Warren Buffett, Tax Policy and Cherry Coke

I was recently asked on the social media website Quora.com/Bill-Foote, how can someone hold Warren Buffet's values/beliefs... and still have $45 billion?  The question was specifically in reference to his beliefs on higher taxes.

Most of the answers flowing in were anti-Warren in sentiment.  Mine was not.  Warren Buffett is one of my all time heroes.  The man is a genius and I have been reading about him and studying his every move since I first learned what a stock was back in High School.  Nobody can argue his track record.

As to the question, the problem Sir Buffett faces on taxes is a conflict of interest.  His beliefs may very well be genuine about what sort of tax structure will benefit the majority of Americans.  However, the majority of Americans do not own a share of BRK:A, which was last trading at the lowly sum of $121,450 per share.

So while Warren may quip about taxes needing to be higher for the rich, which make up most his shareholders, it is akin to sneaking in a game of online bridge with good friend Bill Gates.  Meaning, his primary job is not tax policy but rather managing the equity of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, and perhaps drinking a few Cherry Cokes along the way

The Truth About Lending

I was on my IGoogle.com page today and one of my many "quote of the day" gadgets displayed a Mark Twain remark about bankers.  He says "A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain."  How true that is.  The takeaway is to always borrow as much as you can when you do not need it, because the moment you do need it, the banks won't want to lend it.

Put Some Clothes on That Bio

So I was quickly assembling a career bio for a somewhat stuffy business website that I will be providing services for.  Do you think it will be frowned upon if potential business partners peruse my bio and see that:

The first business I started was promoting gay rights, as well as hawking products and services to queers, lezbos and transgender folk with Access Alliance?  Then I made the career jump up to selling dildos, hand cuffs and sex videos on the net with my website IntimacyEnhance.com (now defunct). 

Then on to selling gambling advice to college kids and deadbeat dads, along with aiding and abetting sportsbook activity within the United States and to U.S. citizens. 

Maybe I should phrase my bio a bit differently?  Nah ... screw them.  I am proud of all of it. 

My sister is in the LGBT community and I could not be more proud of her or the work we did with our start up business that was eventually bought by Gay.com!  Oh ... and for my IntimacyEnhance.com venture, I wanted to, in a classy way, bring sexual merchandise to a female audience in the most discrete manner as possible.  Again, I stand proud.  And do not even get me started on Internet gambling. 

WHAT PEOPLE DO IN THE PRIVACY OF THEIR OWN HOME IS THEIR OWN BUSINESS.   

There is absolutely nothing in this world I believe more fervently in.  There is absolutely nothing in the world I beleive our founding fathers beleived more fervantly in when first starting this country.  If we all would worry just a tad bit more about ourselves and a whole lot less about telling our neighbors how to live their lives, my personal opinion is we would be a MUCH fuller nation.

In my opinion at least ....

Life is a Blog

I am way cool.  I designed a way cool new blog on Blogger.com.  That means I am WAYYYY cool.  The reason being is because I have more blogs than almost anyone I know.  Even though I do not know very many people, I do know that blogs are very cool.  Blog owners are even cooler.  Especially when the blog owners have multiple blogs.  Not just multiple blogs, but multiple cool blogs. That, of course, is considered even cooler than just multiple blogs.  Blogs are cool as is, but my blogs tend to be cooler than as is.  You know what?  My wife is married to a blogger, which makes her fairly cool also.  She is actually married to a multiple blog owning, blog owner.   That's right, I am a blogger.  Life is a blog ... type it up.

I've Been Doing Some Thinking

I've been doing some thinking, which is always a dangerous thing. Just ask my wife.  Nevertheless, when I've been doing some thinking, it is not long after until I start doing some writing.  Again, this can be a dangerous thing.  And so long as I am doing some writing, I might as well do some posting of that writing as well.  I invite you to come back often.