It's Not All Bad

There is a story that Colonel Parker, Elvis Presley's controlling business partner, on the day of Elvis's death, called a meeting with the principals involved in the business end of the King, and at that meeting the first words out of the colonel's mouth were, "This doesn't change a thing". Elvis has been making money ever since. More than he was when he was alive. Of course what brings that story to mind is the news that one year after his death, Michael Jackson is making more money than ever before. He sold more albums/CD's last year than in the previous eight. The movie of his final tour, the one he was rehearsing for before his death, has pulled in 500 million too. Bottom line... Michael is making more money than ever, he's out of debt, and best yet for those doing the books; Michael is not running up any debt with his eccentricities.

Money. It seems harder all the time to acquire. I want to buy a motor home. I found a good one, low mileage, not "lived" in, and the price is right. I decided to sell my motorcycle to generate half the cash. The day I put the motorcycle on Craiglist, there were 500 other entries under motorcycle ! Yeah, good luck. It appears more toys are going up for sale than being bought by far right now. Hard times are causing toys from the boom to be sold off. Everybody selling, nobody buying. BUT,... I got a bite, when the buyer showed up and saw my bike he wanted it.

Then his story,... his pastor had just bought his motorcycle, and as soon as he could cash the check, he would buy my motorcycle. He said he knew the pastor's check was good and he showed it to me. He also stated he had sold the pastor a car and the check was "no problem". I want cash, of course, but speaking to the man I got the distinct impression that the pastor at the Calvary Church was doing quite well. Well enough to buy up my prospective buyer's old toys at least. He'll be back when the banks open with the cash, I have faith....... so what's the moral of the juxtaposition of these two thoughts in the wild ravings of a disgruntled ex- postal worker? Ironic that "you can't take it with you", but the Kings are generating their biggest profits from the grave.

The world seldom is as it appears. Amazing what a good "spin" can do for a legend, huh? Oh, and some places are doing just fine, the ever after and their salesmen.

May·hem (mhm, mm)‏

Chicago has fifty two gunshot victims over the weekend. Is that a war zone or what? News like that can send a paranoid soul to the closet for their shoulder holster before stepping out. Mayhem is coming? Sounds like mayhem is here. America will never survive another depression. She is too splintered, spoiled, divided, racial, and full of mayhem. Many live in uncertainty and anarchy now. Increasing duress like hunger, deepening wage cuts, rising unemployment, and fewer social services are certain to lead to national instability. And the guns! One thing for sure, what ever social issues the country needs to work out, it won't be done peacefully. I see an America that could become a very dangerous place in the future. We, as a people, don't want to believe that scenes like Chicago could happen in any Urban area. But they are! Lack of $ for Police will make the future even more dangerous. And look at the border area with Mexico,...border wars are fueled and funded with American drug money. Mayhem. Leave the border and move east to the Gulf,.. what the hell are they going to do when BP goes bankrupt? They say that the Gulf supplies 45% of American seafood,... What is that worth? What is Tourism valued at? Cleanup costs, wildlife costs, etc.. 20 billion might be far short of the real bill. It looks like Mayhem to me. They're predicting a major Hurricane season this year too, which means we could add natural disaster to man-made disaster and really come up with some mayhem. Remember it was New Orleans where gangs shot back at police in the aftermath of Katrina. Things haven't improved in New Orleans since the last opportunity to engage in mayhem, next time could be much bigger. Now, look around at the densely populated urban area you live in and ask yourself, " If masses start starving, or the police quit working, or the country started to split upon racial/religious/political lines, would it be safe? or mayhem?" In Chicago it isn't safe and it is mayhem. How long until the National Guard is required to keep US a country? or your city safe? Those of you in the mountains must feel good now. You should. 

Bradman1. Law The offense of willfully maiming or crippling a person.2. Infliction of violent injury on a person or thing; wanton destruction: children committing mayhem in the flower beds.3. A state of violent disorder or riotous confusion; havoc.

The World

Recently, my life in turmoil, uncertain of what I want, or what to do, I became depressed. I began to worry. About the only time I feel good is when I watch the news. Watching the world around me sink faster than myself is consoling to some degree. Despite everything wrong in my world in my mind, it doesn't seem as bad as a volcano ash'ing the crops and disrupting air traffic. My daily worries don't compare to those of people living on the Gulf coast. How helpless they must feel as they watch their world destroyed. I worry about how far reaching economically the calamity will be; one more straw on the Camel's back. OIL; only now as crude ruins our own shores do we begin to look at OIL companies as evil. How ironic that many others suffer in OIL wars that we support elsewhere, and that is fine. OIL; bribes our politicians, invades foreign countries, pollutes our world. Are the riots over in Greece? I thought money problems in Greece would lead to more financial uncertainty, but the dollar got stronger. I guess the world isn't as small as they want US to believe. Watching Israel attack, Watching North Korea attack, Watching the water attack (Tennessee), I realize I can be happy in a hole, if it's dry and warm, and there's somebody to share my misery with, 'cause Life is wonderful, every Miserable moment, and Israel and North Korea must know it because they live in the misery of war endlessly. All the news is OIL. This time next year, after the oil spill, the coming hurricane season, and the overactive tornado season, everybody will be migrating west. I hope it drives property prices up, but whom knows? I was looking at property prices over the last forty years here in the Sacramento area, up and down, burst bubble and all, they still seem to double every twenty years. Future prices? 2009 fourth quarter commentary stated an increase in values,...but 2010 first quarter commentary is predicting -10%,.... better beat those prices down even further if you want to get in the door with equity! New Bradland hasn't sold yet,....... but I'm looking for a 33 and 1/3% profit. I'll let everybody know when the world improves that much. Bradman