I have always been the health conscience sort for most of my life, after watching my folks die an early death from a combination of poor diet and poor medical care (we had a medicine cabinet that would rival most pharmacies).
I never believed in the marketing sense of dieting. Diet, pure and simple, is what constitutes what you consume, not the latest fad. It is a life-long commitment to treating yourself well.
To that end, I no longer drink milk. I have been drinking soy for probably the last decade and am a big fan of it's taste (plain not the sugary vanilla or chocolate) as well as the myriad of health benefits of plant protein vs. dairy.
Recently, I have been dismayed by the lack of QC by Silk, a maker of soy drinks I have enjoyed for years. Soy milk has a much longer shelf life than dairy milk, especially when not opened right away, typically up to 2 months. My past 2 purchases have gone bad well before the experation date (this morning's had a date of March 28th, 2009 and I just opened it a few days ago!).
Being a fan of the product, I wrote to their consumer affairs department this morning to alert them. Here is the non-answer I got in return:
Thank you for your recent e-mail to Silk®.
We appreciate your interest in our products.
We guarantee the freshness and quality of our products if opened by the freshness date code and used within seven to ten days. However, our products are perishable food items and spoilage may occur if the products are stored in the refrigerator beyond the recommended number of days after the seal has been broken or if there was an interruption in maintaining the proper storage temperature.
Thanks again for contacting the Consumer Affairs Department.
They guarantee their product until there is something wrong with it! If you are not going to stand behind what you peddle, at least tell us we're on our own. I thanked them for alerting me that my electricity may be an issue. I'll check on that as soon as I return from our outhouse on the way back from the chicken coop.
Another shining example of customer 'service' (see previous post)!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Letter From the Boss
To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges.
However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact, which might help you, decide what is in your best interests.
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back-story is oftenneglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY:
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% of my effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount stores extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages andlived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, would be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bailout all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.
Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes, Federal taxes, Property taxes, Sales and Use taxes, Payroll taxes, Workers compensation taxes, and Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes and I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time.
On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. Youknow what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child, waiting for her next welfare check?
Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work?
Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries.
But you can forget it now. When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always hasbeen. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it.
Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of ‘change’ you can keep.
So where am I going about all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you and your co-workers.
You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.
So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....
The first to be fired will be the ones with Obama stickers on their vehicles.
Signed, THE BOSS
Final Note:Who ever this boss is he has it nailed down perfectly........RE-read his entire letter and the last 3 paragraphs will make total sense to you....and if you are a left leaning, socialistic democrat, this type of thinking just may get you to re-evaluate your sense of direction for this country.
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges.
However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact, which might help you, decide what is in your best interests.
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back-story is oftenneglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY:
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% of my effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount stores extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages andlived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, would be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bailout all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.
Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes, Federal taxes, Property taxes, Sales and Use taxes, Payroll taxes, Workers compensation taxes, and Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes and I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time.
On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. Youknow what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child, waiting for her next welfare check?
Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work?
Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries.
But you can forget it now. When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always hasbeen. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it.
Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of ‘change’ you can keep.
So where am I going about all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you and your co-workers.
You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.
So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....
The first to be fired will be the ones with Obama stickers on their vehicles.
Signed, THE BOSS
Final Note:Who ever this boss is he has it nailed down perfectly........RE-read his entire letter and the last 3 paragraphs will make total sense to you....and if you are a left leaning, socialistic democrat, this type of thinking just may get you to re-evaluate your sense of direction for this country.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Enlightened!
I became confused when I heard these terms with reference to the word 'service'.
Internal Revenue 'Service'
U.S.Postal 'Service'
Telephone 'Service'
Cable 'Service'
Civil 'Service'
Customer 'Service'
State, City & County Public 'Service'
This is not what I thought 'service' meant.
But today, I overheard two farmers talking,
and one of them said he had hired a bull to 'service' a few cows.
BAM!!! It all came into focus. Now I understand what all those 'service' agencies are doing to us. I hope you are as enlightened as I am.
Internal Revenue 'Service'
U.S.Postal 'Service'
Telephone 'Service'
Cable 'Service'
Civil 'Service'
Customer 'Service'
State, City & County Public 'Service'
This is not what I thought 'service' meant.
But today, I overheard two farmers talking,
and one of them said he had hired a bull to 'service' a few cows.
BAM!!! It all came into focus. Now I understand what all those 'service' agencies are doing to us. I hope you are as enlightened as I am.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Paypal Scam Continues
Paypal seems to be leaking into other areas of ecommerce. It is not just for ebay junkies any longer.
Have you noticed, though, the growing number of people no longer accepting it? I just went through an experience (to be kind) which explains why disenchanted ranks continue to grow.
For those unfamiliar, paypal is an ingenious service that makes buying and selling on the Internet relatively painless, does not charge a fee unlike credit cards and allows sellers to ship sooner than if they had to wait for a check to arrive and clear.
