Sound Familiar?
Friday, July 22, 2011
Dancing Monkey Brains
Way back when first I went to China, I heard of a dish called Dancing Monkey Brains. I asked about it and was assured it was on some menus, but Beijing ren would claim it was the Shanghain ren who offered it, the Shangai ren said it was the Fujienese, they in turn claimed it was of Cantonese origin, who in turn said is was Vietnamese, and so on, always pointing south. I never saw it, but I did have cat, dog, armadillo, snake and not long ago had lobster served, minced up and still kicking... Fresh!
Simon Schama reports the dutch in the 17th century expected seafood to be as fresh. Click on here for a Japanese view of freshness, if you can.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
All Hail Fake Apple Stores In China!
What a wonderful example of why we do not need intellectual property rights, trademark laws, or the such. It seems there are at least 3 complete Apple Stores in one town in China, selling real Apple products, by workers believing they are Apple employees, but the stores are fake.
Important quotes from the article, making my point:
The manager of an authorized reseller in Kunming, who gave only his surname, Zhang, said most customers have no idea the stores are fake.
Some of the staff in the stores "can't even operate computers properly or tell you all the functions of the mobile phone," he said.
Of course, and how long before customers figure out the stores are fake, and then avoid the stores? Not long...
Revenue was up more than six times from a year earlier to $3.8 billion in the area comprising China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said Apple's Chief Operating Officer Timothy Cook, according to a conference call on Tuesday.
"I firmly believe that we're just scratching the surface right now. I think there is an incredible opportunity for Apple there," Cook said.
At no cost whatsoever to Apple, people are selling Apple products they bought from Apple, investing large sums in Apple-like stores, ultimately to show Apple where more Apple customers are. In time, Apple will come and get it. At that time, the pirates lose their investment.
And slowly but surely, the Chinese consumer, grows in perspicacity, outperforming his USA counterpart.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Profits
I often read as a given that what motivates the entrepreneur is profits. This is funny to begin with, since most schools of economics disagree as to the definition of profits. Let's go with the loose definition of money left over after expenses, which is likely the definition of the common man, but in debate in academia.
I am yet to meet a thriving entrepreneur who is motivated by profits. As I argued below, the motivation is lifestyle, not profits. But this also applies to big business and big government.
Let's take the example of the pure play in profit taking, the bank. Its job is to make money on money, so we would assume that profit is motivation number one. If so, then why the corporate jet? The executive lunchroom and restroom, to name just a few perqs? Why the huge payouts into tax-exempt plans in spite of profit or loss? Why the gilded offices and frequent junkets for "presidents club" and other performance recognition events? Their excessive salaries are just trash cash compared to the cost of supporting their corporate lifestyles.
The game is the lifestyle, spending on themselves as business expense the 24/7/365 lives required to be a titan of industry, or to be near the top, working your way up.
In government, the motivation is exactly the same, and profit does not even enter into the picture. Large banks precipitate large government regulation organizations to assure such powerful entities stay on the up and up. And what do we see? The game is the lifestyle, spending on themselves as government expense the 24/7/365 lives required to be a censor of industry, or to be near the top, working your way up. Now think of big pharmacy and FDA, Big Ag and USDA, Big Education and the Dept of Education, and so on.
Look at a description of the Ming Dynasty, just before it fell:
"Not surprisingly, it was a constant temptation to enjoy the perquisites of rule, and abandon the responsibilities by delegating them to trusted subordinates. If these subordinates were unscrupulous, there was little that honest and critical members of the bureaucracy could do, since the ultimate court of appeal was the emperor, and the way to him was blocked. Hence late Ming critics like the members of Tung-lin and Fu-she academies were generally frustrated if not doomed."
Page 110, Jonathan Spence, Chinese Roundabout.
Is this not an exact description of USA today? There is no path to have complaints heard, neither by vote or lawsuit, as the bureaucracy is self-absorbed with perquisites (present office and future pension), and they block the way to any appeal.
