Vegas!

I am in Vegas for a while, working on an online gaming project and continuing on with the startup that can not be named. Town's changed a lot since I lived here previously, and maybe not for the better. There's a lot of empty houses and the grifters seem a lot more desperate. Still, good econ. tidings on the horizon, and rumor has it that I'll be here through the end of the year before heading for greener pastures.

Cooking!

Got a budding Emeril or Julia Child in your brood? Or maybe you just want your kid to know how to chicken-fry everything in the kitchen.

Sparky,what you're looking for is my mom's new book.

On the shelves at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764145614/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=07H6YY0ZJ9PKZFDQQQTB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Life in the country

Pulled up at the compound earlier and startled a mother deer and her fawn. The mother jumped over the fence, but Junior didn't make it. Mom's out back eating grass now, while the fawn is staggering around the front looking confused.

Recognizing that I shouldn't anthropomorphize the animal kingdom, I feel guilty. It's possible I wouldn't have prospered in the 19th century despite my high scores on Oregon Trail

Hello Austin employers

I been healthyin' it up lately. Getting out before eight, and getting some breakfast on before a real long run around the neighborhood. I'm not going anywhere, just straight-up running. And if you wanted to spend an hour or so working on a metaphor about how running around the neighborhood not going anywhere was like the job search, well, that'd be two of us. I've got the frustration meter at about a 96 right now. I could be talked into going higher.

So almost 500 resumes later, I can't help but notice that I send these applications and carefully crafted cover letters out, and then spend the rest of the day staring at my inbox and making follow-up calls. Some of you have neglected to write back with your own awesome ideas about what I could do for employment.

People!

I'm not sure what my return on investment is with the enormous time sink of applying for jobs, It's clear that something is going on with how people find employment. I mean, think about it. Is there anyone who reads this who doesn't know brilliant, talented people who can't seem to get untracked? Someone who does everything right, has the skills and credentials, and then can't even get an auto-reply, let alone an interview.

So I know-unlock the animal within, find the hidden job market, send letters, network network network, blog, tweet, create a careful construct online and get people to think that your avatar is just the most employable thing ever.

I even had one person tell me in all seriousness that Farmville networking was the best way to find employment. I said no thanks to that mess. I read the Grapes of Wrath in eighth grade, and I think digital Joad Brothers ends in tears.

I've rewritten my resume so many different times that I'm not even sure I recognize myself in the bullet points anymore. I'm done doing that.

So here's the thing, people. I actually know what I'm doing around sales, marketing, new products et al. You name the business problem and I've probably worked on it. Extensively.

I've got some fancy educational credentials, if you like that kind of thing. And if you're still reading this post (hi Mom!) and think that you maybe want hear a little more about why I can help you with your project, assignments, sales, then by all means, get in touch. I've made things happen everywhere I've gone and I'm not letting something like a resume scanner stop me.

A marketing note

Sustenance for the math-starved children in your life. AKA my mom's new book. http://tinyurl.com/ykoxzgy

In addition,,,

As an alternative to 1200 page bills that no one has actually read in totality, perhaps we should allow insurance companies to sell in any state they wish, prevent state legislatures from deciding what must be covered, and allow insurance portability.

Insurance companies would finally be forced to compete on price and service. And how could that be bad?

Single payer or individual buyers?

So everyone else has a health insurance plan. And while I think that a single payer system is unlikely to actually occur, there are some potential improvements that would be useful for Congress to focus on.

· If people are going to be forced to buy health insurance ala Massachusetts, then let people buy across state lines-a national market encourages pricing efficiencies and restricts the amount of political influence that can get bought at the state level. Illinois, we’re looking at you here.
· Give poor and working class people tax credits (vouchers) to buy insurance.
· De-couple health insurance from employers-the associated corporate savings would have a salutary effect on the unemployment rate.
· Greater access to pre-existing health savings accounts for use on less immediately necessary procedures-cosmetic dentistry and the like.

So that’s what I think-in general, I think incremental change is lot more likely to not produce dislocation among people who can least afford it-Medicare recipients, the mentally ill, and folks unfortunate enough to have rare yet serious illnesses.

Next time, we’ll talk about how the single purchaser system is going to stifle innovation and the knock-on effects around the world.

We interrupt this program,,,,,

A brief marketing message, before I go back to building AnotherNail and spending 16 hours a day on the laptop.

My mom has published her latest book, Science Wizardry for Kids. It’s a very attractively illustrated book of science experiments for kids & is receiving rave reviews. An excellent gift for science minded children-given how much velocity self-esteem based education seems to have, Mom’s book may be all the science education many kids receive anymore. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/p6v9n6

A fascinating, in-depth look at the finanical crisis in Iceland from Michael Lewis: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/04/iceland200904

AIG bonus bill

Think the economy's bad now? Wait till the world gets the message that American business is subject to retrospective bills of attainder.