‘Auto Industry Bailout’ Open Thread

Readers, as always, we encourage your participation.  Consider this an Open Thread, where you can rant, rave and roil in the ‘Comments’ section to your hearts content.  Registration or OpenID are required (this keeps down the spam), and all registration requires is a valid email address (which we don’t sell, rent or share).

Please, jump on in and state YOUR case.  The conversation is best when YOU get involved!

Glenn Llopis on Diversity in the Workplace

‘Diversity in the Workplace’ Open Thread

Readers, here’s the first place to get involved in The Thresher. Each day, we open up a portion of the site to you and your ideas.  Please, jump in; the conversation best happens when YOU get involved!

Registration or OpenID is required in order to comment– this cuts down on comment spam, and makes our lives infinitely easier.  Registration is a 20 second process that requires no more than a valid email address, which we don’t sell/rent or share.

…

Readers, today’s ES Radio Show is part of our Community Outreach series, where we look deep within local communities to uncover the special things that people are doing to enrich their own lives and the lives of others.

Piggy Back Books is but one example– albeit, a grand one– of an entrepreneur applying their training and expertise toward an endeavor that can create a brighter tomorrow.  In this case, it’s encouraging children to read, write and be creative.  And that’s just one possibility.

How about you?  Do you have examples of entrepreneurism gone right?  Of you or people that you know that have turned their passions into serendipitous businesses?

Let us know right here.  Commenting in the Open Thread requires registration or OpenID.  Registration requires about 20 seconds of your time and a valid email address to which we can send your password (nope, we never sell/rent/share your info).

So jump in and tell us all about your experience.  The conversation is best when YOU get involved.

C.J. Lewis once said, “People don’t need to be told, they just need to be reminded.”

The following video are some key tips to help Third Ager’s reclaim the fire and start reinventing themselves:

‘Baby Boomers Starting Over’ Open Thread

Readers, this is where you can start to get involved.  The comment section of the Open Thread is here when you have something to say that’s not related to the Posts of any of our contributors.

Get the discussion started.  Commenting requires registration or OpenID (this cuts down on spam), and is a painless process.  We never sell/rent/share your email address with anyone, so jump on in.  We want to hear from you!

‘Right to Privacy: Cell Phone Style’ Open Thread

Readers, here is your first line of attack in joining the discussion here at The Thresher. Use the Open Thread to give us your take on the Thresher Daily Topic.

All that is required is that you have an OpenID or are registered with our site.  Registration is a painless, 20 second process that requires only a valid email address (which we use to send your password to you).  We promise not to sell/rent/share your email address with anyone, not even your cell phone company.

I must admit when I first started reading the topic I was on the side of the concerned enviromentalists.  But, the article is right, taking any portion of the  high emission scooter population off the road is a good idea.  More over, an entire family on one?  Probably slightly safer not piled on top of two wheels, especially with the traffic in Mumbai.  But that is another question…can the roads handle it?  Skinny as they are, these cars are considerably wider than a scooter.  Can you say immenent traffic jams?  Either way I guess just like any other technology, we’ll just have to wait and see.

While I understand the purist’s point of view, that all cars should be non-polluting from factory of origin to junk yard demise, we’re not going to be there anytime soon.  As such, anything that gets us moving toward a smaller footprint is a good thing.  Beyond that, one of the reasons that the Detroit automakers are in such trouble now is that they built more and more expensive cars which they financed to us using their credit companies, in effect becoming unregulated financial companies with a small manufacturing component.  When the financial meltdown happened, their business vanished, because few of us wanted or could afford those expensive behemoths on their own merits.  The Nano is a step in a saner direction — a smaller, more affordable car.  Good idea.

Readers, what do you think of the new 2 thousand dollar car?  Good?  bad?  A mixed bag?  Give us your impressions right here.  Registration or OpenID are required for commenting, but it only takes a valid email address which we never sell/rent or share.

So log on now, and drive your point home!

Austin You Will Be Forever…

I wished more than anything that I could have been at sxsw last week.  One of my favorite people on the planet played in the Tiny Hawk showcase and then was picked up to play on Saturday at another venue.  Lizzy Dannemiller is her name jazzin up the keyboard is her game.  She’s one of the best friends a girl could have and her haunting voice stays with you for days (just ask me 5 days after I’ve listened to “Southern State of Mind”).  If you caught her in the act consider yourself lucky!