It is not an accident that we are in a Ming style decline, and China has the Jewel in the crown when it comes to free markets, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong and USA were formed at the same time, by people of the same economic philosophy. They proceeded along until in desperation at the political corruption of the spoils system in USA, in 1883 USA adopted a civil service system based on the chinese civil service system, the system of a country that the adopters perhaps did not realize was soon to disintegrate. China has a relatively anarchistic system. Today USA is in decline and crisis, while China is ascendent.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Here Come 70% Taxes
I've been arguing the tax rate must reach 95%, to preserve the capitalist system, and a Stanford econ prof pegs it at 70%, coming soon...
I think we have a problem, among others, with ratio of small business to big biz way out of whack.
To small business, it does not much matter what the tax rate is, it is the regulations that are the business killer. People misunderstand this. If people miss the motivation of others successful in business, then they are unlikely to succeed themselves.
All religions point out that it is not what we have or think that makes us unhappy or happy, it is what we do. Those who thrive in small business are focussed on what they do, the sum total of which is lifestyle. What they have is not the ends, just the means to the ends.
What is beaten into us is "make money..." likely so you can pay taxes. In any event, when the question is "what can I make?" (or worse, "what do you make?") the the premise is faulty and one is off down the wrong track. The right questions is "what do I want to do?" not in the sense of "how to make money" but in the sense of "spend my life?"
After that, come all the practical reasons why it is not about money, etc, why entrepreneurs do not want profit. In fact what profits entrepreneurs do have is normally complimenting bankers expectations, Robert Morris and Assoc guide of key biz rations, and demonstrating you perform within norms, so they can lend and govt can tax.
Of course businesses do not pay taxes, only the ultimate consumer pays all of the taxes assessed anywhere along the line. In fact it is impossible for a business to pay taxes. (If someone goes out of business, and does not sell his inventory, then he in fact is the ultimate consumer.) Profits, consumed as income, are taxed, so the entrepreneur wants as little profit as possible. A $90,000 company car is bought with pre-tax dollars, not to mention the depreciation allowed on a company car. To personally own such a car, an owner would have to take a profit of some $129,000 to buy a $90,000 car. With 30% federal tax the $129,000 is reduced to $99,000, and 10% sales tax on the $90,000 purchase takes the $99,000 left. That state sales tax is likely there in either scenario, but it is easier for a business to establish itself in a non-sales tax state than an individual.
So the question "what can I make?" or "what do you make?" traps a person in an alternate universe, where you are safer as an employee.
Monday, July 18, 2011
I Am Alerted!
Mr. Spiers,
I would like to know if your online course is still available, and, if so, how much startup capital is recommended prior to enrollment/establishing a small import business?
I have many questions that I would like to ask, but understand that you may be a busy man. That being said, I think attending your course and joining your listserv is the best route for me to take.
I would also like to inform you that your eBook is available, in full, for free, via googlebooks (where each page can be downloaded with the right know-how, repacked and freely distributed without your consent). I am only assuming that this is not your intent. If you have trouble finding the source, feel free to contact me and I will gladly send you the link.
Thank you for your time.
Respectfully,
J
J,
*** People start with what they got... to get to the go/no go point, it's probably $900 and 9 months...***
***There is another fellow starting this week... if you are willing to get yourself caught up, you can enroll here...
***I am the source.***
Mon plaisir...
thanks for your note...
On Jul 17, 2011, at 12:44 PM, J wrote:
Mr. Spiers,I would like to know if your online course is still available, and, if so, how much startup capital is recommended prior to enrollment/establishing a small import business?
I have many questions that I would like to ask, but understand that you may be a busy man. That being said, I think attending your course and joining your listserv is the best route for me to take.
and I'll send you the info...
I would also like to inform you that your eBook is available, in full, for free, via googlebooks (where each page can be downloaded with the right know-how, repacked and freely distributed without your consent).
***I hope so, since I am the one who did that....***
I am only assuming that this is not your intent.
***Very much my intent... plenty of people "steal" my book, as google tells me... but they are not my customers anyway... the benefit is google sends me so many customers, I do not worry about non-customers... if anyone can package my books and outsell me, I welcome it. I would learn how to sell my books better than I do now.
