Do you feel the economy and the way it works is weak and unfair?

Do you feel the economy and the way it works is weak and unfair?

…if you add up all of the money that the top 10% of the world population owns, 90% of all the money in the world is gone.

The gap between the middle class and the upper class is widening. Did you know that the top 1% of the world population owns 39% of the global wealth? Doing the math for the top 2% of the world population, half of all the money is reserved. One step further, if you add up all of the money that the top 10% of the world population owns, 90% of all the money in the world is gone. That means for the other remaining 90% of the population, we only have 10% of all the money to earn, save and spend. If these numbers are confusing, let’s break it down. If the world had only $1,000 of cash and there were 50 people, 5 people would own $900 (collectively) and the other 45 people would only have $100 to split between all of them (about $2.22 each).

Now entertainers like sports players, television and movie actors, movie directors, famous musicians, etc, are the super wealthy…over $101k dollars per hour

It used to be that entertainers would entertain the wealthy and make a comfortable salary. Now entertainers like sports players, television and movie actors, movie directors, famous musicians, etc, are the super wealthy. Just one example, take Kobe Bryant – a very qualified NBA player – he makes roughly $25 million per year. At the maximum, he would play 82 games per season, if the team gets to and through the playoffs. At the maximum number of games, he would get paid almost $305k per game – which may take about 3 hours of playing time, or in other words just over $101k dollars per hour. Wow, what other kind of job can you get that pays a salary like that? An average American making $100k per YEAR makes relatively nice money…but per HOUR? That’s quite insane.

We fuel this kind of behavior, by going to the NBA games, buying team memorabilia, and tuning into the game. We also fuel the continuance and advancement of these kinds of salaries. In some cases, the entertainers get so big headed, they honestly believe they deserve MORE money, take the case of Charlie Sheen. Where can the average American find a job that doesn’t care if you are there for meetings (rehearsals in his case), openly know and don’t care about your drug and alcohol problems and where you can embarrass your superior for more than a minute and not get fired?

On one hand, entertainers do fill the pockets of many other industries – airlines, hotels, restaurants, retail stores, car rental agencies – which all feed into their respective state in the form of taxes. On the other hand, there is no way you can legitimately think you are worth $101k an hour, for example.

…most people have to PAY to get a good job

Unlike a lot of actors, musicians and sports players, most people have to PAY to get a good job. We have to pay for a college education that will, hopefully, help land a decent paying job. Even that decent paying job and merit raises are negligible compared to celebrity salaries. Too much rides on publicizing and hype that help the celebrities cash in as much as they do. Also, it’s too expensive and difficult to reach a decent channel or resource to try to build your own hype, if you were building your own company or product.

These enormous payouts for celebrities ultimately fall on the little guy. By going to the game or watching the comedian or going to the concert, you are directly paying for the event. But there are also indirect costs…higher taxes to expand roads because the convention center cannot currently handle the traffic and maybe house values and property taxes increase because more people want to move there. Although these are typically positive indicators of economic activity, it becomes very difficult when the company you work for gives you nominal raises (if any) that are lower than the inflation around you. Basically, if everything if your area inflates 5% in cost and you receive a 2% merit increase at work, you are in reality making 3% less each year than the previous that this rate continues.

It wasn’t until the 18^th century that inflation appears to have taken place. Before then, it has been said that not much changed through generations of families. Today, inflation is commonplace, just like taxes. Have you ever looked at your pay stub? You are told you will get paid $X dollars, but you come home with $¾X dollars. Fine, you are supporting your federal and state tax systems to fund some jobs like the military, police and firemen, and programs such as child welfare programs and schools. With schools in thought, you may drive your child to school. That vehicle you drove them in was taxed from the payroll for the engineers to make the plans and design of the vehicle, the metals to make the parts, parts that may be outsourced and shipped and taxed, assembly (payroll taxes for workers), selling (payroll for the salesman and the cut the state feels is theirs because of the sale), registration (typically annually, because the state needs money for roads that you drive on), repairs and other operating costs such as toll fees, tires and gas. Say you stop to pick up breakfast and make another stop for your Starbucks fix – the tax chain starts all over again. All while you are still paying a school tax that factor in the cost of buses. (Taxes are another subject that could easily be discussed…we are taxed to death and the federal and local governments always want more. They don’t need more, they just need to be better with the money they have and spend it more efficiently. If we have to do it, why doesn’t a group of people representing a certain part of government have to?)

