Monthly Archives: May 2017

05/30/17

NATO Allies, Ungrateful Freeloaders?

NATO allies are ungrateful freeloaders, Big Red Car? Not all of them, just some.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, having spent a few days with President Donald J Trump in Washington, DC and now having spent a NATO Summit and G7 meeting utters:

“The times when we could fully rely upon others are to some extent over. I experienced that in the last few days. We Europeans must take our own destiny into our own hands.”

Read those words a second time and see if you have any basic disagreement with them. The Big Red Car sayeth, “Duh?”

This bit of wisdom comes on the heels of President Trump repeating what he has said for a long period of time — NATO members are not living up to their contractual obligations to spend 2% of their GDP on defense.

This is as essential element of the NATO (the Atlantic Charter) as Article V which states an attack on one is an attack on all. It is difficult to see why the Europeans think the United States should honor Article V and come to their rescue if they don’t honor their part of the deal.

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05/25/17

Courage — CEO Shoptalk

Courage is quiet. It is unassuming in its moment.

Big Red Car here in the ATX where it is that time of the year when it’s 65F at dawn and this afternoon it will be in the low 90s. Those first warm days are a blessing, but it’s almost June and it’s almost summer, so bring it, Mother Nature. Hit me with your best shot!

Today, we talk about courage. The dictionary would have you believe that courage is the ability to face danger or difficulty without fear; or, the ability to act in accordance with one’s beliefs or convictions in spite of criticism.

Not buying it, y’all. Courage is the ability to act despite the fact you are wracked with fear. It does not vanquish fear. It acts in spite of fear.

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05/20/17

CEOs — Doing Tough Things Shoptalk

No tough things for a Big Red Car today, just chores.

Big Red Car here on a big day for chores, accumulated, undone chores. Bah humbug!

Before we head to do our chores, how about a bit of shoptalk for CEOs?

Being a CEO is a great job. Don’t listen to the hair-shirt-of-the-month club and their “it’s lonely, so lonely at the top.”

But, if you’re going to be a CEO, you have to do tough stuff sometimes.

Italy 2010 Computer 020

What seems tough the first time, isn’t tough the third time and when you do tough stuff, you get used to and comfortable with doing tough stuff.

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05/19/17

Goya Foods — Corporate Giant

“If it’s Goya, it has to be good!”

Big Red Car here on a grayish day, y’all. Throwing a curve in your direction.

You probably know who Goya Foods is — the largest Latin cuisine grocery in the US.

Goya logo

They have been sponsors of the New York City Puerto Rico Parade for sixty years, starting in 1958. Other sponsors include Coca-Cola, the New York Yankees, AT&T.

But, Goya Foods pulled their sponsorship this year because the parade will honor a terrorist.

Good for Goya!

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05/18/17

Special Counsel

Robert Swan Mueller III – special counsel. Big news, y’all.

Big Red Car here on power washing day. Two power washers hitting the paint and the stone in anticipation of a new exterior paint job. It is crazy loud here.

So, the Acting Attorney General invoked the provisions of 28 CFR 600.1 – Grounds for appointing a Special Counsel. This is exactly the situation for which that statute was written.

There is a criminal investigation and the objectivity of the Department of Justice staff may have a conflict of interest. Bingo!

So, they pick Robert Swan Mueller III to run the show. Would you please join the BRC in a short round of applause?

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05/17/17

Anonymous Sources — The Washington Post and The New York Times

Anonymous sources — what does that mean, Big Red Car?

Big Red Car here in the gray before dawn waiting for its brain (electronic ignition) to wake up. Might need some hot 10W40?

So, today, dear reader, we talk of a dinosaur which no longer roams the earth — journalism.

Journalism was that respected profession through which we earthlings were informed of goings on near and far. Journalists wrote reliable utterances and you could count on their accuracy because they held the imprimatur of such venerable institutions as The New York Times or The Washington Post. [Note the reverence which the Big Red Car visits upon these publications by using the word “The” to precede their names. Very impressive, Big Red Car.]

Alas, these “institutions” are now crack dens extensions of the People’s Democrat Party. Unfair, some may say as they have long since ceased to be followers and are now leaders. They are not reporters of news; they are manufacturers of news. They do not follow the direction of their masters; they lead the way.

Ask yourself if you can find a single conservative or Republican amongst the staffs of those once great papers. Unicorns? How can there be balance when there is no balance?

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05/16/17

CEO Currency — Getting Paid

CEO currency, Big Red Car?

Big Red Car here on a brightening Austin morning, y’all. On Earth as it is in Texas!

So, The Boss gets a call from a CEO pal and they get into a chat. Chat takes a turn toward the philosophical.

CEO sayeth, “I need to get paid.”

The Boss says, “Have I ever shared with you my views on CEO currency?”

“No, but something tells me that’s about to change. Bring it.”

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05/15/17

Writing = Discipline

Writing = discipline, Big Red Car? Tell me more.

Big Red Car here on a lovely Monday morning, waiting for the painters to show up. House getting painted, not the Big Red Car. Alas.

So, The Boss is doing some writing. He’s been a writer for a long time, but now he’s out of the closet. Had a few things published and is working hard.

Learned it takes about five years to find one’s voice and to find a focus which is worthy of one’s talent. You have to become a story teller.

JLM Storyteller hand lettered logo

But, here’s the big thing — writing requires discipline and there is both art and science to it.

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