All the Clergy are Married in Normal, Mn.: FICTION Well it's spring, and now that the frozen tundra has warmed up, it is time for me to get back up to the cabin in Normal, Mn., the small fishing village near Garrison where I get away from the wild and crazy politics in Wisconsin, and settle in to some peaceful walleye fishing and such, and start each day off at Betty Lou's Cafe, where all the coffee is double strong black, and in a tall blue Minnesota Vikings mug, which are in short supply because Betty Lou is unsure whether the Vikings are going to stay in Minnesota, so the mugs are available for sale, but for $19.95 as a tourist item.....but I digress. I stopped in last Sunday at the Church of the Perpetual Fisherman, and chatted with the resident pastor, who travels between three parishes in Northern Minnesota, but makes his home in Normal, MN with his wife and 3 children...yes he is married, and in fact, he is my hero, along with all of Christ's apostles who were ALL married. Ah if only we could purify the Church and take it back to the days when the focus was on reaching out to spread the WORD rather than whether the proper response is "With your Spirit" or the more correct Hebrew version....." But I digress....and ALL the nuns in Normal, Mn. are Married too....that's the way it always has been in Normal, Mn...Where the nuns have been involved in teaching and such....
Friday, June 06, 2025
Wednesday, June 04, 2025
Nostalgia: Jan 2006: Memories of Judge Ali, or "A Modest Proposal for the Improvement of Justice in Evansville.
Beloit is about to begin it's own version of Court TV. It will begin broadcasting the municipal court on TV. It's going to be "Judge Joe." It will appeal to those viewers who need to know about their neighbors and what they have been up to, as in disorderly conduct and such. (Click on the post for the full story.)
We in Evansville know a bit about marketing and we can certainly do better. We have seen Judge Judy. O.k. Let's see. We have Judge Tom Alisankus. Now "Judge Tom" would not seem to rhyme much. We need something like "Judge Rocky" to really get attention. But------ if we just shortened the last name a bit-----yes-----Judge Ali---
It's now "Court TV with Judge Ali"-----that's catchy.
All the revenue from ads would go to support the municipal court. That would be instead of going on high speed chases. Think of the benefits.
We would create jobs for camera folks and make up and lighting. What a fantasy! Revenue way over budget!
Let's not rush too fast on the idea though----We should talk to the Judge first. After all, we should let him have a say in his own name change. Then, there is the question of whether "Judge Ali" is dignified enough." I will let the bloggers weigh in on that. However, it sure is powerful enough. It would strike fear. It sure would deter crime. Just think of the headlines, "Judge Ali levys huge fine...." So it all comes down to the "fear" and "respect" aspects of the name change.
I will leave it up to you.
You make the call.
Monday, June 02, 2025
Nostalgia: 2011: On Plenty: On Satisfaction : On Much much More
On Plenty; Or, Why a lot of a little is a little and a little of a lot is a lot; Or, a thought on parables
Phil Laut was a new age author that I had the pleasure of meeting in 1984 just after he had published his first book, “Money is my Friend.” In the beginning of this book, Phil examines the nature of “satisfaction.” In real life it is clear that some folks cannot be satisfied by the amount of money they have. Their life is a constant quest followed by the feeling of being disappointed. The question is whether the feeling or the fact comes first? According to Phil Laut, the sense of having plenty comes before the plenty itself, and also the sense of scarcity always comes before the scarcity itself. The feeling comes before the fact. Anyway, this was a pretty striking thought for me back in 1984. Being a man of action. Who would have thought that feeling had anything to do with it. Anyway.
Phil Laut's whole discussion makes me think back on the parable of the loaves and fishes. The verse goes that the crowd was fed and was “ satisfied. ‘ Now was it that the loaves and fishes were so much multiplied, or was it that in the state of peace their anxiety was reduced and hunger was taken away? From the story, one cannot say for sure. Was the multiplication of the loaves and fishes all about the feeling or the fact ? The reason I point this out is that the parables tell a story to make a point. Might the point have been lost? Lost right in the midst of doing the math.
Along with the concept of plenty, is the concept of what a “ little” is. And what a “lot” is. We often see people that want to dominate every transaction but in their enthusiasm to get every dime, make sure they fail.. The effort to dominate does not result in huge success. Thus comes the saying, "a lot of a little is a little."
On the other hand, there is the rule that “ a little of a lot is a lot.” A good example of this is the computer programmer that comes up with a novel idea of how to handle text that can be used worldwide. However, it is just a part of a larger program, a fact he recognizes. In working for the larger program success, his element gets worldwide sales and he becomes rich.
The key thing that makes this happen is an attitude of allowing others to participate in a large idea and just keep a little for oneself. The attitude comes before the reality. Feeling before fact.
I still do really like those action movies. This all does make me wonder about those loaves and fishes though.
Nostalgia: 2007: The bin Laden Videos---the challenge
The BinLaden Videos---the challenge
Recently the two videos from Osama Bin Laden had put the Evansville Observer himself in quite a tizzy. After all. Imagine an aging guy like Osama, working out of a cave somewhere in Pakistan with a wireless laptop maybe, or maybe with an expensive MAC PRO with video and Final Cut Pro software ---and yes an external generator outside the cave to provide some power once in a while to recharge the batteries.
