Posted on January 5, 2009 @ 10:11 pm - Written by BawldGuy
A reminder, as we’re beginning another year. The pictures on most of my posts are there for my pleasure, and hopefully yours. They’re not there to make any kinda statement connected to the post’s content. Just so ya know.
BawldGuy Axiom: It’s rarely the answers to the questions you ask that hurt you. Instead, it’s the answers to the questions you didn’t know to ask that can derail the best of plans.
Grandpa sometimes used fishing to explain principles to me as I was growing up. He said anyone with some line and a hook could find a stream and say they were fishing. Now if the joy of being outdoors and gettin’ away from it all is where the real value of fishing is for you, cool. That’s true for thousands of people around the world. ‘Course, if actually catching fish for supper is your goal, returning home the way you came, that is, sans fish, ain’t cool. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on January 3, 2009 @ 11:01 pm - Written by BawldGuy
Head is now glowing a very tasteful Blue ‘n Gold. Congrats to San Diego’s Chargers.
Posted on December 31, 2008 @ 10:46 pm - Written by BawldGuy
First off let’s agree 2008, spun in Grandma-speak, will forever be a ‘learning’ year. You’ll probably not argue when I posit the the belief 2008 might turn out to be as historically relevant as 1929. Probably not ‘cuz it will have turned out that badly, ‘cuz it hasn’t and won’t come close. But ‘cuz it was such a rare perfect storm, much as was documented in ‘29.
The two most egregious mistakes made by the Federal Reserve back then was A) Raising interest rates B) Decreasing the money supply. Together they had the same effect on the economy as would treating a hemophiliac with leaches and razor blades. The resulting decade plus of massive human suffering was predictable — and a direct result of incredibly poor logic.
Surely, credible cases can and have been made against Fed Chairman Bernanke, but he obviously learned from the experience of 80 years ago — Don’t constrict the money supply while raising rates when deflation is upon you. Duh. While this has caused widespread wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth, it’s also kept us from catastrophic deflation, which is just another way of saying Great Depression II. The Fed can only do so much, and frankly I’m not ecstatic about some of the timing lately. But much of the crappola goin’ on in D.C. this year has been clearly out of Bernanke’s control.
Those afraid of hyper-inflation (and afraid they should be) say the massive employment of our printing presses presage that very same inevitable economic infection. Maybe, maybe not. What most people gloss over is that inflation is indeed the over production of money, but it’s a relative concept. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on December 29, 2008 @ 11:23 pm - Written by BawldGuy
Been workin’ off and on most of the last part of this year figuring out just what should air on BawldGuy Radio. Turns out it’s gonna be easier to catalogue what’s not gonna be there. Interviews, commentary, ‘how to’s’, group discussions with other experts, often from different albeit related fields, and a webinars….I think.
As many of you are aware, I’m also a long time writer for BloodhoundBlog, probably the second largest real estate oriented blog in the country. This afternoon a happy convergence of schedules and geography led to four Bloodhound contributors being in the same room with caffeinated beverages, a digital recorder, a John McLaughlin wannabe, and each other. The most enjoyable afternoon I’ve had in awhile.
A brief commercial message: If you don’t know about BloodhoundBlog, or do but haven’t read it, you’re missin’ out. It’s serious reading for serious people who don’t take themselves too seriously. What’d he just say? No kiddin’, read Bloodhound — you won’t love all of it, and you’ll definitely not like some of it, but you’ll keep comin’ back. The quality of writing, diversity and quality of information, and the gold standard of flat out killer expertise is mind boggling.
Back to our program. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on December 26, 2008 @ 10:07 pm - Written by BawldGuy
To be fair, this post is my annual end of the year, ‘you should take stock’ post. Or, ‘time to take inventory’. Or, ‘figure out where ya stand’. Gettin’ the drift? So, I’ll make it short and as pain free as I can.
Start with your gross vs net job income(s). Are you satisfied you’ve done an effective job reducing your income tax bill? If not, where might you improve? I can give you some pretty cool ideas that don’t involve dollar one leaving your bank account. Oh sure, now yer payin’ attention. 
Proceed immediately to your monthly expenses. Any trimming to be done? No? Really? Most folks can find something they either don’t need/want any longer or suddenly realize they’ve been auto-charged for a service they haven’t used for a year or more. That last one happens more often than you’d imagine. It’s happened to me. Don’t ask.
In our recent office move we literally saved about $3,000 a year by switching phone companies. We also saved in the neighborhood of $10,000 a year in overhead without even trying. This was a happy coinky dink due to the local market for office space. Also, we lucked out with the new building’s owner. A very cool guy. Read the rest of this entry »