All the Twittering about sxsw wasn’t any help for my I-can’t-be-at-sxsw-cabin-fever either.

Caroline Wonderland and her band (both dear friends and totally awesome!), Thrift Store Cowboys (I went to high school with Kris =)), Asylum Street Spankers, and an old family friend named Matt Bearden are just some of the great acts I wish I could have been there for.

Live music is something that has always inspired me.  But more so when I learned how to attend a show.  Weird I know, let me explain.  We invited my mom to a Big Bad VooDoo…

All-Original Escapism Open Thread

SXSW (South by Southwest, for the lingo-challenged) wrapped-up another year in Austin over the weekend; a hedonistic wonderland, where the official tally of acts was “1,900 bands from 53 countries… in four days.”  The unofficial acts numbered countless more.

That’s a whole lot of aspiring originality (and a whole lot more that was maybe not so new), but it got us thinking about creativity and what it means to go looking for a way to beat the blues of the daily news.

Readers, jump in here and tell us about an experience that you have had that was full of life, inspiring, or just a great break from the day.  Use the comment section of the Open Thread, and I promise it’ll be read.  Registration or OpenID are required to comment (this cuts down on a lot of non-original spam), but registration is a painless process that requires only a valid email address to which we can email your password.

Weekend Open Forum X Open Thread

That’s right!  Weekend Open Forum X!  Hard to believe that it’s been 10 weeks (man, has it only been 10 weeks?!). Well, here we are, and we’re wanting to hear from you.  Two ways to be a part of the discussion (well, one way, two ways to log in): either Registration or OpenID.  Registration requires only a valid email address to which we can send your password.  That’s it.  So jump in and tell us what you think.

Here were this week’s topics:

Generous Purpose - Friday’s ES Radio Show featured Linda West-Conforti, founder of Angels in Waiting USA.  Her life is devoted to “Generous Purpose;” ask a question or just tell us how you do your part where you can.

Electronic Voting - New revelations out of California this week regarding the insecurity of paperless electronic voting systems.  What would Democracy do?

More…
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More on Angels In Waiting and Linda West Conforti

We had a GREAT interview with ‘Angels In Waiting USA’ founder, Linda West-Conforti.  She’s a great person with a great cause, and if you missed it live then please check out the archive at EarningSerendipity.com.  Archives are typically available 12 - 24 hours after the original air, so they should be up by tomorrow.

I also wanted to give you some additional information, things we wanted to get to during the show, but weren’t able to because of time.

Linda has Authored a children’s book called The Wish,’that should be in every foster home in the country (and read more widely than that).  It is due in the ‘Dr. Phil’ section of Barnes & Noble soon, and is available right now Arrowhead Resources.  They’ve also created a toy from the story, a beautiful plush penguin named ‘Cory.’  Linda gave one to my daughter several months ago, and she still sleeps with it on her bed.  A really great way to delight your child and help a great cause

And, please check out their website at AngelsInWaitingUSA.org.  You can read the story of Sammy and many other of the children in their…

‘Generous Purpose Open Thread’

Good morning, Readers and Listeners.  We are thrilled to welcome Linda West-Conforti to the show today.  If you have questions for Linda, or just want to tell a story of ‘Generous Purpose’ in your neighborhood, please jump in here.  If you get your questions up before or during the show, we’ll do our best to get Linda to address them on the air.  If you get them up afterwards, we’ll make certain that she gets them.

So, start right here in the comment section of the Open Thread.  We’re anxious to hear from YOU!

Electronic Voting Open Thread

In response to the Florida Election debacle of 2000, Congress passed the ‘Help America Vote Act‘ which sped the conversion from punch card voting systems to electronic voting systems.  Since then, there have been widespread reports of problems with the new systems from across the country.

This week, the sanctity of electronic voting systems were again called into question.  What do you think?  Is the convenience worth the risk?  How would you like to see your vote counted?  What is the cost to American Democracy, and what price should we pay for secure elections?

Readers, cast your ballot here.  Get the ball rolling in our ‘Open Thread.’  Registration or OpenID are required for commenting.  So logon now and tell us how you feel.