In short---the guy had some adversity to his production schedule---and yet he publishes two 15 minute videos---and with complex editing and with compression. Yes.
It appears that he knows far MORE about video than the Observer does.
Just when I was getting a little jealous about this guys ability to learn new technology while hunkered down in a cave----the news came out that indeed the video was a total fake. What a relief!!!!!
The whole incident could have been a huge black eye to all of us bloggers and yes--even cities too. Imagine being a city, even a city here in God's county, midst the plenty of cheese and the Green Bay Packers....and saying that we just cannot do video and audio for our community civic meetings----but Osama seems to have the ability right out of a cave. Yes. That comparison might have harmed our reputation.
Relax. They were just a fake.
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Nostalgia: 2007: Memories of Ft. Erbe: "You are Never too Old to begin"
Wednesday, April 4, 2007 "You are Never Too Old to Begin"--Memories of Fr. Erbe
Nostalgia: July 2008: A Postscript on the Wild West
There is a notion...and it has been pretty doggone persistent over a few hundred years, that back in them there pioneer days, there was just the natural ways...just the wild and free livin of truly lawless and unrestrained individuals-----
There is also the further notion, that if we could just somehow get back to those good old days of wild livin, free of a strong central government....and in fact free of all regulation and inhibition of any kind, that ....well.....we would be perfectly happy....and if one was a business owner....rich....which is the same thing.
As a young boy, I had the freedom to read all the stories of Wyatt Erpe. I know that there was a lot more law in them there parts than some folks remember. I know that the lawmen did their job. Many gun toting hombres were driven from town. Back when the frontier was the frontier. When saloons were saloons. When bricks were bricks. When good was good....and bad was just bad....and not bad to the bone.
Friday, May 30, 2025
Nostalgia: January 2008: On the Perfect Marriage: On Mr and Mrs Smith--the Movie: On Politics
Recently we've had a debate in our family. After viewing "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" staring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, I theorized that this indeed was the perfect marriage. Rough in the beginning. O.K. very rough. And then in the end it is just perfect ballet.
My middle daughter, who wishes to remain anonymous, objected strenuously. She is a psychology major and I inquired whether the textbooks describe the marital bond as similar to that of Brad and Angelina. "Heavens no, dad. Are you saying that marriage is like the elevator scene where she nearly kills Brad?"
"Yes," I replied. "That is so real." "The only part that seems too long is the scene at the end where they move in perfect harmony with the machine guns killing all the enemy. Without even a nick or scratch from flying fragments. I am still waiting for that in real life.
Recently "Fred" has written about what he learned about the "open meeting" law at a recent municipal conference for new aldermen. He says:
"One thing I'm learning is that the requirements of open-ness and transparency in local government gives rise to a general slowness in getting things done. For example, alders can almost never have private conversations among themselves about issues. The monthly meetings, held in the public eye, are where we must discuss things before coming to decisions. That's to protect us from accusations of "secret deals" etc, and to ensure that you the citizens have access to the decision-making process."
So, as a matter of debate, I would propose that meetings in our fair city should resemble the relationship of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie during most of the movie----with wild differences of thought that are aired---but rather in public not in private.
If one ever sees orchestrated movement in perfect harmony we will know that something is wrong--terribly wrong. It is only an absolute miracle if all alders could agree in the normal happening of things on anything, and then probably only if they had chatted in private before the meeting or something. Heaven forbid.
So there it is. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" the movie and the politics. If we ever see perfect harmony, perfect lawyering, perfect grant proposals, perfect public works and perfect dancing with machine guns----or perfect harmony in voting---we will know.
Now. Who is the Brad Pitt? O.K. you all can fight about it.
That's how I see it. You heard it on The Evansville Observer
Nostalgia: 2007: Tales From Normal, Mn :FICTION: The Cameras
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2007
Dateline Normal: The Cameras-----Fiction
" Just click on the link on The Observer," I explained to Herman. "Is that cool or what?"
"What is the purpose?" Herman asked.
"It is just to keep track of the historic restoration of our downtown----basically to watch how the bricks are coming," I responded.
"That's nothin, Wolfman, (that's what he always called me.) Up here we had TEN cameras. Man was that something."
"What do you mean HAD ten cameras, Herman. Did not the cameras work properly."
"They worked just WONDERFUL, "Herman gushed. "They worked just too darn well. Ya gotta understand, Wolfman, there are only two intersections in Normal, Mn... With ten cameras we had it totally covered. In fact TOO covered. Our cops just sat in the police station and watched their computers. Pretty soon, it became a threat to public health."
"What do you mean a threat to public health?," I asked. It sounds like nirvana to me."
"It was a threat since all crime just dried up. There was nothing for the police or the judges and lawyers to do. It was a real catastrophe."
"Wow." I said. "I never thought of that possibility."
Thank goodness I am back here in good old Evansville. Where we only have ONE camera downtown. And where we have just enough crime to keep everyone busy.
Alleluia.
