If companies want your business . . .

. . . they wouldn't put the job you used to do over in China.  They wouldn't hire and illegal with a wink and a nod and a handful of bogus ID documents.  They wouldn't replace your full-time position with a part-time position.  They wouldn't favor short-term contractors over permanent employees.  They wouldn't provide a raise that lagged behind inflation.  They wouldn't let your resume languish in a vast database while they wait for an M.B.A. to fill a basic office work function.  They wouldn't charge you 25% interest on a basic consumer credit card.  If the business community has let you down, why should you continue to buy from them? 

If you are flat broke and need to watch every dime, you might want to subject your purchases to some extra scrutiny.  Why not buy from Goodwill?  Why not try Salvation Army?  Why not buy from the desperate guy on eBay who needs the cash to stave off foreclosure?  Why not look for "Made in USA" on the label?  Why not think about every purchase once or twice before you get to the cash register?  Why not keep the money in your pocket?  "They" can earn your business.

Book Review: How Successful People Think

We may be flat broke now.  Many people are.  The United States faces major economic challenges and none of our leaders have figured out how to handle the challenges posed by globalism.  But, we are resilient and we will come back.  We will come back by learning more, doing more, becoming more capable, and pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.  But, to succeed, we'll have to think carefully and do the right things.



To learn more, it's important to seek out new ideas and learn from everyone especially thought leaders.  I recently bought a book called How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell.  The book proposes focused, intentional, thinking.  Basically, people should make the time to think systematically about things and ideas.  It's a powerfully simple concept.  But, Maxwell breaks down the ways to think about something very usefully and provides some ideas about the benefits you should expect from thinking in a certain way.  Maxwell addresses big picture thinking, focused thinking, creative thinking, realistic thinking, strategic thinking, possibility thinking, reflective thinking, popular thinking, shared thinking, unselfish thinking, and bottom-line thinking.  When you learn how to think in these different ways, you will be adding a powerful tool to your success arsenal.  This was an interesting book to pick up at my local grocery store, it will definitely nourish your brain.  Check out this and other books by John C. Maxwell:

Broke? Quit Buying Stuff

A wise old man once told me why North Carolinians were always broke.

"Sheds," he said.  "We build these sheds on our property and then we have to buy stuff to put in them."

That observation doesn't just apply to people in North Carolina.  Many of us are broke because we buy too much stuff.  Maybe we collect stuff?  I've got two blogs dedicated to stuff that I collect: watches and die-cast cars.

Didn't need it.  Bought it anyway!

If we didn't buy so much stuff, we probably wouldn't be so broke.  If we could cut back on the amount of stuff we buy, stop buying stuff we don't need, and only buy stuff when it's on sale, we'd have a lot more money. 

7 More Reasons Not to Get an iPhone 5

 Someone posted 7 reasons not to get an iPhone 5 on my My Wristwatch Forums.  I'm pretty much anti-smart phone myself.  With the iPhone 5, I pretty much see lose-lose situations all around.  Here are my 7 reasons not to get an iPhone 5, plus a bonus!

1.  Couch Sleeping. If you go to a restaurant with your iPhone 5, you can check the ballgame at will.  Sure, you might learn the score, but there is a pretty good chance that you'll end up sleeping on the couch.

2.  Low Testosterone. The iPhone 5 causes low-T.  I'm sure that every time you ask an artificial woman named Siri for directions, your body will lose testosterone.  You know where the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River, Appalachians, and Rocky Mountains are.  Be a Man!  You are NOT lost.

3. Texting.  The iPhone 5 lets you conveniently send and receive text messages any place and any time.  'Nuff said.  Don't text me.  You are bugging me.  I'll pretty much figure that you are a Nigerian scam artist and ignore anything you send.

4. Crime.  The iPhone 5 makes you more vulnerable to crime.  The iPhone lets you listen to music, watch videos, and text when you should be looking for shifty looking maggots between the ages of 16 and 24.  Ever hear of the "knock-out game?"  If you can't hear due to earbuds and you are involved in something with a gadget, you'll never see what hits you.  Without the iPhone 5, you'll be able to look around and, like Grandpa Simpson, say, "I don't like the looks of those teenagers."

5. They Make You A Prospect.  Smartphones try to sell you stuff.  The iPhone 5 is just another attempt to bring you into an "ecosystem" and sell you stuff that you don't need.  Stuff like ring tones.

6. TV Works Fine.  You can watch a movie on TV.  You can get a 27-inch screen at Goodwill for less than $20.  Why would you watch a movie on your phone?

7. They make you look rich.  The iPhone 5 is the latest, greatest, gadget on the market.  If you get one, your boss will think he pays you more than enough.

Plus, the iPhone 6 will be much better!