Populist Outrage Open Thread

Readers, here’s the first place to get involved in The Thresher. Each day, we open up a portion of the site to you and your ideas.  Please, jump in; tell us today what makes you mad, and then check back tomorrow for an all new topic of discussion.  The conversation best happens when YOU get involved!

Registration or OpenID is required in order to comment– this cuts down on comment spam, and makes our lives infinitely easier.  Registration is a 20 second process that requires no more than a valid email address, which we don’t sell/rent or share.

Some good news, and a bit of cool engineering

OK, wanted to jump in with a couple of cool things here:

1) Some unexpected good news.  Housing starts were UP 22%.  Probably temporary, but at least a good sign.  The market reacted well, both at home and abroad.

and

2) I’ve been holding onto this for a few days.  It’s a pretty cool article about human ingenuity, entitled “Soaring Seawater Farms for a Self-Sufficient Dubai.”  The article outlines a new design for farming towers that would naturally desalinate sea water for use in growing crops.  It is an interesting solution to a problem faced by millions: “water, water everywhere, but not a drop to grow.”

Recently we were traveling and became lost in a big city.  After repeatedly circling the same area, I (the female) insisted on asking a stranger for directions.  :-)  A woman was rapidly walking down the sidewalk; I hailed her and asked if she knew where our elusive street could be.  She didn’t, but she insisted on returning to her car to retrieve her map and then made it her mission to help us find our lodgings.  Where did this kindness occur?  Dublin, of course!!!!   Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!!!

A Break from Bad News Open Thread

Readers, this is a great place to get the conversation rolling.  Registration or OpenID are required to comment on the Thresher (this helps us cut down on the spam).  Registration requires only a valid email address, which we do not rent/sell/share.

So jump on in!  We want to hear from YOU!

‘Business Ideas for Better Times’ Open Thread

Welcome readers!  We crave your involvement, and here’s the best place we can think of to get started!  Commenting requires OpenID or Registration, and the good news is that registration is an absolutely painless process requiring only a valid email address (we’ve got to send your password somewhere!).

So, get involved today… tell us about your crazy ideas that you wish you’d gotten to pursue.  We’ll tell you a few of ours too.

Weekend Open Forum IX Open Thread

Readers, here’s the place where you can start the action. Let us know what’s on your mind. Registration or OpenID are required, but registration is the easiest thing you’ll do all day. All we need is a valid email address to which to send your password. Jump in. Jump in now!

The past week’s topics:

• Employer Heroics - We’re looking for stories of employers that have gone to great lengths to keep the doors open and people employed.

• The Drug War - A new Drug Czar with a new point of view. What does it mean for the ‘Drug War,’ and what does the Drug War mean to you?

• The Future of News - How will newspapers-or news organizations-survive and flourish in an

…

All over the country– indeed, all over the world– employers are having to make hard choices about their businesses and what it takes to keep the doors open.  For many, that has meant layoffs or shutting their doors and the official unemployment rate has jumped to 8.1%; while many estimates of actual numbers place it much higher.

The Open Thread today is dedicated to discussion of the lengths to which some businesses and business owners are going to keep their doors open and people employed.  If you have a story, either your own or someone close to you, of businesses that are going to extraordinary lengths to keep people working, share it here.   Participation in the Open Thread (or for commenting in general) requires Registration or OpenID (this keeps the spam at bay).  Registration takes about 30 seconds and requires only a valid email address (which we do not rent/sell/or share).

So sing the praises of those that deserve it.  We want to hear your stories.

As a former CHP officer, I have a great deal of experience gained from the trenches of the drug war. I worked out of the Los Banos office along Interstate 5 between Coalinga and Stockton and one of our primary objectives was to slow the flow of drugs and drug money moving along this major north/south route.

The CHP and the DEA estimate that we (law enforcement) intercept only a tiny fraction of product and revenue per year statewide and as a result, the cost benefit ratio is abysmal at best. So I applaud the Obama administration for taking a fresh look at the methods that have, as far as I have seen, failed. The focus of law enforcement’s efforts should have been reviewed years if not decades ago, but better late than never.

