Pro Commerce

Stock portfolio

Today was the first day of trading on the American stock exchanges.  I have started following my automatic portfolio which should do better than the Dow Jones Industrial average over ten years. Without any oversight or change.  The portfolio is described in an earlier blog.

I also must report that the anti-PC portfolio that I started in January 04 did not out perform the Dow Jones Industrial index which is up 21%.  The anti-PC portfolio rose 18% with only Wal-Mart falling while McDonalds grew 75%.

Heroes and treason

My readers know that I believe Jimmy Carter should have his citizenship revoked and passport removed by an act of Congress. When Carter went abroad and attacked the U.S. military policy during war he violated Article III of the Constitution concerned with helping America's "Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort".

I know that my proposal would be politically difficult if not impossible.  However I believe there is a strong reason of national importance for doing it that outweighs the political crassness of the act.

Our country needs heroes.  We are in a period of domestic regicide and patricide.  Lefties express hatred of the president and strong anti-Americanism.  We are inundated with books and magazines that trumpet the anti-hero and malign great figures of the past and slime the successful of the present. Unremittingly.

In order for a society to appreciate heroism it is necessary to pillory the opposite: disgraceful behavior.  If we don't condemn and show our outrage at treason then we have created a milieu that supports indiscretion, relentless tolerance of bad behavior and we encourage meanspiritedness. To tolerate bad behavior is to endorse it.  If crime is not punished it flourishes.  If bad behavior is not condemned it spreads.

That is why we need to call acts of treason to task.  By expressing outrage and contempt for treason we foster heroism, we allow heroism to develop. We create a respect for positive behavior by condemning bad behavior.  Obvious?  It should be.

Take away Jimmy's citizenship.

The seventh commandment

This is just a frivolous comment. 

The seventh commandment in both the Jewish and Protestant tradition is: Thou shalt not commit adultery.  However, the tenth commandment is " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."

What is going on here?  Isn't coveting my neighbor's wife related to adultery? Are the commandments duplicated?

From my experience there is a distinction. The distinction here applies to the unique situation where a man or woman is unmarried and consequently the seventh commandment doesn't apply.  The tenth wouldn't apply either on the adultery issue because having sex with a married man or woman is not adultery for the single person only for the married person.

However the tenth commandment, appears to me to be focused solely on the issue of a neighbor.  Neighbors are very important, especially in a rural environment.  So, the tenth commandment is just about the importance of preserving a good relationship with your neighbor.

My personal experience is that having sex with a neighbor is a bad idea anyway.  After the heat of passion is gone you are too close geographically to carry on your life comfortably in the event some antagonism develops.

Efficiency

I have a pattern for getting through office paperwork that is not widely known.  I was a manager for many years (nearly 20), so this observation applies to the type of incoming paperwork, email and messages that pile up on a manager's desk.

First, nothing gets to my desk dealing with real people involving personnel issues.  Real people issues must be dealt with immediately since they can only get worse. 

Also, personnel issues are something everyone can learn in training classes. Personnel lessons can be taught. That is absolutely not true for management.  Management can only be learned on the job in a first rate managerial environment.  I could never have learned a lesson my boss in banking once told me:"Right now, Michael, everyone in the bank loves and appreciates you; the minute I make you a Vice President that will all change."  True and what a shock to me.

Back to the paperwork efficiency.  I create a pile of paper and electronic printouts.  The pile usually has no order; big jobs and little jobs are mixed together. I start at the top and keep working until I get to the bottom with no interruptions permitted.  The advantage of this approach is that it is rewarding. Pleasurable items are randomly mixed with distasteful ones and so are a few big jobs and a dozen tiny ones. 

I have always found "the pile" to be a rewarding and by far the fastest way to work.

Start the New Year

Wis. Man Named 'World Champion Liar' - A bit of funny math helped James Wilberg win the title of top liar. His winning quip: "There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who are good at math, and those who are not."