out the little guy. Boy, the mafia would be proud of these tactics!
Believe it or not our forefathers foresaw this. The US Constitution had certain built in features that restricted this kind of law making. But more importantly, they adamantly opposed a "Democracy" in favor of a Republic. Democracy was opposed because it represented "mob rule" which ultimately leads to tyranny, while a Republic representing an adherence to the Rule of Law of which the ultimate law being the US Constitution.
In 2008 we saw this scheme in action with the debacle created by the "toy bill", the Consumer Improved Product Safety Act of 2008. Which was spurred primarily by Walmart's importation of defective and dangerous Chinese toys. The company that benefited the most from the bill was Walmart. Surprisingly or not, this was at the cost of many smaller toy businesses, craftsmen and entrepreneurs who simply had to leave the marketplace because of the inability to raise enough money to comply with the new rules and of course the threats of fines and jail time if they didn't. With this kind of success, more large businesses and corporations send lobbyist to continue this in their field. This is the trend in industry after industry. And not surprisingly, with the number of lobbyist at an all time high... the number of laws continue to increase proportionately.
Unfortunately, with over 70% of the employees in the US being employed by small business, this development doesn't bode well for future job opportunities.
As government has become more and more corrupted by this it is becoming increasingly easy for large businesses to prey upon smaller segments simply by calling up their pals in government, passing new laws and raising the barriers to competition. Then sicking which ever police force has jurisdiction on the competition. From haircuts, to cheese, to coffin making government has been used to restrict competition and in particular squeeze out the little guy. Boy, the mafia would be proud of these tactics!
Believe it or not our forefathers foresaw this. The US Constitution had certain built in features that restricted this kind of law making. But more importantly, they adamantly opposed a "Democracy" in favor of a Republic. Democracy was opposed because it represented "mob rule" which ultimately leads to tyranny, while a Republic representing an adherence to the Rule of Law of which the ultimate law being the US Constitution.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)