Sunday, May 25, 2025
2008: Nostalgia: "The Cold Calling Cowboy"
(Ed.note: Republished from 2008 due to popular demand: It is from the "Traders Little Black book" or as my brother calls it, "The Little Traders Black book) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2008 "Cold Calling Cowboy"----The Wild West ; The Deregulation of Wall Street Over the past thirty years there has been a transition from a structured investment environment to one that is "deregulated"---it has been marked by the end of the era of salaried brokers with higher commissions and research, to a world of $7 trades and computer simulations. It has been a movement from wise older traders to young, churn and burn robots. "Where has been the saving,?" you might ask. I like to compare the situation to the airline industry. Years ago, when airfares were higher, and Northwest Airlines had ZERO debt, the transportation industry and financial services industry was seen as a public sector, where the government had a say in an organized and supervised code of conduct for all participants----those days are gone. When I fly, I always feel more comfortable when I know there has been maintanance done on the engines. The cheapest fare is not consoling if I see flames coming from the engines. Ditto for the financial services industry. When investment just becomes a transaction, when people just become a transaction, and when "churn and burn" becomes the overriding element in business, the customer always loses. Consequently, I reject the notion that nostalgia for the good old days of regulation is senile and old fashioned. I believe it just makes economic sense for the investor. Recently a lone French trader for a bank, using "proprietary trading funds", in the throes of breaking up with his girlfriend, took enormous options risk and....despite the bank even knowing about his risks, but not understanding it or choosing to ignore it for fear they would impede some gains, caused a 7 billion dollar loss. Imagine what would happen worldwide if just a dozen or so financial professionals broke up with their girlfriends. Yes. Girls that is something to consider. You may think you are just breaking up....but you might just be causing a global catastrophe. Be True to your man....o.k. In summary. The incredible catastrophe of ENRON was not just ENRON. The real catastrophe was that as a nation we have modeled our financial institutions on ENRON. And we have the major tactic of DELAY, the verb, not the noun. Posted by Evansville Observer at 1:20 PM
Friday, May 16, 2025
Nostalgia: December 2007: "It is More than the bricks that you seek"
Recently our town restored the brick street downtown, in an effort to revitalize the downtown business district.
On the way back from the ceremony of dedication, I happened to bump into a local historian and we chatted for a while. She asked me how I liked bricks. I mentioned that while I was a history major and indeed had specialized in the period of 1900 to 1930, and loved the homes, and indeed lived in one built in 1912 just identical to the one my grandpa had built himself in 1912, with the hardwood floors and such, I still felt that folks were really being nostalgic for something larger.
"What?" she asked.
"Well," I went on, in the days before World War I, there was a connectedness of small communities-----yes there is a size factor------and when folks remember the time of the bricked streets, it is really that close community that they miss. It was a real time once-----and only the bricks remain of it now.
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Nostalgia: 2014: Tales From Normal,Mn: FICTION: Distinguished Trust Representative urges Investors to Hold
A distinguished executive from the Frozen Tundra Investment Fund was in Normal, Mn. this morning to speak at the Big Minnow Rotary Society of Normal, Mn.,,,a group of older bass fisherman in these parts...and after his presentation, in which he urged the locals to keep their holdings in stocks and bonds and not sell in a panic, because he was hoping to sell those shares held in margin accounts on a short sale for his company and make a killing...as he had been doing for all the past year...well...the bass fishermen were pretty stunned, and then after a second cup of coffee they got a little angry...why...just to think that all of the baby boomer generation had been fed a bunch of pablum to be long term investors so that the wise guys could sell them short and make a killing just made them furious....stay tuned as I follow this story...
Nostalgia: OpEd: 2010: Evansville Budgets: Getting to Zero: DeJa Vu
OpEd: Evansville: Budgets: "Getting to ZERO" 2010
The difficulty with the ZERO is that to get to zero requires that if wage contracts are honored, some programs and yes some staff have to be furloughed....yes some fees have to go up....and some taxes have to go up. There is just no other way the arithmetic works, unless we have some "grants" to bail us out, the "grants" being from the federal government, which is us, and which will, and is coming to get us in taxes as we speak....
In each of the past four decades there have been times of austerity. If you flip back you can remember or research these---from the recession of 1970 and the closing of Gisholt Machine Works in Madison, to the layoffs at Oscar Meyer, to the recession of 1981 to the Crash of 1986 etc.....
The Past is gone.
This is going to be a difficult budget season for everyone, and the deal has been changed on the State and Federal level. The days of everyone advocating for themselves and working to see their pet projects approved is over....Programs will be cut....Sacrifices will be made....as they have in the past. Dreams for programs will be put on hold for a later date--delayed and not destroyed....When things get better we can take the dreams out of the file cabinet and plan....or maybe our kids will take the files out of the file cabinet.
This is not the time for unseemly ranting...It is the time to reflect on how to make reasonable promises that can be kept over time...and review the ones that have been made in the past that are in jeopardy of being broken. Were the promises from the State to our schools broken? Will the promises to our seniors be broken? Will the promises to our civil pensioners be broken?
Nostalgia: August 2013: Tales From Normal, Mn: Bystander Arrested for thinking thoughts of possibly asking a question: FICTION
Bystander arrested for thinking thoughts of possibly raising a question: Tales from Normal, Mn.: FICTION
Nostalgia: 2011: Austerity Days Come to Normal, Mn: Fiction
Austerity Days" Come to Normal, Mn: Fiction
If you get near Garrison this weekend, just look for the large signs---to celebrate the return of life of the 1950's one store will be selling hamburgers for .25 and also beer will be really cheap...but then it always has been cheap in Normal, Mn. Sure business owners would like you to buy something, but bein that it is austerity days, they will be real laid back on the sales technique. Stop on by. It should be fun.
