Global Warming?

I’m not a scientist. Many times have I wished to have studied Science instead of Finance. I saw this post today and thought it very interesting.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/06/03/a-response-to-the-ipcc/

Is Global Warming caused by human activity? As someone speaking as a non-scientist, I think it is very arrogant of us humans to think we can control something so huge. But many people think we do and can–like Mr. Internet inventor himself, Al Gore.

This portion of the post caught my Finance/Economics attention:

While the scientists reported on a vast array of peer-reviewed literature that cast doubt on the causes and severity of global warming, the economists produced data that showed the cap-and-trade scheme not only wouldn’t halt the release of greenhouse gases, but would add huge costs to business activity that inevitably would be passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices.

Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope

Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope is a MUST WATCH for everyone. Especially if you’ve lost your job or are afraid you might lose your job. The message is: don’t be afraid.

Click on the link below to view:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/74840/the-dave-ramsey-show-frid-may-2-2009

Please share this with others!

Rule 405 – Know your Customer

Rule 405 requires the person registered within the securities industry to “know your customer”.  By knowing your customer you can make suitable investment recommendations and also protect yourself from money launderers in illegal businesses.

In the writing world you must apply this rule–”know your character”. After all, it is your character making decisions throughout your story. What your character decides carries the plot. You must know what your character would do in certain situations — scream and run, stay and fight, etc.

Sometimes though, you must get your character to act out of character. In Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, Donald Maas asks a series of questions and then instructs you apply the answers to your story:

What is the one thing that your protagonist would never, ever say? never do? never think? By adding those things to your story you are certain to add conflict which is a key element in story.

In my story, Absalom’s Beauty, my character has just recovered the horse that was stolen in the violent murder of her father. What is the one thing she’d never do? Give up that horse again. What does she do? She gives  up the horse. Why? Because a little girl is more important to her than the horse.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus was on Racheal Ray last Friday and she really impressed me.

Rachel asked her to give three things that would make her relatable to everyone in the audience.

One of her responses:

“I just learned how to color my own hair. I’m going  to save so much  money you have no idea.”

My question is why is she concerned about saving money? She’s sixteen and is worth more than a billion dollars.

I see people not making  what she makes in one minute, spending money they don’t have on stuff they don’t need.

About her song-writer boyfriend she says:

“I’ve never been closer to my Lord since I met him.”

She reads her Bible first thing in the morning.

Inflation

My posts have been few and far between. I apologize. Life sometimes gets in the way.

Anyway, my previous posts have been about my son’s medical condition.

After his appointment it was time to refill his prescription. Fortunately, I called my insurance company before calling the Doctor’s office.

His medicine went up from $60 for a 90 day supply to $600 for a 90 day supply. How’s that for inflation?

Now that a generic version is available the insurance company will not pay as much for the brand name. Understandable–it makes smart business sense.

My son, though, didn’t want to try something new. He was afraid the generic version wouldn’t work.

So far, though, it seems to be working fine–and it only costs $5 for a 30 day supply–making that $15 for a 90 day supply. That saves me $45 at the old brand name price and $585 at the new brand name price.

I love a bargain.

Dave Ramsey

A local AM radio station now broadcasts The Dave Ramsey show.  He is my new favorite radio personality. His book, Total Money Makeover, is the best personal finance book around.

Now I listen to him online and just today I discovered his show on Hulu.com. I’m so glad because I didn’t want to upgrade my Satellite channels to get the Fox Business channel. Click HERE to watch online.

I highly recommend his book. I had my own plastectomy.

Ponzi Scheme

I’ve heard of Ponzi schemes before but never has one been talked about with so much interest as the Madoff scandal. The truth is, this Ponzi scheme probably would not have toppled at this time had the stock market not toppled even though Harry Markopolos provided evidence in 2000 of such a scheme.

A Ponzi scheme lures investors with promises of high returns ( if someone offers unbelievable returns or guarantees, beware).  But instead of investments, the big returns come from other peoples money. The company falsifies statements and pays out the returns by luring other victims into the web. Unfortunately, it must stop somewhere, and in this case it should have stopped in 2000, not eight years later. Maybe some of the investors could have been made partially whole. Maybe.

Anyway, my purpose in writing this blog was to highlight something I heard on Dr. Phil the other day. I had never thought about it before, but our Social Security system is one big Ponzi scheme. I’ve been told that I possibly might not be getting social security upon my retirement because the funds won’t be there even though I’ve paid into it for the last 20 years. Definitely a big Ponzi Scheme.