A hard lesson for people to learn is business is not about control, barriers to entry, but competition and marketing. The reason my book has outsold they 8 of ten of the NY Times top ten in 2001, is because I market, not control...***
If you have trouble finding the source, feel free to contact me and I will gladly send you the link.
Thank you for your time.
John
Mr. Spiers,
Thank you for responding to my email. I appreciate you taking the time and am surprised by your comments regarding your ebook. I look forward to learning more from you.
Regarding the online course; without taking too much of your time and explaining the details of my current situation, would it be pragmatic for me to enroll in your course as I am currently working a full time job? I do plan on giving my two-weeks notice, but not for another 6 months, at least. I am very serious about pursuing this and hope that I can give it my all and be well-prepared to reach my goals. It is my understanding that your online course follows a weekly schedule for each lesson, leaving me somewhat reluctant to enroll at the moment without knowing what will be expected of me with the limited time that I currently have available. What would you recommend? How do others manage?
By the way, I'm only about 1/3 of the way through your book...still reading.
Thanks again.
Respectfully,
J
Hey J,
*** I am not sure I would understand the question... the only change in the last decade or so has been the internet has lowered the cost and widened access to communication and research. Business, markets and competition has not changed.
*** Yes, a listserv is like a mailing list, but no, I would not pay now and learn later. Without the indoctrination of the book or course or both, the blog and listserv would do you little good, since your premises would make your questions nonstarters. The listserv is for those who understand the lessons (although many disagree, but agreement is not important, it is about help with ideas and ways and means).***
The book does lay out the game plan, and I hope makes the point that success is up to your customers... the degree to which you attend to them... my course and book merely save you time and money on a journey to a destination you'd arrive at anyway...
How other manage they do not tell me, but you might do well to take it in the fall and read a bit... Ogilvy, Drucker, Bodrin and Levine... others, before you start the class...
the course and info is at johnspiers.com
John
Mr. Spiers,
It seems that much has changed in the last decade or so since your first book was published. I wonder, knowing what you know now, would you attempt to break out in to the importing business now with saturated markets and fiercer competition?
Also, do you have a member-only forum available for your students? I am not that familiar with a listserv and am assuming that it's much like a mailing list. I am, however, familiar with IRC, but was hoping to find a good source that would allow me to learn from people that have and/or are currently in the importing business. It would seem beneficial for me to pay for your course now, but take the course at a later time - when I am in a better position to do so - so that I may take advantage of the knowledge of your previous students and apply that to my research and learning process right now. If this is not possible, I completely understand.
Thank you for your time.
Respectfully,
J
On Jul 18, 2011, at 11:55 AM, J wrote:
Mr. Spiers,It seems that much has changed in the last decade or so since your first book was published. I wonder, knowing what you know now, would you attempt to break out in to the importing business now with saturated markets and fiercer competition?
In any event there is no such thing as a saturated market. And competition is people, and they are no more fierce than they have ever been.
Did I get to the heart of your question?***
Also, do you have a member-only forum available for your students? I am not that familiar with a listserv and am assuming that it's much like a mailing list. I am, however, familiar with IRC, but was hoping to find a good source that would allow me to learn from people that have and/or are currently in the importing business. It would seem beneficial for me to pay for your course now, but take the course at a later time - when I am in a better position to do so - so that I may take advantage of the knowledge of your previous students and apply that to my research and learning process right now. If this is not possible, I completely understand.
John
Thank you for your time.Respectfully,J
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Curious Radiation Readings - Seattle
Dakota Park Place 12 cpm
My Back yard 11 cpm
ALL State Dept. of Health and EPA monitoring stations are now permanently offline.
A neighbor, concerned about a low flying helicopters found out they were for radiation monitoring. Quick google search showed...
Evidently there is a nationwide blackout of EPA real time radiation monitoring. They taken down RadNet. Someone in St. Louis noticed a spike in beta radiation levels 62 x background followed by EPA censoring of the data.
Hope you didn't drink the water around here...130x standard levels. But don't worry, the EPA will adjust the standards so everyone is safe.
Eat your seaweed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)