Friday, May 09, 2025
Nostalgia: 2008: Bear Markets ---The Poem
In bear markets
thingsgo
down
stocks
hope
families
dreams
health
faith and
people
too
On a
global
view
Over the
long
haul
In
a greater
good
larger
macroeconomic
sense
In the
divine
order
of things
according
to Greenspan
they might be
good
HUH?
For
me
it's
cash
cash
cash
that counts
when
bear markets
mean
bare
Wednesday, May 07, 2025
Nostalgia: 2008: "Past Results do not guarantee Future Performance".
Ed. note: This is a post from The Traders Blue Book from 2008: It is one of the most popular posts.) Past Results Do Not Guarantee Future Performance." If you do not remember this phrase, you are probably too young to read this post. In virtually every mutual fund brochure or prospectus for a unit trust of whatever investment, there is the caution...... after of course the investment representative has gone over the wonderful result if..... in theoretical terms..... you had invested ....$1....at the Crash of 1929 and invested that in this particular investment....you would have had the wonderful result listed above....." and after speaking of those wonderful theoretical results, there is the caution about ...."Past Results do not guarantee future performance..." Recently, in Evansville, in our own school projections for future school demand for facilities, whether we looked at population projection or building permit historical data, nobody wanted to read the warning----"Past results do not guarantee future performance." Even in the Evansville City budget, the city financial consultant, Greg Johnson, from Ehlers and Associates stated that "proceeding forward with no further General Obligation debt, the future seems to be no problem with debt capacity." The problem, of course, was pointed out by Fred Juergens, who counted 5 million in dreams that were penciled in on the capital investment budget for the year around 2009. It seems we always, as human beings, want the pro forma future not to include the unfortunate expenses of the reality of the things on the horizon. I could go on about flashing lights from dashboards of cars re warnings, but.....I think you get the jist. As a stress reliever, it is important to manage stress and ...a little denial is good. Sometimes....the denial gets too large. Posted by Evansville Observer at 8:58 AM
Nostalgia: 2005: X-19: The story of Don Thompson
As an Evansville regular of the library, you may notice the silver Honda with the license plate, X19, each morning and you may notice an older gentleman in a burgundy french beret cap. Like clockwork, he enters the library and approaches the circulation department each morn----- "Good morning ladies." " How is everyone this fine morning." "We're just fine, Don How are you this morning? You are a little late."..........
Evansville's X19 has a long history as a WWII veteran and a car dealer in Evansville. .....
During WWII, on the island of Okinawa, X19 served first as a PX manager, and later when the military learned about his ability to take and develop film, as a forward observer. Located very close to the Japanese lines, his job was to telephone, and quickly, the adjustments for Allied artillery. Avoiding detection was survival. This was the third of his landings. First there was Kiska, then Saipai.. The next one, the one he already had his number for, was the landing on Japan. " We were all dead, and we knew it, he said. " We knew the reputation of the resistance in Japan, that all those on the Japan landings would be history."
After the A-bomb, and the end of the war, X19 returned home to Evansville. There was a long tradition in the automobile business in the family. His step- grandfather had been the first Ford dealer in the State of Wisconsin. His father was the sales manager of the Ford dealership in Evansville, located where the roller rink is now today. X19 began to work in the Evansville dealership. After X19's son returned from the Vietnam war, they got to chatting one afternoon about the car business. The son said he really didn't like the business. X19 said, " Well, that make's two of us. I have been frustrated with it for years and only kept it for you. In fact, Ford had a v8 in 1937 with 60 and 85 HP that got 35mpg, but preferred the big, gas guzzlers that were unreliable. I have never forgiven them for that. It was a big mistake. Let's sell the business." And he did. He is now on his 5th Honda.
When he sold the dealership number 19, he changed his license to X19. He got the idea from the governor of Wisconsin, who had number 1 on his license plate, and then when he left office, took the number X1.
In the years since, X19 has served 30 years on the library board, as well as 30 years on the Board of Review.
I have mentioned in an earlier post on "How to sculpt a David," that the key to creating things is knowing what one does NOT want to become. Carving out the unwanted really defines a person. What caused the gift of length of years Don has been given?--87 1/2. It is all right there on the license plate...... X19.
As you enter the library this halloween, you might sense the spirit of X19, the spirit of Don Thompson. His spirit of service lives.
Saturday, May 03, 2025
Nostalgia : 2013: The Legend of Theodore Robinson
Many years ago, Chris Eager, the then president of UBT bank, and activist in the move to create the Evansville Senior Center, came to a meeting of the Evansville School Board, to introduce the concept of the Evansville Community Center, and why it was expanded to a broader concept to get public support...during the question and answer period, he was asked why the middle school was called the "Theodore Robinson Middle School"--to which he replied, " Theodore Robinson was a student here who left and became a great painter in Europe, studying under some of the great masters...and our goal for our city and school should not be to be able to say that we have created graduates that have lived their whole lives in Evansville, but that we have launched students to form successful lives and families and careers." I who had favored the name "Grove School" was stunned, and recognized instantly that Chris was right....I hope to launch our children to the larger world, and even ouselves, and to be able to say to strangers, "I am from Evansville, Wisconsin."