How do they make money, you ask. Just like traditional financial institutions, whether banks or investment houses, make money on the 'float'. This is the time between when your money is received by the institution until it is released to the payor (the seller in the case of e commerce). Services like paypal take usually 48 hours to 'clear' the funds owed to the seller. These are 48 hours (at minimum) they are making money on your money. It gets better!
I recently rented one of my investment homes to a family moving to Reno from out of town. As both parties are tech savvy, we decided to use paypal to make it easier on both sides. Silly us. Both of us have been using paypal for years, for purchases from $10 to several thousand dollars without incident. Until now. Paypal notified both parties of a pending 'investigation' into the transaction. We needed to provide additional info and this 'investigation' would take about a week. I did what they required and then decided to do a little 'investigation' of my own. What I uncovered seems to be the reason so many are no longer using their pal.
Keep in mind, that paypal handles millions of dollars of transactions a day, nipping at the heals of the incumbent credit card clearing houses. Unlike the credit card companies, they are satisfied with making their profit on the float. To make extra profit, the number of 'investigations' have been growing as exponential as their customer base. The more people that use the service, the more then can play the float game with unsuspecting buyers and sellers. They only need to do it once per new subscriber to increase their income 3x to 4x. Good work if you can get it.
So, my friends, another example of nobody does anything for free!
Caveat Emptor!
Have you noticed, though, the growing number of people no longer accepting it? I just went through an experience (to be kind) which explains why disenchanted ranks continue to grow.
For those unfamiliar, paypal is an ingenious service that makes buying and selling on the Internet relatively painless, does not charge a fee unlike credit cards and allows sellers to ship sooner than if they had to wait for a check to arrive and clear.
How do they make money, you ask. Just like traditional financial institutions, whether banks or investment houses, make money on the 'float'. This is the time between when your money is received by the institution until it is released to the payor (the seller in the case of e commerce). Services like paypal take usually 48 hours to 'clear' the funds owed to the seller. These are 48 hours (at minimum) they are making money on your money. It gets better!
I recently rented one of my investment homes to a family moving to Reno from out of town. As both parties are tech savvy, we decided to use paypal to make it easier on both sides. Silly us. Both of us have been using paypal for years, for purchases from $10 to several thousand dollars without incident. Until now. Paypal notified both parties of a pending 'investigation' into the transaction. We needed to provide additional info and this 'investigation' would take about a week. I did what they required and then decided to do a little 'investigation' of my own. What I uncovered seems to be the reason so many are no longer using their pal.
Keep in mind, that paypal handles millions of dollars of transactions a day, nipping at the heals of the incumbent credit card clearing houses. Unlike the credit card companies, they are satisfied with making their profit on the float. To make extra profit, the number of 'investigations' have been growing as exponential as their customer base. The more people that use the service, the more then can play the float game with unsuspecting buyers and sellers. They only need to do it once per new subscriber to increase their income 3x to 4x. Good work if you can get it.
So, my friends, another example of nobody does anything for free!
Caveat Emptor!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
He Fails, We Fail
I'm as conservative as the next guy. With that said, events since 9/11 have pushed me more towards non-partisan than ever before. Having had the misfortune of being stuck listening to am radio (I drove the truck today due to weather, no satellite radio...darn!!), I was floored by the idiotic diatribes of Rush Limbaugh. Has his abuse of oxycontin turned him into an oxymoron?
He wants the new President to fail. He wants him to fail?
People, if he fails....we ALL fail!
We do not have the luxury of partisan BS anymore. We have entered a desperate hour. Now is the time to pull together and pull ourselves out of this quagmire we have put ourselves in. YES, WE! Noone forced us to buy a bigger house. No one forced us to use our home as a piggy bank. No one forced us to buy a new mega SUV and fill it full of future garage sale items.
We can no longer mortgage our children's future...that mortgage, too, is in foreclosure. For the first time, we will leave the world a worse place for our children. Well done. Now we have to figure out a way to avoid the second, a possibly farther reaching, depression.
Wake up, get away from the idiot box and get involved.
Taking the reigns of this country at this time is like winning a major supply contract with Walmart...any false move can put you out of business. Only this time, the 'business' is our country and way of life.
If he fails, we all fail!
He wants the new President to fail. He wants him to fail?
People, if he fails....we ALL fail!
We do not have the luxury of partisan BS anymore. We have entered a desperate hour. Now is the time to pull together and pull ourselves out of this quagmire we have put ourselves in. YES, WE! Noone forced us to buy a bigger house. No one forced us to use our home as a piggy bank. No one forced us to buy a new mega SUV and fill it full of future garage sale items.
We can no longer mortgage our children's future...that mortgage, too, is in foreclosure. For the first time, we will leave the world a worse place for our children. Well done. Now we have to figure out a way to avoid the second, a possibly farther reaching, depression.
Wake up, get away from the idiot box and get involved.
Taking the reigns of this country at this time is like winning a major supply contract with Walmart...any false move can put you out of business. Only this time, the 'business' is our country and way of life.
If he fails, we all fail!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Thought Of The Day
"How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage? "
Turning the Silver State Green
Well, time to get back to it.
