04/9/17

Lazy Republicans

Big Red Car here on a cloudy Texas day. Still, it is Texas and that’s alright. What is not alright is lazy Republicans.

So, the Republicans are in charge of the House and the Senate and are going to be taking 22 days off in the month of April.

And, the Big Red Car sayeth, “You are some lazy bums, Republicans. You are really only going to pretend to work for 8 of 30 days and are going to take 22 days off?”

While I am taking issue with the lazy Republicans, would you indulge me with a couple of other rants? Thank you.

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04/8/17

Sarin and Chemical Warfare

Big Red Car here with a belly full of tacos from Taco Deli — where one goes to get breakfast tacos on a Saturday morning in the ATX. Hard to make the transition to sarin, but here goes.

So, the Syrian butcher, Bashar al Assad used sarin gas against civilians and killed men, women, and children — babies. He is a ruthless, heartless butcher who makes war against civilians and has now killed 500,000 of his countrymen as well as displacing 6,000,000 persons internally and 5,000,000 refugees.

He is a bastard and he is the manifestation of evil on earth. How does the world tolerate such a butcher?

He is allied with Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. The Chinese have spoken out in his favor, also.

When he used sarin previously, President Obama threatened him with retaliation — the Red Line Threat. Of course, when it became apparent he used it again, in 2013, President Obama went to the US Congress pretending to seek authority to retaliate.

President Obama did nothing and from that nothingness the sarin attack of last week was born. Look at the picture below and know these babies are dead because of the ineffectiveness, incompetence, and fecklessness of President Obama.

Chemical gas victims

April 4, 2017: Abdul-Hamid Alyousef, 29, holds his twin babies who were killed during a suspected chemical weapons attack, in Khan Sheikhoun in the northern province of Idlib, Syria. [Chicago Tribune picture]

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04/7/17

Syria — Messaging and Collateral Damage

Big Red Car here pondering the fallout from America’s fifty-nine Tomahawk cruise missile strike against the Syrian airbase from which Bashar al Assad launched the airborne Sarin gas attack against his people earlier this week. President Trump took it out without telegraphing the punch and without talking it to death. Ahh, that’s refreshing, no? Syria!

Last night at 8:30 EDT, the Trump administration gave the world an insight into how this President will conduct the affairs of America’s foreign policy.

Trump speech

This guy is now in charge. He is a guy who favors action over words. New foreign policy. New military awareness. New outcomes?

Today, the world will be sorting out the message delivered. The Big Red Car will help y’all with that.

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04/6/17

Valuation Mojo — Tesla v Ford v GM

Big Red Car here on a lovely Thursday in the ATX. On Earth as it is in Texas! Today, we talk valuation mojo. What?

So, the Big Red Car is ciphering about the market caps and other data of car companies. “Some interesting stuff, Big Red,” said NOBODY ever. [“Hey, I resent that,” sayeth the Big Red Car.]

So,  here you have three car companies: Tesla, Ford, and General Motors. Three companies who are struggling to make a profit — or are they?

Tesla pic

Sexy Tesla enjoying the ocean air at sunset?

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04/1/17

Redemption or Revenge?

Which is better — redemption or revenge? Why not both, Big Red Car?

Big Red Car here on a slightly gray day in the ATX, but yesterday was glorious. Out touring the Hill Country checking out the bluebonnets, the poppies, the Indian paintbrush, and, of course, the cows on the roads.

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Hill Country Big Mac on the hoof grazing amongst the bluebonnets. Be careful driving about the roads where the livestock have the right of way. This is, of course, Texas.

So, in the women’s Big Dance, the Mississippi State girls beat the University of Connecticut girls in an overtime game. The game was won on a last second shot and the final score was 66-64.

That’s Bulldogs triumphing over Huskies, which keeps the fight amongst the bitches (a bitch being a female of the dog persuasion, no?). [See the cheap trick the Big Red Car played on y’all. Not well played, BRC.]

The really story — what writers like to call the “backstory” — is that a year ago, the UConn girls beat the Mississippi State women like red headed stepchildren by 60 points in a Sweet Sixteen matchup. OUCH!

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03/28/17

Board of Directors

Big Red Car here waiting for Saturday and the Final Four contests. OK, but I am getting a lot of questions about all things pertinent to a Board of Directors and how to run board meetings and how to deal with board members.

We’ve talked about this before, so let me give you some frames of reference.

Know that I’ve stolen all of this from The Boss who had a lot of boards, board members, and board meetings in thirty-three years of CEOing.

Here it is for your use.

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03/28/17

Lobster Roll v Lobster Sandwich

Big Red Car here thinking about lobster and counting down the hours until Saturday when the Final Four will tangle and the Carolina Tarheels will emerge triumphant and be headed to the Big Game. Hook ’em Heels!

So, The Boss likes lobster. There is a lot of lobster in the ATX even though we don’t have a seacoast.

You can find him enjoying lobster from time to time at one of his favorite places: Barton Creek Country Club (the little deck behind the golf pro shop, shhh, a big secret), Perla’s (just the power of money over seafood), Red Lobster (largest buyer of fresh lobster on the planet and the cheese biscuits?), or Garbo’s in north Austin.

Ooops, forgot Clarkes. How did that happen?

Lobster club

This is the lobster club sandwich at Barton Creek Country Club served on the little back deck behind the golf clubhouse. It is a secret place to go after church on Sundays. [Do NOT tell anyone.]

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03/27/17

Packaging and Bird Dog Bay — For CEOs Only

Packaging and Bird Dog Bay — bet you didn’t see that coming?

Big Red Car here on the day after the Tarheels’ victory over Kentucky sending them to the Final Four. Final Four, baby! Is this a great country or what?

OK, so the topic for today is PACKAGING — like the Four P’s (Product, Pricing Promotion, Placement).

[Uhhhhh, Big Red Car, “packaging” is not one of the Four P’s. You did notice that, right?]

Sometimes, people can be so damn annoying. Have you noticed that?

As I was saying, packaging is important. It can be the hook between an eye catching product and an impulse buy.

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Bird Dog Bay shirt packaged for shipment and as received by The Boss in the ATX. Nice packaging?

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