Investing 101 - the Warren Buffett Method

A good buddy of mine tipped me off on this topic, so I thought I would muse on it.

Warren Buffett. The Oracle of Omaha. The guy that wants to pay more taxes. The most successful investor in the world. (Doesn't know capital gains from income - but hey, I guess he has people that worry about that for him!) Doesn't carry a cell phone or have a computer at his desk.

Noted philanthropist and frugal spendthrift, Buffett drives an older model sedan, nothing flashy - and a big treat for him is going out to the local DQ for a cone. Lives in the same house on the same street as he has for 50 years. Plays bridge for fun. Frugality all the way.

So given his business acumen, his obvious ability to judge character and business competence - why on earth would he want to "give" more money to gov't? Is it a good "investment"?

I mean would you invest your money in a company that has no control over it's spending? Has a temporary, part-time board of directors (elected officials) made up of buffoons and blowhards that have no experience in running a business? Creates ponzi schemes to inflate revenue projections?(Medicare), has at least 500 bosses? (Congress and Senate), cannot focus on one line of business, has not adhered to a budget or even a budget process in over 200 years?

Makes ALL decisions via committee? Has had special deals with their "suppliers" (unions and public sector unions) that grossly inflate the cost of input items in return for a kickback (promise of votes)?Whose stock price (currency value) has plummeted almost 50% despite having a monopoly in their market segment? Has shoddy and suspect accounting practices? Wastes, or just plain misplaces, billions if not trillions of dollars per year of investor funds?

Would this be the kind of investment that a prudent, rational, experienced business legend like Buffett would advocate putting his own money in? Would you put YOUR own money into it?

I'm not competent enough to even carry Buffett's Dairy Queen tray, but Warren - stay away from this turkey. There is no upside to this investment. Try something less risky.

 Like slot machines. You might at least enjoy money well wasted. Might be more fun than bridge.

Mike McGinn - Our green friend in Seattle, spends $65M to insulate 3 homes....

Mmmmm. Your tax dollars give me a righteous buzz....

Who's a hairy bear? Can I get an "oh yeah?"

These Green Jobs Fools like Mike McGinn (Chief Fool of Seattle) have got it made in the shade. Why not take the regular folks money, throw it a "Green Jobs" toilet and then cash in on the La La land vote parade of green weenies. Sorry if I am sounding a bit harsh, and I regret calling McGinn a green fool. That would be disrespectful to both fools, and the color green. Sorry Kermit.

Let's check this guy out. Environmental activist, chairman of the Sierra Club (business bad, beavers good) who got elected on the promise of "kick starting" the economy with hip, green jobs, "sustainable" development and pony rides for everyone.  Let's see how he's done shall we?

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeee's Greenie:

• McGinn and the rest of his friends first made sure that "Big Box" stores couldn't get into the city of Seattle, costing several thousand jobs. Attaboy Mike!
• Created a special tax for businesses that had employees who travelled to work alone. Several hundred more jobs gone. I can now commute nowhere with nobody, because we all lost our jobs. At least we can catch the View!
• Removed the ability of local neighborhood parents to have a say in their children's education by creating a School Board run by professional teachers, (and dissolving local PTAs) What do parents know about teaching anyways, they just clog up the system with their "ideas"....
• Encouraged the police force of Seattle to not enforce marijuana laws (possession, use, manufacture or distribution). I was going to type out the sound of a righteous hard pull on a thick spliff, but I don't know if it is "tooootootoot" or more like "wheeeeze -  ahhhhhhhh"?
• Was then featured on the cover of "Dope" magazine. I think that is a noun. Or is it an adjective?
• He and his advisors actually advocate (this is a quote - Im not making this up!!!!!!!) taking auto drivers who accidentally kill or injure cyclists and "hang them by their toenails at the edge of town until buzzards peck their eyes out." . Gee guys, talk about harshing our mellow...
• McGimp has called for homeless people to be given free housing that the taxpayer pays for on free city land. Hey if it's free, like those samples at Costco - count me in!
• Advocates that the city should be mandated to pay for Transgender surgeries. In related news, the nearby city of Tacoma says that they will pay for surgery to turn you into robot that shoots lasers. I'm off to Tacoma so I can defeat drag queens with my laser beam of death!

Now this genius has had to come forth on his job record. Letting the people know what their hip, sustainable future is bringing them in terms of jobs and prosperity and wealth and security.  Let me get the number right for you. I'm punching it into the Cray 7000 right now - and the answer is:

ZERO. No jobs created. None. Nada. Since taking office Seattle's growth has been exactly - zero.

Despite $20 million pissed away on a home weatherstipping program for Seattle that created 14 jobs. All of them clerical and office staff, he says that if we were just patient we would see the light. By the way - McGinn made the contractors pay the workers $21 per hour to participate in the program, when the going wage was $12 for the same kind of work. He was creating "new economy jobs" ( you know the kind that look good on paper, but don't actually exist past election day.) Dozens of businesses lost their workers and failed. Hundreds more jobs lost. Go Mikey Go!

So 14 jobs created. That sucks, but how many houses did they upgrade?

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If it wasn't so tragic it would be funny. Who are the fools here? We can point at the electorate of Seattle and laugh, but it wouldn't do much good. Toledo, Kansas City and PHOENIX spent $65 million under the same laughable federal program and created 72 jobs in total. Since this program works so well, Obama has put ANOTHER $5 BILLION into it. Dat stimbulus done be da shit.

You want comedic fodder? Go look in the mirror. That's who is being laughed at. Who is the fool now?

As G. Gordon Liddy famously said after the re-election of Clinton - "you people deserve yourselves. You sicken me - and I'm not going to hang around just to prove me right."

Talk about harshing the mellow - Hey G. Gordon - would transgender surgery make you feel any better? I mean it's free and all.........