01/2/20

Agreeing With Socialists

I found myself agreeing with a socialist the other day. It is an example of my fact-based, data-driven, logical approach to finding the truth, my objective truth.

The facts are this:

 1. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is a socialist, a pizza loving socialist who once said his favorite pizza shop should re-open even though they owed more than $167,000 in back taxes.

 2. On New Years Eve, awaiting the dropping of the ball in Times Square, Domino’s Pizza began to charge $30 for a walk up pizza — an approximately 50% price increase. Domino’s disagrees, but I think they are full of cheese.

 3. Mayor de Blasio condemned this behavior as being “price gouging.” [He also called out Domino’s for a boycott re-directing pizza eaters to local pizzerias rather than Domino’s. Not a boycott guy myself. Huge supporter of local pizza. Talking to you Little Deli and that Jersey Shore pizza.]

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio making case for Domino’s price gouging. Guy loves pizza, but likes local pizzerias more than “corporate pizza.”

 4. Others defended the Domino’s pricing decision as being simple demand v supply driven pricing theory, much the same as Uber’s surge demand pricing is explained.

I side with Mayor de Blasio — it was old fashioned price gouging. It was wrong. Domino’s Pizza belongs on the “naughty” side of the ledger.

And, there, you have it, dear reader — me and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio agreeing on something — pizza price gouging — based on facts, data, and sound logic. Me, agreeing with socialists. Wow!

BTW, when he was running for President Mayor de Blasio championed the cause of “free pizza for all.”

Wait, I have to run now — a squadron of pigs just flew over in a V-formation, and it seems to be getting very cold in the ‘hood.

But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Facts. Data. Sound logic. Can bring us together in 2020.

car

01/1/20

Finding Inspiration With Thomas Jefferson

This Christmas was great with the family — and, of course, My Perfect Granddaughter who will be two years old in ten days — assembled at The Homestead in Virginia.

I had last been to The Homestead in 1969 when I went there to ski while a cadet at Virginia Military Institute. Not much has changed in 50 years. It is a Southern shrine.

Santa and Mrs. Claus holding court in the Great Hall at The Homestead.

They have incredible accommodations, grand spaces, great food served with graciousness in soaring dining facilities, golf, falconry (who doesn’t love falconry), archery,  horses, skiing, hay rides, swimming, hiking, a spa, and soaking in hot springs.

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01/1/20

Lessons v Tests For CEOs Only

Back from a tour de force of the American South, I am struck by the issue of learning from lessons and tests. The matrix goes something like this:

 1. When in school or other entities intended to “teach” us things (such as military training for young officers), we are presented lessons and then tested on the lesson.

Have we absorbed and retained the learning?

 2. Often in life — business, families, military — we are tested first and from that testing we must learn a lesson.

Do we absorb and retain the learning?

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12/20/19

The Economy, Darling

I am no fan of polls primarily because I find them to be statistical malpractice in the unscientific, haphazard manner with which the polling samples are constructed and the sponsorship.

There was a CNN poll on the economy completed a week ago that had some surprising outcomes.

76% of respondents agreed the “Economy is very or somewhat good.”

This is up from 67% last year.

97% of Republicans agree.

75% of Independents agree.

62% of Democrats agree, up from 47% in August. <<< this surprises me

The economy is the best economy since 1900 and the only reason that boundary exists is because we don’t have good numbers from before that date.

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12/20/19

Grading CEOs After the Pay Window Closes

Merry Christmas, y’all, from Austin By God Texas where it is cold and gray.

So, several years ago, a CEO who I had advised for a few years and who had taken his company to the pay window asked me, “What kind of a CEO was I?”

He didn’t mean in a Performance Appraisal way, but more as a final, historic debrief of his entire tenure. [His bank account suggested he’d been a good CEO.]

It was an easy conversation because the guy was crackerjack and I told him so.

The conversation went on and he wanted to know, “How did I develop along the way?”

That was a deeper conversation and I agreed to go back and consult my notes rather than give him a saccharine, off-the-cuff, in-the-light-emanating-from-the-pay-window reply.

When I did consult my notes, we had a very useful conversation: useful to him because it validated some things he was thinking, and useful to me because I had a good chance to see what impact I might have had on his journey.

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12/17/19

The Impeachment Paroxysm

This is the first time I have used the word “paroxysm” in a longish time. I may never have used it in this blog before. It means a “sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion.”

It is a word apropos for the impending impeachment of President Donald J Trump tomorrow by the US House of Representatives. [I predict Speaker Pelosi wears pink & pearls. Anybody want to make a small wager?]

“Don’t screw with me, Big Red Car, you rust bucket. I can do things to you you cannot even begin to imagine.”

In case you have been traveling or tunneling toward the center of the earth, the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee, after painstaking scrutiny of the misdeeds of our President spread over a couple of days in which we met some actual law school professors, has proposed two Articles of Impeachment which the entire House of Representatives will ponder tomorrow and approve.

[I can tell you they will approve them, because that is part of my super powers — I can see the future.]

Only Democrats will vote to impeach the President. Some handful of Dems will vote against it, but it will be hopelessly partisan.

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12/16/19

Death In The Sanctuary State Of Illinois

Corey Cottrell, 39 years old, was riding his motorcycle on Main Street, in Bloomington, Illinois, on 22 June 2019. He was headed to see his mother at church.

Jose Rodriquez, a 27-year-old, Honduran illegal alien was driving a van owned by his employer east on Macarthur Boulevard, when he ran a red light and killed Cottrell, leaving Cottrell’s two daughters (11 and 14) fatherless.

Rodriquez not only killed Cottrell — enroute to see his mother at church, he ran over him as he fled the scene of the accident. Rodriquez ran into Cottrell; Rodriquez ran over Cottrell as he lay dying on the pavement, Rodriquez fled the scene of the accident.

Beer cans were found in the van.

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12/16/19

Understanding US Trade

The last two weeks have been monumental in the arena of trade, but the country was too enmired in the shallow grave of impeachment to really focus on it.

Three things happened:

 1. The USMCA (United States Mexico Canada Agreement) was passed by the United States House of Representatives.

This deal replaces NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and does great things for agriculture with Canada and US product content in goods (cars) whose final assembly is done in Mexico as well as prevailing wages.

 2. The US and China had a first date on trade — nobody is renting reception halls for the marriage, but it was a first step on the crawl, walk, run continuum.

 3. The US neutered the World Trade Organization by refusing to nominate members thereby destroying the quorum and preventing the WTO from taking any action against the US, a brilliant move. This is one that is completely overlooked.

The guy who did this is the man on the right, Robert Lighthizer.

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