Exxon Mobile, for instance, announced its 1^st quarter 2011 profit of nearly $11 billion dollars, while the prices at the pump are once again at or over $4/gallon.

Some items that you almost have to purchase, such as gas, increase well beyond any budget you may have created. Most of the increase is based on speculation – which seems like it should be illegal. Speculation, in part, controls what is legal betting; bets of a company’s value, or in other words, the prices on the stock market. Exxon Mobile, for instance, announced its 1^st quarter 2011 profit of nearly $11 billion dollars, while the prices at the pump are once again at or over $4/gallon. This has a huge effect on the economy and could easily put us into a further recession. The price of everything increases when gas prices go up. A simple HVAC house call goes up, home renovations, food at the grocery store, that cool new TV you wanted, all increase in price because it cost more throughout the whole production and sales cycle to move the item around or the minimum cost to have a service worker come to your residence. In 3 months, Exxon made 11,000 million dollars or $5.1 million dollars per hour, every hour, for the 90 days in the 1^st quarter – all which was surplus after all operating expenses, salaries, etc were paid. Can you explain to me why this is acceptable and allowed by the government and why Exxon believes this is OK? I understand America is about working hard and making money, capitalism, but this is ridiculous. Simply stated, the gas prices do not have to be the price they are at the pump, not even close.

…if I sold brownies, it would never be a hit because, well…you can get brownies anywhere. If Lil Jon endorsed my brownies, then they would be a hit.

The ‘big’ people, rich, wealthy, people with status – whatever you may call them usually pay less percentage in taxes than the average American – money they don’t necessarily ‘need’. Again, some of these people, the ones that weren’t born into wealth, fall into the American way and what capitalism is about, making money…but after a certain amount, you could live without it. Chances are these people wouldn’t notice a little more of it gone. These same people also seem to have so much power. For example, if I sold brownies, it would never be a hit because, well…you can get brownies anywhere. If Lil Jon endorsed my brownies, then they would be a hit. Charlie Sheen wanted to sell t-shirts with phrases and start a webcast. Within hours he was up and running and we all knew about it, online, television and written news articles talked about these topics. The royal wedding is an old tradition in England, but it doesn’t really matter, especially for people in America…it doesn’t have any effect on us or our future – so why did we hear about it for at least a month straight?

Maybe we care about the wealthy because it is a name we know and have heard of in the past. It’s nice to hear a familiar name, know a certain amount of history, maybe be slightly envious of their life, but it’s just gossip. Obviously, not all rich, wealthy people are in the news, there are a lot of extremely wealthy people my dad tends bar at the resort he works, 1 out of many resorts of the same out there. I find it very silly and frustrating that someone such as myself, who works a full time job, goes to school, is very hands on with home and vehicle projects to save money and learn, has a good family and friend life and also work on website projects that I really enjoy. In a very entrepreneurial manner, I think of an idea, write it out on paper and make it into a website with graphics, code (front end and back end), database set up, advertising, social networking and everything else that needs to happen. On top of all this, I buy and read many, many magazines and books to grow my knowledge of something I truly enjoy. Of course, I can do better than I am if I had more time. This is where it gets extremely frustrating. I have written to investors, either they are not interested or I am ignored. I hardly make enough of a living at my job to pay for my normal life, let alone saving to fund my business. Who knows how much that will be and for how long I would have to go on without any income. And I’m unwilling to put my house up as collateral to get a loan. What if it doesn’t work?