Illegal drugs are no different than any other product. There is a supply and there is a demand. By declaring “war” on drugs we (the American people) have criminalized both aspects, the supply and the demand. It is illegal to import, manufacture, transport, and sell drugs. It is illegal to purchase, possess, use, and be under the influence of drugs. Any and all connection to drugs of nearly…

Excesses and Atrocities

There are many things that bug me about the ‘War on Drugs.’  First and foremost, as S.Hinterschnoot mentioned in the Open Thread, is that the ‘pursuit of happiness’ means something different to each and every person living in America.   For many, that pursuit involves experimentation with or a lifestyle that includes chemical intoxication.

Prohibition doesn’t end the desire– in fact, may exacerbate it– it only makes criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens.  It is difficult to instill a sense of lawfulness or respect for law when you create laws that people are bound to break.  Many adults and children end up saying “well, if this law is stupid, I wonder what other laws might be useless as well?”  When the system acts idiotically or unconscionably, it erodes confidence in the system.

But what gets me most are the atrocities committed in the name of this “war.” (And “war” is not euphemistic, we commit real military resources to this battle both at home and abroad.)  Take this case from the LA Times just yesterday (it is a horrifying read, but worth the time to read in its entirety):

Reporting from Tenaha, Texas — You can drive into this

…

Traffic Problems

We seem to be experiencing especially high traffic this morning that has, intermittently, caused the page not to respond.  It’s a good and bad problem, as you might imagine.

We apologize to any visitors– new or old– that may be having difficulty.  Thank you for your persistence.  We are working to increase the available bandwidth even as we speak.

‘The Drug War’ Open Thread

Since Nixon declared a ‘War on Drugs’ in the early 70’s, it has been a contentious issue pitting law-and-order arguments against civil-liberty advocates.  Approaches to the problem have varied widely, and the measure and metrics of success or failure in these efforts has been defined differently by almost everyone assessing the problem.

Coinciding with the announcement of the nomination of the new Drug Czar, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs kicked off a meeting in Vienna that will set international drug policy for the next 10 years.  Many UN members have long advocated for a shift toward user-treatment as a preferred approach, but have faced resistance from the United States and Russia.  There is some hope that, under Obama, United States resistance to a change of strategy may be more favorably received.

Readers, Quorum Members, we want to know what you think?  Is the Drug War a valiant effort or a hopelessly failed policy?  Why or Why not?

Readers, this Open Thread is a great place to get started!  Commenting requires registration (this keeps down the spam) or OpenID.  Registration is a completely painless process which requires only a valid email address (which we will never…

Mine is Green

First of all, to all those bloggers who are about to call Dr. McKeen essentially an old geezer who still yells at The Clapper, remember, you read this post where? (and I don’t believe he had an intern post it either!)

I guess you can toss me out with the packaging of your brand new Kindle2 as well.  I’m with him.  There is just something about holding it in your hands that you don’t get online.  I’m not a tech baby.  I can be very tech savvy when I need to be but I don’t feel the guttural need to have some avenue to the outside world attached to me at all times.  Online news can certainly be more timely and the breadth of stuff online would completely wipe out all plant life if we printed it all.  But I find myself wishing I could literally thumb through my Firefox tabs more often than I’d like.  There is something kinesthetic about it.

I made the transition from hand writing my essays to having to type them in high school.  We didn’t have a computer at home so I’d have to go extra early to type mine in the computer lab. …

I recognize the inevitability of it all, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.

I risk sounding like a fossil when I bemoan the loss of my morning newspaper. I don’t mind getting my information from other sources. I read a lot of news stories off of my iPhone. I have news alerts sent to me on my computer daily. I even have a Twitter account.

But I think the newspaper … the one actually on paper … is still a great way to receive information. I prefer it. Few things are more portable or social. It’s so much easier to share the experience of reading when you can pass around sections – Here, Honey, you read the sports and I’ll give you the local section when I’m done.

Plus, the problem with online reading is that it’s so well organized. You can find exactly what you want. This makes it difficult to find all of things you didn’t know you were interested in.

I wrote about this some years back. Here’s the New York Times site with my essay. Take a moment and read it.

As soon as that thing was published, I

…

Future of News Open Thread

Readers, this is a great place to get the conversation rolling.  Registration or OpenID are required to comment on the Thresher (this helps us cut down on the spam).  Registration requires only a valid email address, which we do not rent/sell/share.

So jump on in!  We want to hear from YOU!