Monday, April 28, 2025
Nostalgia: November 2006: That I Might See: That I might Hear: That I might speak
(Ed.note. Whenever the Observer finds an unusual sermon locally, I will try to summarize it for my faithful readers. In case some might have missed it. I have long been a reader of printed sermons, such as Jonathan Edwards, etc. In times gone by, this was an established area of literature, and rhetoric. )
Last Sunday a local pastor in Evansville gave a sermon that was pretty remarkable. It was on the blind man at the side of the road. Yes, there are several of them in the gospels, but in this one story, the blind man is told to shut up and be still. The Lord hears the commotion and says, "Bring him to me." A little teaching lesson for those disciples on their future role.
Anyway. When the disciples approach the blind man and tell him to come forward, the blind man throws off his cloak. The pastor noted the fact that the blind use their cloak to keep the coins that people throw to them in their begging. So---throwing the cloak is pretty remarkable. The blind man had a real focus on what was important. He already "saw" pretty clearly.
The Lord then asks the blind man: "What do you want? And the blind man says, "That I might see."
You all know the rest of the story. But.....
As I traveled about this week, I counted the number of bifocals and extra reading glasses, and the sunglasses etc that those over 40 struggle with as their eyes suffer a variety of conditions......It is pretty rampant. It is very, very common. I invite you to do a little survey. I think you will be amazed by the data.
I liked the sermon and all. From the Observer perspective, I wonder what kind of "blindness" was really being cured here? As my readers know, I have been a big fan of Pinocchio and stories etc, and never have confused the point with the facts. I know some folks think the Lord was a vision specialist and did a little early laser treatment. NO. I think not. He also was NOT an educational specialist who wrote books on braille. NO. I would propose...for friendly debate of course...that it's a different kind of blindness---the kind we all have.
Very early....we begin not seeing. The things that are inconvenient. And the hearing too begins to fade. We just do not want to hear. The lies. The pain. Well, lots of stuff.
And then the final blow. The voice fades. We lose the ability to raise our hand and speak. To ask questions. To disagree. It becomes just too uncomfortable.
What woe! To be blind. And deaf. And dumb. And the progression begins so early in life.
So. It's not too late. To stand. To see. To hear. And to speak. Let's throw off the cloak and begin. Toss the small change on the floor.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Nostalgia: 2014: Tales From Normal, Mn: Heritage found preserved in cave in Normal, Mn FICTION
Just got the news...via tweet...from the bass fishermen in Normal, Mn, who have taken the rainy morning off and are holed up at Betty Lou's Coffee Shop..where all the coffee is double strong..and the whipped cream is no extra charge....it seems that this past weekend some young boys were exploring in the caves around Normal, Mn., and they discovered on one wall something pretty unusual...and in a moment they were thunderstruck because it just proved that hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago...humans were here and well..they were our ancient heritage...they saw the words carved out that we see all over the world today from humans of the highest order....." We need more and better weapons."
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Nostalgia: 2017: Tales from Normal, Mn FICTION: Candidate wants to use his vast bankruptcy experience to help America
Just got the tweet from the bass fishermen at Betty Lou's coffee shop....where there has been some hot and heavy talk this morning about which Republican candidate for President would be the best candidate to lead America...and the front runner has said that he wants to utilize his vast bankruptcy experience to get the best deal for America....stay tuned.
Nostalgia: 2022: Tales from Normal, Mn: FICTION: National Day of Fraud Repentence Scheduled.
A national Day of Fraud repentance will be celebrated on Sunday January 30,2022 in Normal, Minnesota. This will be a day long event held at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Because of the overwhelming interest in this event reservations are required. This event is principally designed for penitant corporate executives. Trained evangelical ministers will be available to hear your confession and prosecutors will also be available to suggest plea agreements. This is a special opportunity for corporate whistleblowers to invite their CEO's to attend this event. There is no admission charge and in fact the whistleblower with the largest fraud referral will receive a special prize
Friday, April 18, 2025
Nostalgia: 2012: Americans DO Remember!!
What are investors telling us on Wall Street? Investors are in CASH. The machines are in equities. The regular citizen has been barraged by media pundits telling them that they must take their life savings and at a time they face retirement, that they should invest in equities. Seniors are not buying it. They are in CASH. What does that tell you and what does that mean for the Presidential election? America does remember the crash of Lehman in 2008. They do remember the white faced President Bush and Secretary of Treasury Paulson speaking on the imminent crisis they faced and the prospects of a complete financial meltdown. So guess what? Americans do not want to go back. They remember. The election is over. Their memory has served the people well.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Nostalgia: 2006: " The Great Bank Robbery of 2005
The Great Robbery of 2005; Or, a modest proposal for the historical revision of the tales of armed robbery; OR, Book Review: “The best way to rob a bank is to own one.” By William K. Black.
Recently right in the midst of our local bank moving to its new location, a bold, young man strode in and robbed it in broad daylight. Because of the bank relocating, the cameras had been disabled and in the aftermath, the local rumor was that probably the robber would never be caught. Hopes faded for a solution to the crime.
As days passed, the rumor spread that this master of mischief had used such deceit as bandaids on his fingers to do the evil deed. He was rumored to change his clothes as fast as Superman and that he had a lot of tatoos on his back. The number of the tatoos seemed to grow as the days passed.
