Did you want some change?

Is the exact question I was just asked by a well-deserving, hard working waiter at a nice restaurant in the Santa Monica Area.  Maybe I am generous, possibly extravagant, but who are you?  This is not an angry or argumentative question.  I often vacillate between "why should I be so lucky" and "thank you very much."  Whenever I buy, eat, or do anything of value to me that the general public would consider a luxury, I don't need to feel one ounce of guilt.  If everything like that needed some type of justification, people would spend more time pleading with a host or hostess at a nice restaurant instead of eating and enjoying themselves at the given restaurant.


Occasionally I will go to a nice place to eat.  It doesn't matter if I'm with a group of people or alone, or on a  date, it's something that I wanted to do, and I'm doing it.  Don't feel bad that you have success in your life, don't even think for a second that it's so sad that someone has to wait on your table and MUST get a decent tip at the end of the evening.  This person on the receiving end of the tip took this job to wait on people. The people he or she wait on will be obnoxious, belligerent, and anywhere in between sober and "dude, where's my car?"

Nevertheless, these people have taken a job in order to provide for his or her needs.  Good for them! There shouldn't be any social stigma when you see the same man who gives out towels at the gym also serving you at a restaurant the same day.

There is always talk of something more to get out of life.  Maybe there is, probably not the case, but it's a nice concept.  When waiters ask if there is anything else, they don't really mean it, but if that is true, then they must not like the extra tip they get for the decent service they provided.

Too Much Paper in a City of Plastic

It's More than Just a Bag

I live in Los Angeles. This wonderful city has everything to offer from excellent weather and the most material people to the greenest neighborhoods filled with the most luxurious SUVs, LA has just about whatever you want. Last year, I was victimized by the city of West Hollywood. The city demanded that every time I go to a grocery store in the West Hollywood city limits I would have to pay 10 cents for each bag (15 cents at Ralph's for a stronger plastic bag). At first, I thought I was lucky enough to be on one of those hidden camera reality TV shows, where my response to this "new law" was going to be the talk of the town for a while until one of the Kardashians posted a new selfie.

Then I realized that this was no laughing matter. Unfortunately, the ultra-progressive, free-flowing, and everything-conscious city of WEHO had spearheaded tax of shame for going shopping for groceries and using a bag. It seems that it is always a shock to the clerks who are checking me out at the supermarket that I want as many bags as possible when the bill was just over 100 dollars for some basic items.

As 2013 progressed, I got used to paying for bags only to become well too aware of the severe reduction in quality of the paper bags the stores sold, leading me to realize that handles on paper bags were more futile than helmets on skydivers. Here I stand in 2014 -- I managed to survive. Nevertheless, a new law, banning all plastic bags in all of LA went into effect on January 1st.

This narrative continues at CVS… I rarely go to CVS for anything, but recently, during allergy season when I have been taking Claritin-D - Rite Aid will no longer sell me any Claritin-D because according to their system, I have been abusing the drug too much. On two separate occasions, nearly two weeks apart, I have been denied the ability to purchase Claritin at Rite Aid due to a definite flaw in their computer system. Apparently, there is also a law that requires me to swipe my driver's license in order to purchase Claritin-D since there is Pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient for meth. This law limits 9 grams of the ingredient per 30 days. I checked.

Math Time (or is it Meth Time?)

Now let's do the math: 15 Tablets have 3.6 grams of Pseudophedrine (15 pills with 240 mgs each); taken every day once per day would mean that on day 15 or 16 when I go to buy more, I still am able to buy another 15 pack which would put me 20% the limit at 7.2 grams purchased during a 30 day period. Still following? Good. Bottom line is that I was not allowed to even purchase the second 15 pack twice in about 45 days, bringing me to CVS where I successfully purchased Claritin-D. 

Back to the Bags

However, the new "paper bag only law" shook me as they packaged my new box of drugs (Claritin), body wash, and other everyday items in this brown bag without handles. The bag was ripping already as the pharmacist inserted each item. The pharmacist and I exchanged pleasantries over our abhorrence for the ban on plastic bags. Ironically, the several customers near me at CVS were botox infused, with some new plastic parts eagerly awaiting their turn to painlessly fill his or her prescription for some highly addictive pain-killers. Again, too much paper in this plastic city.