It seems so silly to me that someone that is so determined and knowledgeable and a quick learner can’t get a few bucks to do what they would love to do for work, while there are some individuals that are born into wealth and have no idea what it’s like to be average or while sports players, actors, musicians, CEOs and other top workers at a company make so much money that $25k is chump change, or just a vacation fund. After taxes that’s about what I make in a year. Everyone thinks their idea is a big hit and worth a ton of money. It’s true, I think my ideas are pretty great – but I’m not asking for tons of money, I’m asking for enough to allow me to do what I enjoy and get by with the lifestyle I have.

I’m not an economist, reporter or anyone necessarily ‘important’. I’m just an average American, speaking my mind about the way the world is now. For people that are in the same shoes I am in, it is extremely difficult to create your own dream job. I’m not asking to be a world changing entrepreneur like Mark Zuckerberg and I’m not all that great at making bets, like Warren Buffet with his investments. All I want to do is what I enjoy doing, which is working on my website ideas, trying to create products I believe people and businesses would enjoy. It’s so difficult to do that without taking out a loan, if you can even get one approved, that wouldn’t risk you losing your home. It’s also so difficult to get investors interested in funding my projects and as a young, average American, I have no cash to get started.

There is SO MUCH money out there. How does the average American get their hand on just a little bit of it?

Internet Sales Tax

Local governments are pushing for an internet sales tax.  Some states have a tax law that says if the item is sold and shipped in the same state, the seller has to pay a sales tax, which is most likely passed down to the buyer.

If the internet sales tax becomes wide-spread, on every site.  I don’t think I would buy much online.  Right now, I buy almost EVERYTHING online.  I love getting a deal and getting packages at my front door.  Buying online doesn’t have many negative points, except when an item is delivered damaged, that can be a pain to correct - but it’s rare. Also, buying online, you don’t have to go from store to store if the item you are looking for is sold out.

Shipping prices have increased drastically over the past year or two and if a sales tax is added on top of that, there would be no point to buying online.  This would hurt the small businesses that are trying to make a profit online.  They have less overhead than the traditional retail store, but if you only have to pay a few more dollars to buy it in the store, would you go to the store?

We are taxed to death as it is.  Not only do we pay taxes on our income, we pay taxes on literally everything we do and buy.  I live in NC, so I also have a property tax on my vehicles EVERY YEAR.  Adding ‘just one more tax’ is a critical mistake.  I don’t make much money per year, but I am smart with my money and I live a nice life.  States just need to learn how to spend and budget better and stop being so greedy.

An internet sales tax would kill small business, it would kill our excitement of buying online.  If I don’t feel I’m getting a deal, I don’t buy it.  If I cannot get a deal in the store or online…I can live without it, but that hurts the government more because less product is being sold - and I’m sure there are other people that think like me out there.  So is adding an internet sales tax worth it?

Antoine Dodson - Internet Sensation

Check out the new link consolidation, social site - http://TheseSitesAre.Me

A Huntsville Alabama woman woke up to find an intruder in her bed, her screams alerted her brother who scared the man off. Her brother was interviewed by the local news.

It isn’t funny that Antoine’s sister was attacked and that they are victims, but it is funny how he expressed himself on TV. This has turned him into an overnight internet sensation.

I clipped the news interview and the song remix together. The song remix video is from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrWu13…

Antoine Dodson NEWS INTERVIEW and SONG REMIX in one

Antoine’s follow up interview

Nintendo 3DS - 3D Handheld Gaming

This looks so cool.  You can see what 3D handheld gaming will be like when the Nintendo 3DS comes out in this video.  I have to pre-order one!!

Ally Bank Commercial - Truck

I saw the funniest commercial the other day.  The reaction from the kid is so funny to me, I had to keep rewinding it and watching it again.

Check out the video:

About Ally Bank (From their site):

I have recently signed up for an account, it seems that it is an online bank, which can be good because they can have more competitive APR rates.  I need to fax in my identification to them to make the account active.  I will post my experience with the bank at a later time, but for now, enjoy the funny commercial!

Is Global Warming True?

