Thank You Jesus?

Are you kidding me? These people think it was Jesus who brought Kia to their town. Hmmmmmmmmmmm......I guess you could make the argument that Jesus brought the recession, that made people want to buy cheaper cars, which put GM, Chrysler & the like out of business, which brought the cheaper car maker to a town where there could pay low wages.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/07/08/fortunate.town/index.html

Ok - NOW I get it. (If you detect a hint of sarcasm, you are astute.)

Buffett Losing It?

Has Warren Buffet lost his mind, or is he just afraid of losing more money? Please comment. I would love to hear a few opinions on the subject.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31831401

It really irks me when very wealthy people encourage the government to take more of every body's money and waste it to "stimulate" the economy so that their own holdings increase in value and he doesn't look like a fallen prophet. You think Warren Buffet doesn't have an ego - think again.

You know, if he thinks the government is an efficient allocator of wealth, if he is not so attached to his status as a rich man (the false humility he projects), then why doesn't he just give it all to the government? He could leave a few million for his heirs and his wife and himself and be the true salvation of the American economy. Perhaps he would even become a global hero.

Oh wait - that would mean he would have to give up fortune and power. Also, it wouldn't be enough. Much easier to encourage the government to do it to others without their consent.

One more thing - he is wrong anyway - a second stimulus won't help, it will just worsen the looming fiscal crisis we are facing.

Art Cashin

Art is great. I love hearing his opinions. I also agree with him wholeheartedly that we are in a 16 year bear market that began around 2001. Also, I hate to say I told you so, but I was right about that bounce off the March lows. (which I would have caught it though)

Whitefish Chain

I was at my parents place in Cross lake, MN this weekend. The above is a picture of what the "Minnetonka of the North" looked like this Fourth of July. (Denny Hecker is trying to sell his place on the lake if you are interested.)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...... I could get very philosophical about this. But to spare you, I won't.

The bottom line: those people were having a lot of fun.

As I age, like fine wine I hope (ha ha) , I have come to realize so much in life is about how you look at it.

I could have chosen to see just a bunch of drunks denying the quiet and beauty of nature. I could of chosen to see a bunch of rich spoiled brats just wasting time. But you know what I saw?

I saw a bunch of people having fun. I saw a country so wealthy that even in the middle of "The Great Recession" there are people of leisure. This country is so amazing. This country is so wonderful, abundant, and free.

How lucky I am to live the life I have. How absolutely gifted I am to have time to swim for no reason in a beautiful glacial lake created tens of thousands of years ago with the people I love.

How lucky am I to see rock bass, watch my son catch frogs, hear my husband say, "I love you", and play two rounds of leisurely mini-golf with my fabulous daughter.

My parents give without regard for scarcity. They embrace me and my family unconditionally and open their home without strings attached. Thank you, Mom & Dad.

Am I blind to the negatives? No. But I choose to direct my focus elsewhere.

Wow. Abundance is a powerful thing. I accept it. I embrace it. I love it.

I am not sure why, but I am thinking of this now:

As one of the great masters put it:

"Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

(John 12:24-25)