And then, just when the legend was starting to pick up speed, the robber was caught. By his own large mouth.
It seems that the robber, had spoken to another person while the FBI videotaped his discussion of robbing six banks in four states in seven months. In the process of these crimes, he netted $40,000. If convicted, he faces 20 years in prison for each robbery. Like 120 years in prison for $40,000.
I know what you are thinking----- that this guy just could not do the math. Robbers of earlier days in the 1930s were a lot smarter. Like Jesse James who the folks in Northfield, Minn still celebrate with Jesse James days. Those were the days! Those were the smartest of the smart! Wrong. Nothing has changed. The math was the same or worse in those days of yore. Who then ARE the “ GREATEST “of the bank robbers?…..Read on.
I am currently reading the book, “The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One,” by William K. Black. Mr. Black was the lead regulator during the Savings and Loan Crisis of the 1980’s. In all, over 1000 individuals were convicted of felonies for what is called “control fraud.” This is essentially the white collar version of armed robbery. However, you might be interested to know that nobody counts it as robbery. Huh?
Mr. Black points out in his book that the lessons of the robbery of the S&L’s of the 1980’s has been lost on folks today, and today the same technique is being used to loot corporations. Mr. Black says ,” In 2003, the United States Department of Justice reported that property crimes had continued their trend and fallen to an all-time low. In fact, property crimes have surged to an all-time high since Enron collapsed in late 2001. The reason for the contradiction is that the Justice Department does not count serious crimes because it excludes white-collar crimes from its data keeping. A wave of frauds led by the men who control large corporations, what I term”control fraud,” caused the massive losses from property crimes.”(pp13)
So there you have it. All about the Great Robbery of 2005. Oh, by the way, it wasn’t the guy with the tatoos.
Nostalgia: 2008: On Bears, On Bear Stearns, On Bear Markets
Yesterday, after listening to the Bloomberg News channel since 5am or so, I had turned the T.V. to "mute" so I could just see the breaking news on the bottom rather than listen to the spin by the pundits. It is a lot quieter that way.
Soon after the markets opened, I saw President Bush speaking, a little stressed it looked like, and after watching him for a while, I tried to guess what he was saying. It looked like he was mouthing that "There really are WMD in Iraq." Or maybe "We are really victorius in Iraq." or maybe that 'I am a compassionate conservative."
What a disappointment to turn on the sound and hear the actual words: "Trust me, the economy is sound. Our markets are resiliant. These are tough times....."
I did recall that these were almost the exact words that Herbert Hoover had mouthed in 1929.
The markets plunged right after President Bush had got done speaking. Nothing could be worse that a President trying to inspire confidence when his approval rating is historically low.
The markets are a matter of FAITH. A confidence Game. Always have been. Bankers rely on their counterparts to ensure that when there is a peak of outflow they can sustain it. No one bank alone has the cash on hand to do so; In fact, cash is probably less than 1% of assets. This is why when the faith of the investment community left Bear Stearns, they sold for $2 per share----the plunge in value is simply stunning for those involved.
The "Big boys" at Bear Stearns walked away with their bonuses from January. The regular employees walked away with nothing. At least bankruptcy would have been a little more equitable.
Now that the Federal Reserve has indicated it can intervene creatively, we will see whether it will intervene directly into the mortgage maket and specifically provide a remedy to homeowners who are in their homes and facing foreclosure. They have the power to do this. So far there has been rhetoric. Treasury Secretary Paulson opposes such a move. President Bush opposes such a move. Such a move may be necessary. Stay tuned.
Nostalgia: 2012 : The Rise of "Gangsta Government".
(Ed note: This is reprinted due to popular demand from the Reflections blog) The Rise of "Gangsta" Government: Oh the Glories of Little Bohemia Recently I took a winter pilgrimage of sorts up to Manitowish Waters in Northern Wisconsin to spend a weekend near "Little Bohemia"---the resort where the FBI had that famous gun battle with John Dillinger as depicted in the recent movie. As I approached the lodge in the erie darkness, I was stunned that the very dark display of the film was in fact how it was in real life....we had a wonderful time at dinner there where there are momentos of the Dillenger event and I do recommend everyone to take a trip to see for yourself...but I digress... Those were the days when bold robbers met their fate at the hands of skillfull lawmen of the young FBI....what has happened to those days when bribery and extortion were met with the righteous wrath of the courageous FBI? Take for example the recent event in Madison, Wisconsin where a noted corporation, posing through a middleman, threatened the State of Wisconsin that they would leave for the warm weather of Florida unless they were paid several million dollars to relocate to the nearby Middleton...... How is this different from the famous extortion cons of the wild 1930"s. Very simple. Now we call it Economic Development
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
2005: Nostalgia: "The Tipping Point" or Where is Harry Truman when we need him?
Recently there has been a lot of talk about the "Tipping Point" or the moment or event, whether large or small, that things change. On PBS News Hour on Friday last, David Brooks went into a long and interesting presentation on why Katrina was a tipping point, and not only that, but listed a long series of natural events that have as a result created a political earthquake. Click on the post to get the story as well as the real audio.