I think someone should tap the people at Kiva (check them out, they’re awesome) to start local/regional sites for entrepreneurs and small businesses here in the states.  They have done a lot of good in other countries…think about the impact of a modified version here at home!  You could even, sometimes, do favors in lieu of money like designing a business card or help writing a business plan etc. (and if you choose to be the one to do this I think you owe me a nickel) you read it here first people

‘Targeted Acts of Kindness’ Open Thread

Hard times often bring out the worst in people; but they can also bring out the best.  Yes, it’s bad out there, and almost everyone recognizes this, but some of us feel a lot more secure than others and are willing to share their time and resources to help their neighbors.  We want to hear those stories, ‘Sharing the Harvest’ stories!

Readers, we want to hear those stories from you too!  This is where you chip your two-cents in the can.  Tell us your story, or the story of your neighbors.  You can start right here, in the comment section of the ‘Open Thread.’  Registration or OpenID are required, but it’s an almost instantaneous process requiring only a valid email address.  You can also interact with your favorite social media via the ‘Share This’ button, below.

This will probably come as no surprise to regular Thresher readers, but I think I’m going to have to go with ‘interconnected.’

What surprises me is the number of ‘mainstream’ commentators from across the ideological spectrum that have adopted what, when first I heard the ‘too much’ refrain, seemed a right-wing talking point.  It is an argument that has obviously resonated more broadly than that. For me, the idea that the President might try to tackle health care, energy and other reforms as a part of comprehensive economic reform just makes sense.  If the costs of 16% of your economy (health care) are spiraling out of control, rising at an inflationary rate that would make the Carter administration angry, it seems to me that maybe that should be one of the things you focus on.  Is it, in some ways, an opportunistic gambit to advance an agenda that’s been pursued by Democrats since at least Truman?  Yes.  But that it’s long sought– and long overdue– doesn’t make the arguments any less compelling now.  More compelling, I would say.

And the American people are behind this effort.  In fact, they voted for it.  What boggles my mind (as opposed to merely…

‘Interconnected of Moving Too Fast’ Open Thread

Readers, as always, we encourage your participation.  Consider this an Open Thread, where you can rant, rave and roil in the ‘Comments’ section to your hearts content.  Registration or OpenID are required (this keeps down the spam), and all registration requires is a valid email address (which we don’t sell, rent or share).

Phish, HAMPTON 3 6 2009 MARCH 2009

Keeping with the last post for a moment, here’s a link to more great music:

Phish, HAMPTON 3 6 2009 MARCH 2009

The iconic jam-band, Phish, played their first show in years last night.  There were 10 million requests for 250,000 tickets online.  Obviously, not everyone (including this fingers-crossed author) could be accomodated.

As a remedy, for a limted time, you can download all three shows for free.  Show 2 was tonight, and will be available tomorrow.  Show three (from tomorrow), the day after that.  Enjoy!

I’m trying to tell you somethin’ ’bout my life

Unfortunately, NPR doesn’t allow for embedding their streams, or you’d even right now be listening to the dulcet harmonies of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers.

As it is, you can do so here.  WXPN in Philly has an hour with The Indigo Girls and Shemekia Copeland live.  A fun listen!

Weekend Open Forum Open Thread

Welcome to the Weekend Open Forum, where we want to hear from you.  For new readers, this is the best place to start if you just want to sound-off!  Registration or OpenID is required for commenting, so take the 20 seconds to fill-out the form.  We’ll send you a password instantly.

Here are the topics from this past week:

Identity Crisis in America

We’re joined by Author Sam Horn on the Thresher and on the ES Radio Show (archive available here). Questions: What tricks have you used to market yourself or your product in a way that’s memorable?  What have you tried…

Fighting for Mindshare with Lindsay Lohan

While personal branding has never been a focus of mine; I have had the unique opportunity to create a brand for, of all things, a homeless agency.  After taking the helm of the non-profit, I quickly came to realize that, while we certainly had a noble mission, nobility didn’t necessarily translate into name recognition.  And when one is trying to raise 8 million dollars per year, it’s important that people know who you are.

This is Los Angeles; the City of Glitz.  For better or worse, everyone in L.A.- if not the whole country- is competing for mindshare with the sagas and travails of Jennifer Anniston.  I assure you- when faced with competing stories in the same newspaper/magazine/blog- the homeless guy loses out to Brangelina nine times out of ten.