For decades, being green conjured up Kermit and tree hugging. Since Al Gore (the inventor of the internet?!) brought much needed visibility with "An Uncomfortable Truth", being green has become the buzz for government and industry alike. We, as concerned citizens and business people my finally have the eyes and ears to radically change the way we live.
Now that we have been freed from the arrogance and ignorance of the Cheney Administration, we may now be able to set a course to free ourselves from our petro masters (more about petro-terrorism in another post).
We are in the middle of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression (though you'd think by the number of mood-enhancing drug commercials on the idiot box, the US is in the greatest of them all). The promise of our new President for the new New Deal offers the opportunity for our nation to build the skill sets that will allow us to again take the lead in innovation at the advent of a new energy age. There in lies the opportunity for the state of Nevada.
Renewable energy technologies are already in place to undo our ties to dirty energy. As with any technology, the more pervasive, the lower the cost. This year's auto show is a prime example. The number of hybrid and pure electric cars at the show (coming to a showroom near your...very soon!), tells of a turning of the tide. Even GM, an early adopter with the EVO in the 90's before the oil lobby crushed it (look up the film "Who Killed the Electric Car") is coming up with some novel concepts.
Nevada has at least 3 nearly inexhaustible resources: Solar, GeoThermal and Wind. The state, with the success of companies such as Ormat, is already a leader in Geothermal energy. Our entrepreneur community is also strong in the game with ever more cost-effective wind capture technologies, even turbines artsy enough for the backyard. As far as solar is concerned, we have more sun-drenched land than any state in the union. What we need is the investment in the technologies that will provide cheap, renewable energy and the jobs for those industries to lead us out of this dark financial hole. There in lies the opportunity.
Stopped being fooled by the ever-changing prices of a barrel of oil. Stop being lulled by the attraction of cheap electrons provided by filthy coal ("clean coal", please). Even our Senior statesman, Senator Harry Reid, sees through this ruse.
There’s not a coal-fired plant in America that’s clean. They’re all dirty,” Reid told reporters after speaking at a conference on renewable energy. “Unless we do something quickly about global warming, we’re in trouble.”
Reid said the U.S. should rely on renewable forms of energy in an effort to curb emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for climate change. Nevada and other Western states have an abundance of such renewables as wind, solar and geothermal power.
Bottom line, we can all pitch in. Write your elected officials (Senators, Congressmen, Assemblymen, Mayors, Councilmen. Speak with them when the opportunity presents itself. It is incumbent upon all of us. We can no longer mortgage our children's future. That money is already gone. Tomorrow was yesterday...act now!
For decades, being green conjured up Kermit and tree hugging. Since Al Gore (the inventor of the internet?!) brought much needed visibility with "An Uncomfortable Truth", being green has become the buzz for government and industry alike. We, as concerned citizens and business people my finally have the eyes and ears to radically change the way we live.
Now that we have been freed from the arrogance and ignorance of the Cheney Administration, we may now be able to set a course to free ourselves from our petro masters (more about petro-terrorism in another post).
We are in the middle of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression (though you'd think by the number of mood-enhancing drug commercials on the idiot box, the US is in the greatest of them all). The promise of our new President for the new New Deal offers the opportunity for our nation to build the skill sets that will allow us to again take the lead in innovation at the advent of a new energy age. There in lies the opportunity for the state of Nevada.
Renewable energy technologies are already in place to undo our ties to dirty energy. As with any technology, the more pervasive, the lower the cost. This year's auto show is a prime example. The number of hybrid and pure electric cars at the show (coming to a showroom near your...very soon!), tells of a turning of the tide. Even GM, an early adopter with the EVO in the 90's before the oil lobby crushed it (look up the film "Who Killed the Electric Car") is coming up with some novel concepts.
Nevada has at least 3 nearly inexhaustible resources: Solar, GeoThermal and Wind. The state, with the success of companies such as Ormat, is already a leader in Geothermal energy. Our entrepreneur community is also strong in the game with ever more cost-effective wind capture technologies, even turbines artsy enough for the backyard. As far as solar is concerned, we have more sun-drenched land than any state in the union. What we need is the investment in the technologies that will provide cheap, renewable energy and the jobs for those industries to lead us out of this dark financial hole. There in lies the opportunity.
Stopped being fooled by the ever-changing prices of a barrel of oil. Stop being lulled by the attraction of cheap electrons provided by filthy coal ("clean coal", please). Even our Senior statesman, Senator Harry Reid, sees through this ruse.
There’s not a coal-fired plant in America that’s clean. They’re all dirty,” Reid told reporters after speaking at a conference on renewable energy. “Unless we do something quickly about global warming, we’re in trouble.”
Reid said the U.S. should rely on renewable forms of energy in an effort to curb emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for climate change. Nevada and other Western states have an abundance of such renewables as wind, solar and geothermal power.
Bottom line, we can all pitch in. Write your elected officials (Senators, Congressmen, Assemblymen, Mayors, Councilmen. Speak with them when the opportunity presents itself. It is incumbent upon all of us. We can no longer mortgage our children's future. That money is already gone. Tomorrow was yesterday...act now!
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