I’m not sure I believe ‘Global Warming’ due to humans is true.  I believe that us burning the fossil fuels at the rate we do causes the air we breathe to be more dirty.  I believe that the temperature of the Earth is more on its own cycle, than the current rise in average temperatures to be our fault.  To prove my thinking, think about the Ice Age…there could not have been anything that the Dinosaurs were doing to make everything freeze over.  Also, read this short article from the May 2009 Popular Mechanics magazine:

“An international team of scientists has uncovered the fossil of a 60-million-year-old snake that weighed 2500 pounds and was more than 40 feet long.  Aside from the creep factor, this is significant because the maximum size of cold-blooded animals is determined by temperature.  The size of the Titanoboa cerrejonensis indicates the South American topical forest had average temperatures of about 90 F - more than 10 degrees hotter than current norms.”

Now what do you think?

Things I Want in 2009

Everyone has a wish list, right? Well I have come up with the list of things I want in 2009.

ICON A5 Personal Aircraft

Maybe one day we will be flying instead of driving.

The ICON A5 is a low cost, 2-seater air plane. The instrument panel is not overwhelming, but is set up like road vehicles and the A5 has a built in GPS. To check out more about the company and see more videos and pictures, go to:

http://www.ICONAIRCRAFT.com

Sony DSC-G3 Cybershot

This Cybershot is amazing just like the previous versions. This camera has WiFi, you can easily post pictures and video from your camera to YouTube, Shutterfly and more, immediately after you take the picture and no need to hook the camera up to a computer. With WiFi just about anywhere nowadays, this camera is very cool for that social webber. I own a Cybershot now and love it, I always love upgrading when the new models come out.

http://www.SonyStyle.com

2009 Nissan GT-R

In a previous article, where I talked about the new Nissan GT-R, I forgot to mention that I’d like one of these! The 2009 Nissan GT-R is truly a sports car of great value. Priced under $80k, its performance matches cars in the $200k price range.

It has a twin-turbo 3.8L aluminum V6 engine that produces 480HP, propelling the car from 0-60MPH in 3.5 seconds.

http://www.gtrnissan.com/index.html?deeplink=globe|de

SEAmagine Ocean Pearl Personal Submarine

With the most expensive and highest maintenance cost, the SEAmagine Ocean Pearl is on my list of things I want in 2009. With this machine, you can navigate the ocean for 8 hours by itself. There is still limited information on this machine, but I can tell it strikes my interest.

http://www.seamagine.com

3M MPRO110 Pocket Projector

If you are into gadgets or are an on the go work professional, the 3M Micro Professional Projector is a really cool tool. About the size of a cell phone, the battery powered projector connects to most digital devices to project movies and photos anywhere. Personally, I am a gadget guy.

http://www.3mmpro.com

LiveScribe Pulse Smart Pen

Great for meetings. Not only can you write notes, but at the same time your notes are recorded digitally.

http://www.LiveScribe.com

OQO Portable Computer

OLED is the new technology when it comes to monitors. Unfortunately the technology limits the screen size to relatively small sizes. In the case of a small, portable computer, OLED is a perfect choice. The OLED technology allows for the screens to be thinner than regular LED screens and use less power, so you know the OQO Portable Computer is thin and has great battery life.

http://www.oqo.com

Not to sound like the Merrill Lynch CEO…well FORMER Merrill Lynch CEO - Click For Article.  I don’t want to sound too greedy, but even a few things on the list would be dank!

ICON A5 Personal Aircraft

Maybe one day we will be flying instead of driving.

The ICON A5 is a low cost, 2-seater air plane.  The instrument panel is not overwhelming, but is set up like road vehicles and the A5 has a built in GPS.  To check out more about the company and see more videos and pictures, go to ICONAIRCRAFT.com

ICON A5

2009 Nissan GT-R, 21st Century Supercar

The 2009 Nissan GT-R is truly a sports car of great value.  Priced under $80k, its performance matches cars in the $200k price range.

It has a twin-turbo 3.8L aluminum V6 engine that produces 480HP, propelling the car from 0-60MPH in 3.5 seconds.

http://www.gtrnissan.com/index.html?deeplink=globe|de

If you have any more information on the new GT-R, please post!