One thing I found out quickly: my 18 year career as an investment banker didn’t imbue me with an understanding of how to market homelessness.  It did, however, teach me how to analyze and tackle difficult tasks.  We quickly realized that more was required than that I simply brought awareness to the issue.  We were in a crowded ‘market’ of homeless services agencies, and that were…

This is Sam Horn, author of POP! Create the Perfect Pitch, Title and Tageline for Anything (Perigee - Penguin, ‘09).

I thoroughly enjoyed doing this interview with Glenn (author of Earning Serendipity) and I’m available to answer questions for the next few minutes if someone would like to know how they can create one-of-a-kind ideas and approaches that help their business break out vs blend in.

‘Identity Crisis in America’ Open Thread

On the ES Radio Show: “With America facing its worst financial crisis in decades, the brands of both corporations and individuals are being ravaged. We are, simply, in the midst of a brand identity crisis. This week, the ES Radio Show is honored to be joined by special guest, Sam Horn. Sam is a sought after consultant and keynote speaker, as well as the author of 5 books, including her latest, the best-seller, POP!: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title and Tagline for Anything. Sam will share her ground-breaking rules that define what is required for a “brand to breakout instead of blend in.”

But that’s not all, Sam is joining us right here!  If you have questions or comments for Sam, let us know here and now.  We’re going to make sure that she gets them.

As always, Readers, HERE is a great place to start!  Registration or OpenID are required for commenting, and takes less than a minute with a valid email address.  So JUMP ON IN THE CONVERSATION TODAY!  Your brand may never be the same!

‘Congressional Oversight’ Open Thread

After almost two years of resisting or ignoring congressional subpoenas based upon Bush Administration claims of unlimited executive privilige, former top aides Harriet Miers and Karl Rove are to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to give testimony on the firing of US Attorneys for apparently political reasons.

Good idea?  Bad idea?  A waste of time?  Why or why not?

Tell us here.  Readers, this is a great place to get the conversation rolling.  Registration or OpenID are required to comment on the Thresher (this helps us cut down on the spam).  Registration requires only a valid email address, which we do not rent/sell/share.

So jump on in!  We want to hear from YOU!

Clang Clang Clang went the $ in my Pocket

Okay I was told by my grumpykins office mate that my original post wasn’t concise enough so here goes on the second version:

Oh my goddess this is so simple.

Yes, money given to campaigns = influence on the person running the campaign.

We send people to work in the offices high on the hill hoping they will rule with impartiality, wisdom and respect.  Threefold for judges.  Impartiality is crucial to the position and if you have $3 million dollars in your pocket from the guy sitting 10 feet away from you, who do you think you’re going to side with?

Excuse me but,…

‘Judicial Bias’ Open Thread

Here are a couple links for background about this story:

You can read about it in the Washington Post here, or you can listen to yesterday’s NPR feed from ‘All Things Considered’.

Readers, as always, we encourage your participation.  Consider this an Open Thread, where you can rant, rave and roil in the ‘Comments’ section to your hearts content.  Registration or OpenID are required (this keeps down the spam), and all registration requires is a valid email address (which we don’t sell, rent or share).

Please, jump on in and state YOUR case.  The conversation is best when YOU get involved!

Who knows anything?

The media, of course, has been abuzz about this subject– and the greater market ramifications– all day.  With all the major American indices down slightly again today, reactions such as this one from our own Geoff Nicolle are beginning to seem reasoned.

“This morning I pulled out completely. I placed it all in CDs and a money market account. Now I am EARNING 2.5% a year on my money rather than LOSING 4% a week. The fact that I stayed in for so long should indicate to you that I am, by my very nature, an optimist. I always hoped it would turn around. I still have hope that the economy will turn around and I believe it will. I just can’t afford to keep my money riding on that hope.”

Understood.  While I, probably like most of you, have heard and read and seen evidence that over the long term American equities have proven one of the most consistent and lucrative investments, and faced admonitions not to try to “time the market,” it’s no wonder that people whose lives and future retirements are dependent on 401K’s and retirement accounts are fleeing in droves.  The…

Tooting Glenn’s Horn

Glenn Llopis lands at ThirdAge.com

(Off topic post, we know)

Probably hard to see in this picture (it’s a 3×2 foot poster in real life), but it announces the arrival of our very own Glenn Llopis as the ‘Opportunity Expert’ at ThirdAge.com.