TGIM??? It's Now or Never

It’s Monday morning.  Most of you dread the fact that you are up right now.  You may not be looking forward to going to work, school, or wherever it is you need to be because you are striving to get something out of this.  In order to win,  you need to show greatness.

Where do you think these stories of greatness come from?  They do NOT come from taking it easy.  They come from stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park.  Strength isn’t innate, but heart is.  Every step of the way, you are doing what you haven’t done before.  It will always get messy, suck it up.  Every time it hurts a little bit, dig a little deeper – break the habits that defeated you before. 

Progress is being made whether you like it or not.  We all have felt like we’ve hit this wall that won’t let us go any harder, faster, or stronger. We all have the choice what to do next.  

There are many people who want you to succeed, but you are the only one in this fight.  The choice is yours.  Will you face this challenge ready to take you places, or will you find an excuse?

You got this.  Go all the way with the blood, guts, and glory in you to show everyone that you can do what you dreamed of.  It will hurt, but you got this.

HAPPY MONDAY!  LESSSGOOOO

Do You Have Red Ferrari? The Answer is Yes.

I want a red Ferrari.  It is something I’ve desired since I was a little kid.  They are fast, really nice looking, and let’s be honest, AWESOME.  Taking a brief moment to reflect on my life, I have been fortunate.  In the grand scheme of things, everything is pretty, pretty, prettay good (LD reference). 

Recently I’ve discovered that this red Ferrari might be more than just a car.  It may be a symbolic destination.  For example, since I have established at a very young age that this is something that I want and need to obtain, a large part of my life has been directly or proximately involved in achieving this goal.  Nevertheless, the metaphorical red Ferrari is alive and well in most of our dreams and aspirations.  We set goals for ourselves.  These goals no matter how large or small play an important role in the way we conduct ourselves. 

The bigger the goal, the more we will work to achieve that goal.  The harder the challenge, the bigger the reward, the bigger the reward, the larger the risks we will take.  We will work harder and smarter, constantly learn from the missteps, and never lose focus of the big picture, and definitely focus on the small victories on the way.  Otherwise, once you get that red Ferrari, you may forget that you need to enjoy the ride.

The Issue of Hedging

In finance the definition of a hedge is making an investment to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an asset.

In the wake of the JP Morgan severe hedging loss of at least $2 Billion dollars, that has made fear in the markets reemerge at a very fast pace, I wonder how this was even able to happen.  In the text of the lengthy Dodd-Frank legislation and the Volcker Rule, there are major liberal uses of language that annihilate the intent of the rules passed by the people in DC. Hedging against a single security is not allowed by banks, but somehow a bank has the ability to hedge against an entire portfolio, something much more risky!

How did this happen?  The short answer is lobbyists, the long answer is different, and needs to be answered by posing the question should banks be allowed to hedge?  The INTENT of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933/ 1934 was to eliminate risky maneuvers by banks to protect the people who had their money in these supposedly strong financial institutions. If anyone is to hedge, doesn't that already say that the risk is too great?  There are very few if any sure things in life, but anytime a hedge is put into play, the strategy is on the basis of limiting a potentially devastating risk.  To an individual, I say go ahead and take great risks, and hedge the even greater risks.  To the financial institutions that make markets and provide liquidity and stability for global economies, I say stay out the risk business altogether.

One might respond to this by saying that banks ALWAYS take risks when they lend money to people to buy houses.  This is true, but the risks are not large, nor are these risks over leveraged when a home loan is created.  When a qualified buyer  purchases a home, a sufficient down payment is made to ensure that the buyers cash flow or other money will be able to cover every payment for the life of the loan.  At the height of the housing bubble that crashed and brought us to where we are today, people were given the opportunity to buy houses that they were not qualified to own or pay for with very little if any money down! In fact, there were loans that gave out 110% of the "value" of the house.  Those risks were evidently unacceptable, the problem ballooned, the bottom fell out, and here we are.  Housing prices have stabilized to the point that banks lending habits can't really be considered risky.  