It’s Official, We are in a Recession

It is official, government acknowledges we are in a recession.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/01/news/economy/recession/?postversion=2008120115

Money Then and Now

I have heard more than once from people of the baby boomer generation, that growing up, their Mother either didn’t work or only worked part time. They lived well, not elaborate, but fine. Now you either need one really good income, lots of overtime hours worked, multiple jobs or, more easily, two incomes, to live the same way the baby boomers remembered growing up.

I’ve read from a few sources that studies have been done that show that seniors are the happiest Americans as well as some articles saying baby boomers may be the most depressed. I can see seniors being the happiest age group. Seniors have been through and figured out how they deal with stress the best, if they had children - they are most likely out on their own, their houses/property tends to be paid off or almost paid off, retirement becomes a reality and seniors tend to keep themselves entertained by joining social groups with their peers. It also seems that people grow up now saving from every paycheck for retirement, so when it starts to become a reality - it is exciting. Baby boomers are dealing with massive competition at work and the possibility of less or no retirement income from the government. For my generation, social security is most likely not going to be there for our retirement years.

For us Americans that are not seniors, we have some daily stresses that we may or may not have figured out how to deal with. Life is a learning process. Money can always be considered a stress to most people. There are ways you can save money, such as getting a roommate (if you are younger or single) or cut back on the amount you spend on your every day necessities.

As stated in one of my previous articles, I felt that items that were inexpensive, like store brand products and other no-name brand products, sales would increase. A recent article in the New York Times states the same theory. The article goes on to say that middle-class Americans are switching from name brand to the cheaper alternatives, eating in instead of dining out, flying at unusual hours to shave dollars off airfares as well as booking cheaper hotels and motels. We need to travel and we need to buy food, but there are other things we want to spend our money on than just every day necessities.

Is Eating Out Cheaper Than Eating In?

How Bad Will The Economy Get?

April 2008

Eat Out For Less

N&O Article

Employment Tips For The Recession

It’s apparent we are in a recession. From the US dollar declining 45% in value compared to the Euro since 2002 and a staggering 15% (of the 45% total) just in this first quarter this year. Imports are down 2.9% from February to March, exports are down 1.7% in the same time frame. Donations to organizations are down. Commodities are up considerably from this time last year; corn is up 41%, eggs up 68.5% and gas is up 25%.

The average inflation that employers give you is 3-4% per year.

I came across some great tips from the CareerBuilder section in the News & Observer that I would like to share. Below are resume tips, strong career fields and links to more articles from CareerBuilder.

Revise Your Resume

Employers want to see that you are the perfect match for the position they are trying to fill. Have different resumes that are directed to the different jobs you are interested in, using specific keywords that relate to the position you are applying for.

List Your Career Summary

Mention your career highlights, past roles and strong skills. List a summary that gives the employer and idea of who you are by your experiences and briefly mention your goals.

Proofread

Nothing is more embarrassing than incorrect grammar or a misspelled word. Take your time and have someone read over your resume to get a second opinion.

Lying

As the old saying goes, “What goes around, comes around.” Lying may come around to bite you. Lying should not be considered when writing your resume.

Appearance

You only have one time to make a first impression. You want to make your resume short and sweet, memorable, clear and easy to read. Employers read resumes multiple times while they try to come up with candidates to schedule interviews with. If you make key points on your resume easy to find without relying on them to make notes, your resume will be more memorable.

Network

Sometimes the best thing you can do is know people. Education is a key, but to keep more doors open and opportunities available, networking, being friendly and helping people out will come around to help you in the future. I’ve found this to be true myself. In most company management manuals, fraternization is frowned upon. I believe you need to do the right thing if a weird situation pops up in the future, but connecting with people at a personal, non-work level, will help you out. Everybody wants to feel they have friends and not just people they speak to at work because they have to. Check out LINKEDIN.com.

Target Your Job Search

Don’t apply for every job available at a company. This will show management that you are unsure as to what you excel at and may put you out of consideration for any of the positions.

Recession-resistant Careers

• Health care
• Education
• Security
• Environmental Sciences
• Government

More Information From CareerBuilder

Recession Proof Jobs

Resume Blunders

All CareerBuilder Articles (VERY Informative)