We’ll be posting more about this later, but we expect it to give a great boost to the visibility of The Thresher.  That, and we think it’s a perfect fit for Glenn.

Congratulations, Glenn Llopis.  A great gig for a great guy!

When the DOW hit 10,000 on its greased-pole-like slide into oblivion, I was advised to sit tight. “You are in this for the long haul.” “Don’t over react to the minor fluctuations of the market.” “You can’t time the market and if you pull out now, you will miss the rebound, you won’t be in a position to benefit when the market turns bullish.”

“Okay”, I said. And I did nothing more than some minor re-allocations.

When the DOW hit 9,000 I got more nervous. And I heard the same sage advice, sit tight, things will turn around soon.

“Okay”, I said. And I did nothing but some more minor re-allocations.

8,000? Same story. Now the DOW is below 7,000 and the other indices are at their lowest points in over a decade. February was the worst month for job loses (January loses at 660,000+), GDP (down 6.2%), housing (sales down 18% nationwide), and the stock market since 1933. I’ve seen my losses top 40% and frankly, I’m done.

This morning I pulled out completely. I placed it all in CDs and a money market account. Now I am EARNING 2.5% a year on my money rather than LOSING 4% a week. The fact that I stayed…

Financial Armageddon?  Who knows?

As a devotee of the Motley Fool’s investment strategy of buying solid companies when they’re cheap and holding on to them, I tend to agree with Nick’s assertion that one should “Keep investing in your 401K or company investment plan if you can — for the long haul.”  I also buy his notion (echoed by commentor, Shantyhag) that the financial news media does us no favors in their analyses most of the time.

One of the problems with a 24 hour news cycle– and this is especially true with the financial press– is that people are looking for reasons, and one has to say something.  TV and Radio get very awkward when the journalists sit silent.  So they often overreach in trying to provide answers to the question “why is the market doing what it’s doing today?”

That isn’t to say that one-day trading swings can’t be tied to events; sometimes they can.  I think that yesterday’s drop is a prime example of this, as the market did seem to react to AIG’s posted results and more bad news from banks.  More bad news from banks is something that we can probably go ahead and…

The Dow below 7,000?  Ignore it.

Everyone who’s horrified at the sight of the DJIA below 7,000 should read Burton Malkiel’s classic book A Random Walk Down Wall Street.  Stock prices reflect buyers’ and sellers’ estimates of future earnings.  Since the economy is in a downturn, no one knows yet how low those future earnings are going to be.  Until we start to see signs of recovering earnings, the market will continue to swoon.  The thing is that the market is random in the short run, rational in the long run.  The press should be forbidden from reporting things like, “The market reacted to the stimulus plan today by going into a tailspin,” since that’s not the way it works.  All that kind of reporting does is encourage people to buy high and sell low, by reinforcing the herd mentality.  By now even the professionals are in panic mode, and the marketplace is highly irrational.  Do yourself a favor.  Ignore the stupidity of the press coverage, and don’t watch the Dow.  Keep investing in your 401K or company investment plan if you can — for the long haul.  The market will recover.  If it’s all too much, put your money in…

‘Dow 6763.29′ Open Thread

Yesterday the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 300 points to close at its lowest level since 1997, as investors fled on news of fresh bank woes and reports that AIG posted the worst single quarter in American corporate history.

Readers, each and every day we create an ‘Open Thread’ for your input on the Thresher Daily Topic.  Please, we want to hear from you.  Registration or OpenID is required for commenting (this helps keep out the spam), and it’s a simple and painless process requiring only a valid email address.

So, start here and tell us what you think.  The discussion gets kicked off here and now.

First, happy 105 Dr. Seuss.

I’ve been posting periodically on Twitter and thought I’d take a break to post here.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” -Dr. Seuss

With every new day it seems there is some new ‘it’ thing, person, place you name the noun, there’s an ‘it” one.  And I can see how people lose themselves in the anticipation of others thoughts and actions…sometimes seeing productivity from other people seeps into your brainwaves as actual work you are doing.  You’re reading right?