Banks should be restricted to only the business that banks have thrived on for the better part of a century.  Hedge Funds, Private Equity Firms, Venture Capital Groups, and retail investors (not quite the 99%, but definitely not the 1%) should move cautiously when making risky investments, but at least these parties gains and losses do not affect the global economy like a big bank might in the event "something goes awry".  If banks took less risks, people would have more faith in them, that is just the logically sound way to approach the new investment world  that we live in.  Regulations on risk need to be strictly structured by the legislature. Loopholes need to be as narrow as possible to uphold the intent of the law.  Finally, everyone needs to be responsible for investment actions that either make a ton of money or lose a ton of money.  Finger pointing never leads anywhere.  

Xanax Moms: The Real Housewives of Beverly Pills

I had this really well crafted blog about mothers and fathers who roam the streets of Beverly Hills, and any other major upper class neighborhood in the United States who are hopped up on Xanax, and consider that little pill a problem solver.  I had funny names for Xanax, including "Beverly Hills Tylenol", "Mother's little helpers" and my favorite, "Beverly Hills Breakfast." This blog was all ready to go, and something in the blogoshphere had other plans for this post -- so it was deleted magically.

The main idea of this post was that people are over using anti anxiety pills at dangerously high levels without any regard for their own health or the health of people around them.  People are vilified for drinking and driving, texting and driving, and driving without a proper headset for a mobile phone; yet, too many people are operating heavy machinery or making expensive purchases on Rodeo Drive under the influence of Xanax.

These pills are perceived as problem solvers, when in reality they are problem procrastinators.  We are all very good at procrastinating.  It's part of our nature, I do not know why, but it doesn't really matter.  Something goes wrong at school, a parent pops a Xanax and meets with the principal, the $500 hair stylist doesn't have the most recent issue of US Weekly - Xanax is there, and popping a pill while going to a place of worship is just as important as the pair of Christian Louboutins you will be wearing.  (Even though I fully condone taking any mind altering substance before worshiping and Deity)

I have recently been experiencing this rampant Xanax popping by so many people, and they see it the same way that I might see taking an over the counter headache medication.  It's absurd that this is the case, and it's even more absurd to me that this is beyond recreational use of drugs, because it's regimented in a way that people go to Urth Cafe (my new have coffee spot, sorry CBTL), order their latte and pastry, down it with a Xanax and their day begins.  Not the breakfast of champions, unless a champion is a zombie walking around under the influence of "the little pill that could."

The Art of Blogging

Blogging is awesome. If you have gotten this far, and are still reading, clearly I had your attention earlier. The 21st century version of a public diary has enabled millions of people to communicate thoughts, feelings and ideas to other people all over the globe. Blogging can be done from the comfort of one's bed, a coffee shop, a desk at work, a desk at school, a plane, train, or automobile. It can be done from anywhere.

Broadcasting anything online is what some may consider a risky venture, but I have always been of the opinion that if you post anything online at any given time, you ultimately wanted it to be public, no matter what the repercussions. It is human nature to talk about other people, and it is even more natural to want to know about other people, yet I find myself most fascinated with myself. I never have, and probably never will care about what anyone thinks about ME. That is not to say that I will not put strong effort into any piece of work I do for somebody else's approval, however, it does mean that if you care to gossip or discuss my personal life amongst yourselves, go for it.

I am one of the happiest people that I know, and the people who matter to me know it, with or without a blog. With blogs, there is no magical fine line to be drawn between permissible and unacceptable. Anything written here is fair game for anyone to discuss, disagree and dissect.

Blogging allows people to express themselves freely, and uninterrupted. It enables a message to be delivered in the form that people might not get whether it is via twitter, Facebook, or a giant plane in the sky. Controversy can be caused, but this controversy can be controlled, whereas a controversy amongst people and some loose cannons can run amuck easily in an uncontrolled atmosphere like Taco Tuesdays.

If you want to keep something private, keep it private, if you have a problem with someone or something, address it, and if you just have something to say, blog it. Just remember, what you say can follow you forever, like this one thing: In second grade I confessed to committing adultery: I thought it meant acting like an adult.