Specifically, he mentioned the occasion in Louisiana of a very big storm when the governer had to decide to flood some homes to save the capital. He pledged to pay for the homes and rebuild. He lied. Out of the outrage of that incident came the rise of Huey Long. The Kingfish. The fictional rendition of Huey Long is dramatized in the novel "All the King's Men," by Robert Penn Warren. One of my favorites.
If you can dust off your old copy of "All the King's Men," the opening two pages are pretty dramatic. It begins with the view from inside a limo driving in the night in Louisiana, with the headlights peering out, rolling through the night, with the powerful limo squashing all the critters that venture out on the roadway, rolling along cushioned from the reality of the ebb and flow of the real world below. It's been thirty years, and the picture is still vivid in my memory.
It is kind of sad and ironic that leaders like the Kingfish rise to power by working on the alienation of the people from their leaders and in the end, fall as a result of that same alienation.
The image of President Bush at 50,000 ft. reviewing the destruction of Katrina may also be a powerful image that may provoke a powerful political change. We shall see. Political patronage or Pork, may be a condemned routinely, in highway projects and in many areas of life, but when it permeates the survival of the country, or Homeland Security, we are in deep trouble. Thus, when asked recently whether the US can withstand another disaster or attack at this time, even President Bush hesitated and said "That's a good question."
President Harry Truman rose to fame at the end of WWII investigating the corruption of war profiteers. It would be nice if we a had him now. He could come by on one of his train trips, come through Evansville, cause I would be the first to yell, "Give em hell, Harry."
"The Tipping Point" or "How LIttle Things Can Make a Big Difference" is written by Malcolm Gladwell and is available at the Eager Free Public Library.
Sunday, April 13, 2025
2006: Nostalgia: Black Elk Speaks: " The Circle of Trust has been broken"
The time was twenty years ago. My sister has just been through a perilous period as a public relations pro for a major Fortune 500 company. The pension assets of her world wide company had been threatened because some bonds---yes bonds peddled by Michael Milliken and such--- had comprised such a large portion of the company pension plan that in the panic that ensued with the bond scandal, the retirement of thousands was threatened.
She was called in by the CEO. He told her the mission----to regain trust.
She told him directly that the only way to regain trust was to remove the barriers to communication and unite the employees worldwide, for better for worse---in an internal blog of sorts. To dispel rumor. Quickly.
A year later. The panic was over. The employees had shared their worst fears. They had fashioned a financial solution together with management. It was not pretty. They were in it together.
A year later, Susie was invited to speak in front of the Conference Board in Washington. They wanted a speech about broken trust, and how to regain it. The Conference Board is the board that each month releases the economic index of confidence. They wanted to hear some ideas on trust. On confidence. On how to regain it once broken.
In her speech, Susie reviewed the conditions of employment of our fathers and mothers through the first 70 years of this century. Folks working their careers with one company. A spirit of compact between employer and employee. Then she described the total breakdown that was underway in America.
She likened the breakdown to the experience of the American Indian. She referred to one of the Indian speeches, I believe it was by Black Elk, of the Sioux nation. He described the situation of the Indian. He said that they had made compacts with all the Presidents and all the compacts had been broken. Was there not one person left who could keep his word?
Black Elk went on to describe the vision of his people---a vision of interdependence world wide. A sacred circle. A sacred hoop.
I relate the story in this season of politics since it is a time when promises are made with ease and easily broken. Too easily broken.
This year especially, it seems that it is simply out of fashion to even talk about issues whatsoever. It is all about scandal, diversion and smear.
Being a leader as Black Elk saw it is more than a shell game. A game of deceit. It is a sacred role. Something to think abou
Tales from Normal Mn: Nostalgia: 2010. : "no" means "no" in Normal Minnesota
Well. It has been just a hubub of political activity locally. With all the budget talks. One of the things that just picqued my interest was the series of video where the discussion was about what would happen if a certain referendum would go down to defeat in November. What would happen if the public said "NO."
The answer was that the politicians would still "work it" and bring it back to the voters in a year. Maybe they would change their mind. Maybe if they were asked more nicely, maybe with a "pretty please" they would agree.
Just that morning I had been reviewing the early elementary school anti bullying campaign curriculum, and something struck me as unusual. The same kind of behavior that schools on a daily basis are teaching our kids to avoid, is the exact type of behavior that our government celebrates.
Whenever I wonder about things, I just pick up a cellphone and give my friend Herman, the countryboy lawyers from Normal, Mn. a call. He knows the law. He should know.
"Herman, how does it work up in Normal, Mn? Does "NO" mean "NO" in Normal?
Herman just laughed. "Wolfman,"(that's what he always called me), "NO" always means "Maybe" in politics. That is because there is no morals in politics, just opportunism. Hence, "NO" is just a relative term for a point in time.
Then Herman went on: "In love and war, however, "NO" might mean different things. The President might say "NO" to Russia invading Georgia---and then keep saying "NO" hoping that it would be believed. Still. Ya have to have some force to back it up. So also in love. The girl can say "NO" but always keep her hand on the phone to call 911 to make sure. It is just "trust but verify," in love and war.
Nostalgia: (2007) : Memories of John Jones
Many of you may remember John Jones, the owner of Jones Barbells on Union Street. He was an avid flyer, a flight instructor and a weight lifter known nationally by his plane with the Jones Barbell logo on it. He was the son of a World War II ace pilot.