I believe the social networks are what you make them.  For me, Myspace is a place to keep up with old friends.  Facebook is becoming a mixture of friends and work; and my newly discovered obsession, Twitter, is strictly with my marketing hat on.  But, keeping up with cyberspace does take some time so I choose to use it for good (work) rather than to avoid working while simply refreshing my page every 15 seconds (come on you know you’ve done it)

We are stepping into a new age and must adapt.  So far we have seen, even if slight, quick results.  If you think about…

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

It’s like an illustrated rolodex. I have nearly a thousand friends a couple keystrokes away through Facebook, including my high-school prom date, a few women I used to live with, four of my seven children, and hundreds of former students spread across the country.

When my student assistant told me about Facebook a few years ago, it seemed like a great idea. Most of my classes have 250 students or more. It would be a great way to put faces with names.

But after I started looking through Facebook, with its constant status updates (“Shannon is brushing her teeth . . . “ “Arnold had a hard day’s night ….”) I saw that there was great potential for abuse.

In fact, for my first couple of years on Facebook, I held my breath, waiting for the first Facebook stalking or even the first Facebook murder. Since it started on college campuses, Facebook has a large and young clientele. These are the same invincible young folk who cross streets without looking and figure that nothing could possibly hurt them.

So they post their whereabouts on Facebook and make themselves targets. Luckily, nothing so grim

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Getting Random Results from Social Media

Social media, it’s exciting, fast-paced (especially the micro-blogging sites), and can make one feel as if they’re in the thick of it (whatever ‘it’ may be).  Properly leveraged, it can be a real boon for businesses and professionals, as well as a joy to the more casual users that may be there purely for the social interaction.

But what I like most is when some random scrap of data comes my way, something that I can use but otherwise wouldn’t have seen.  Case in point, this blog article from Research Goddess about luck. The Author, Amybeth Hale, who we are following on Twitter having found her as a result of someone else we were following on Twitter following her (whew, and yes, that’s the way that Twitter really works– obscure inter-connectivity), writes this:

Luck has nothing to do with anything. EVER. This is my personal opinion, but I don’t feel that you ever have a moment of luck.

Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness.

You make your own luck by how much you prepare for the moments in your life.

Are you prepared for

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A link to further discussion

From Friday, over at the website, Social Media Explorer, David Finch has a great little piece entitled ‘5 Essential Social Media Strategies for a Bad Economy.’

“As social media has become the mainstream buzzword, individuals and corporations are looking at social media as a tool to find jobs as well as provide new business opportunities. However, approaching social media without any knowledge or strategy could be more harmful then helpful.”

He’s right about that, of course, and rather than a haphazard approach, he offers some helpful tips to create Social Networking Strategy.  A worthwhile little read.  Go check it out.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Off topic, yes, but I thought I’d give a quick shout out to a topic that almost certainly has touched readers of all ages at some point:  Today is 105th Anniversary of the Birth of Dr. Seuss.

So, a suggestion from the staff at The Thresher: go re-read The Cat in the Hat, or better yet, sit down with your child or grandchild and re-read Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Both your and your young ones’ days will be better for it!

(Bonus points if you’re making Green Eggs and Ham for breakfast this morning).

[edited because I stupidly have been writing 'Suess' instead of 'Seuss' all day.]

‘Using New Social Media’ Open Thread

Readers, let us know what you think!  We know you’ve got an opinion, and we want to hear it!  Registration or OpenID are required for commenting (this keeps down the spam), and registration is a painless process that requires only a valid email address (which we don’t sell, rent or share).

On Iraq Troop Withdrawal

Obama this week made it clear that he was committed to following through on one of his most popular campaign promises, ending the war in Iraq.

“Let me say this as plainly as I can: by Aug. 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end,” he told an audience of United States Marines at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina.

Now, no doubt those keeping score at home recognized immediately that this time frame ends the ‘combat mission’ in 19 months rather than the 16 month figure he used during the campaign.  But Obama always said that he would be guided by the situation ‘on the ground,’ and that his plan would have to be adjusted to reflect military realities.  He seems to be keeping that promise:

“As we carry out this drawdown, my highest priority will be the safety and security of our troops and civilians in Iraq. We will proceed carefully, and I will consult closely with my military commanders on the ground and with the Iraqi government. There will surely be difficult periods and tactical adjustments. But our enemies should be left with no doubt: this plan gives our

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