Republic Rules - The U.S.A. is a great representative republic.

Everybody knows the KISS Principle… Keep It Simple, Stupid.
I would like to see that applied to our federal income tax system.  No, I’m not calling for the elimination of taxes… somebody has to pay the government bills (though, lowering taxes would be great!  But that’s a topic for another discussion.)
I would like to see our […]

Read the rest of The KISS Principle

OK… I got sidetracked yesterday when talking about the Supreme Court recent ruling and spoke more about the justices than I did about our right to bear arms, which was threatened.  WE have that constitutional right and, I am convinced, it was specifically placed there by our Founders to ensure WE have the ability to […]

Read the rest of The Right To Bear Arms

This past week, the Supreme Court affirmed our right to bear arms.  Barely.  It was a 5-4 decision.  That is how close we came to losing the Second Amendment:
 A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
There […]

Read the rest of A Right Almost Lost

Anyone who has watched TV for more than a few years has witnessed the merging of advertising and programming.  In the “old days”, the distinction between the program itself and an advertisement was very clear.  Then advertisers got clever… adding their own little version of programming within their advertisement, where the commercial became a mini-entertainment […]

Read the rest of Product Placement

… the sincerest form of flattery?
NO.
Imitation is the lack of originality!

Would you rather own a classical piece of art or a print of it?
Would you rather introduce a successful new product to market or make a knock-off later?
Would you rather have attended a Beatles concert or watch a tribute band?
Would you rather eat a home-cooked […]

Read the rest of Imitation Is

I hate meetings… most are a waste of time.  Invariably, whatever “meat” in them requires only a fraction of the total time spent preparing, going to, participating in, and returning from them.  Horribly inefficient.  And very few people actually know how to run a meeting well… this should be a skill taught in school.
It seems […]

Read the rest of Meetings and Technology

We all know there is a distinct difference between high and low quality goods and services…

A tool that works reliably for years vs. one that breaks the second time you use it
The luscious taste of a home-grown garden tomato vs. a mass-produced, picked-too-early one
A road that is built well and rides smooth vs. a bumpy […]

Read the rest of Everyone Recognizes Quality

I could not believe what I was hearing:

In America, home of the FREE ENTERPRISE system that has made us such a great nation from the very beginning, there are now serious discussions about nationalizing oil refineries… not just wacko camera-seeking communists but an elected member of our Congress!
Right….
Like I trust our government to do a […]

Read the rest of Nationalize The Refineries!

I saw a brief news clip and found the website.  Apparently, every year there is a contest to determine the World’s Ugliest Dog and, yes, some of them are really ugly.  So ugly, only their mothers could love them.  Ha!  That’s an old joke… it actually appears these dogs are very much loved by their […]

Read the rest of Ugly Dogs

I’ve noticed a bit of a trend and it worries me.  It seems the expectation of tips, a gratuity to added to the price of a purchase, is expanding.
First, let me disclose my general approach to tipping.  At a restaurant, if the service is adequate, I’ll add about 15% to the check.  If the service […]

Read the rest of Tipping