There are many John Jones stories. He was a very simple and direct and honest person. Sometimes disturbingly so for high and mighty types. John was most at home in his welding overalls with the top glass shield that he retracted, like Dark Helmet, when he came from the back welding area to help a customer. He loved welding, and selling was just extra.
Back in 1990 I wandered into the shop to see his weight equipment and explained to the big guy that I had been a long distance runner in my youth, and a slow one at that, but needed to regain my leg strength. He said not a word. He just waved me to follow him back to the leg press section of the display room. He showed me his patented leg press machine, the one that had the special safety and he designed to prevent back injuries. I was an easy sale.
As I cleared out my storage chest recently of the many race t-shirts over the years, I had to smile. John never said that my dream of running again was crazy, like most of the relatives. He just showed me what was necessary.
Everything was on a handshake with John. His word was good. I would buy everything he had eventually. Finally, when I asked about some new piece, he quietly said, "Dick, you just need to use what you have. It's up to you, not the equipment."
That was just what I needed to hear then.
To those of you that attended the recent peace vigil, I applaud your showing up to express your opinion by free assembly. To those who take the other side, I applaud your right to express it.
The question is not for those who show up. The question I have is ----Who is the real Observer. Is it me? I think not. I have to write a bit each day with my name on it. The observers are those who just log on to observe what the rest are talking about. I know because I get the traffic reports.
John Jones told me something that I did not want to hear. The equipment was not going to get the muscles. It was up to me.
To those who are just observing, think about expressing yourself without fear. Think
about telling a friend about The Evansville Observer. The Observer is not about me. It is really about the comments. It's about the discussion. The Observer is just a place to talk. A place to chat about possiblities. It is only going to be what you, the observers, make it.
When Daytrading America
When Daytrading America, Its always best to have a Hedge Fund analyst in the Situation Room---to give the best possible insider trading advice to all concerned and explain the mechanics of puts and calls.
A "put" is not a "putt". It could be easy to confuse the two.
Friday, April 11, 2025
The China Bromance is Dead
Back in 1972 the China Bromance began after Nixon visited China with Henry Kissinger. As the love story developed, I always thought we would buy their bargain priced goods and we would sell them our higher level technology, and along the way show them how democracy worked and the magic of human rights.
It's been 50 years. No deal. Seems we learned more about their authoritarian ways than they learned from us.
Being positive: We can go back to Rotary phones. There was a time we were adults and could use a map when we traveled. We could survive without our phone tracking our every step. We could speak without our TV or phone recording us secretly.
When we fish-- we can go back before electronic fish finders and go to our favorite spots on the lake. We can just pop the small trolling motor onto the boat and fish in the early morning with the family. No big pontoon with the luxury fish storage bin in the back. Yes the good old days.
And other good news: When couples go out to dinner, they won't be spending all their time staring at their phones and will actually talk to each other. It could be wonderful. A real reversal of attention deficit disorder.
And drivers will actually drive their cars rather than stare at their phones. Biking will be a lot safer. Yippie.
Classic Posts from the past:
Monday, October 22, 2007
Reflection: Thoughts on the Great Crash
OpEd: "The Great Crash" by Galbraith
If you have read the recent book by Alan Greenspan, "Turbulence," and I have not yet completed it, although I have skimmed parts, and if you have listened to the coverage of the G7 in Europe, as well as pundits in the press, there is the spin that we just cannot do anything about "busts" of markets. The Fed is just helpless it seems when it comes to taking any action to deflate "Irrational Exuberance."
Bold action CAN be taken to rescue banks that have been packaging "mortgage securities" and of course bold action CAN be taken to rescue banking entities that are "too large to fail." That being said, other than rescuing the big guys, they are helpless.
The cause of the Great Crash as explained in the book by John Kenneth Galbraith, was the severe disparity of wealth in America which had widened in the 1920's. The only time in our history that has equaled this is TODAY.
Frequently, the Big boys, as they are called, can be heard saying that this is NOT THEIR PROBLEM. It is true that one does not get to be a "big boy" through meditative exercise...however that being said, without buyers, sellers cannot prosper. In some marketing equation then, one is one's brother's business keeper. Any seller must therefore make sure the buyers can still buy.
How long could such a period of "NON BUYING" last. This is the eyeopener. In 1929, when my father turned 18, and his father died, he went off to college. Then in 1933 when he worked for a few years before going into the service---till the Korean War...the fact that the depression lasted from 1929 to 1950 meant that a whole generation of folks waded through twenty years of "NON BUYING".
The pundits have said that thank goodness we know a lot more about economics now than then. Show me.
Monday, April 07, 2025
Tales From Normal, Mn: High Level Penguin Negotiator Sought for Tariff Talks
Just got the news out of Normal, Mn where all the bass fishermen are gathered at Betty Lou's Coffee shop, where all the bass fishermen gather each morning. The bold poster in the Brainerd Daily Times caught their eye". "HIGH LEVEL PENGUIN NEGOTIATOR SOUGHT".
Must be able to negotiate with island of Penguins where no human has been able to survive. Only the fittest must apply for this position. No hint of past surrender to penguins will be tolerated. Conservative patriots preferred. Alcohol use or drug use is acceptable. Some history of business fraud preferred.
Stay tuned as I follow this story.
