Saturday, March 22, 2014

Google

Yes, Google. Interesting subject for a blog post by a writer, huh? I think it is. If you think about some things that have really significant influence on our lives these days, Google has to be on that list. Technology in general is changing and shaping our lives in big ways, huge ways but Google in particular is leading the way. Think about it, if you're  a boomer when you were in college and had to do research you went to the library and spent long hours ensconced in the stacks. That's just the way it was done. If you're a Millineum you don't even know what the stacks are. But you sure know your way around the internet and it's not likely that you're going to log on without going to Google at some point. However, Google is no ordinary company. They are a technology company, for sure. But 97% of their revenue comes from advertising. And their revenues last year were in the order of $33B. That's one hell of a lot of advertising. They are a tech company but not really in the business of making and selling computers or software. They do make and sell computers, Chrome Book, Google Glass among them. What little they do produce and sell is highly innovative, out on the edge stuff. They employ some of the best code writers on the planet. And you can bet the code that makes their stuff work is as highly guarded as the formula to Coca-Cola. The two fellows that founded this company are two bright visionaries who found the intersection of luck, fate and hard work and took advantage of everything it had to offer. And of course, they're still there running the company. As far as building a search engine, they hit it out of the park. Practically everyone who uses a computer uses Google. So when you have that many people using your product, if you stick some advertisements on there, literally hundreds of millions of people are going to see them. Ask anyone in the business if advertising works. And if the audience is hundreds of millions around the globe, everyday, need I say more.
As a corporation though, the way it's organized, the way it's run they're probably not any better than the average American company. The two founders who are high level functional managers in the corporation now, are by training programmers. They're not business men trained in finance or marketing or management. They have those types on the payroll but those two just sit around and dream up the wild and crazy stuff the corporation is going to do. And that company does a lot of wild and crazy stuff. They have plenty of money to afford to do wild and crazy stuff. That's a good thing though. We need companies to do wild and crazy stuff. That's the way cool, new things that make life better are created. But in the background they're just an ordinary company with a bunch of jerk-off mid-level managers plodding along. What makes them so successful is not their proficiency and organizational effectiveness. They've got some really good, top-tier people and they're got some muttonheads, just like every other corporation. What makes them different and unique is they came up with something that everyone needs and uses, and it's free. Now tell me, how many companies have done that? You can jump on the internet and find anything, literally, and find it fast with Google. And it's completely free. Yeah, those annoying ads are there but you learn to ignore them. Or at least you think you are ignoring them. Those ads are the vehicle that help sell trillions in goods and services around the world. As long as they keep that search engine out there, keep improving it where they can, and keep it free, the money river will remain at flood stage.
They're coming up with some cutting edge innovation and ideas. I just watched a TED video interview with Larry Page. He talked about bicycles running on wires above the street, automatic cars that drive themselves, and computers that are artificially intelligent. That can think, sort of like people do. And I'm sure some of his wild and crazy ideas will eventually come to fruition. Not one word from him about shareholder value, acquisitions, shedding assets, market share or stock splits. Things you often hear CEO's talk about. He doesn't really know about stuff like that nor does he give a shit. He's busy trying to make the world better and improve life and all that stuff. Do you think the CEO of American General Life Insurance is thinking about the same things Larry Page and Sergei Brin are? If you do you probably also think there is ocean-front property in Arizona. Being the CEO of one of the worlds largest and most innovative companies and your job is to dream up wild and crazy things to make the world better?... All of this made possible by selling ads.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Where does it end?...

OK. I said last time I posted that I was going to get away from politics on here. And I am, really. But like that diet that you're always going to start 'tomorrow', I'll start getting away from politics next time. Every time I read about some asinine, egregious stunt our ass-hat president pulls I can't help myself. Does this make me an activist? I don't know and I really don't care. I don't go around looking for opportunities to engage in political discussions but hey, this is my blog and my stage to sound off. I think most of you will agree with me anyway.
I read in the news this morning that Barry has decide to use executive fiat (once again) to force business to pay more in overtime wages. Any true American who understands that the Constitution is the basis of law and order in our great country would (and should) be outraged at this. For two very big reasons. One, the constitution does not allow him or give him the authority to do this. This authority appears to be entirely self-granted. The president is part of the executive branch of government. Congress is part of the legislative. Congress shall make or change the laws of the country, not the president. Once again, he is assuming the role of a despot, unilaterally making or changing laws. My fellow Americans, we are a democratic republic. We have laws and our constitution provides a legislative body to make and change those laws. And that legislative body does not include the president. Unfortunately, I think most Americans do not comprehend the gravity and the implications of what he is doing.
The second big reason is we are a free-market, capitalist society. That means the market sets prices and wages. Both are determined by the forces of supply and demand. We even have laws that encourage and support this. We have anti-trust laws to prevent companies from colluding and fixing prices. To prevent enterprises from stifling free-trade and competition. We have labor laws that protect workers. We have minimum wage and overtime laws. And my fellow patriots, all of these laws were passed by majority votes of both houses of Congress. ALL OF THEM.  Are we  now to break the law and precedent of 238 years as a nation and allow the president to make or change laws and bypass our law-making body, with impunity?
Where does it stop? When does someone stand up and say, "Mr. President, you can't do that. You have broken the law." What are the implications? They are vast. This is heresy. While it is true that business is regulated, the regulations are designed to ensure that business does not ignore the considerations of health and safety. And that monopolies do not form and quash competition. That workers are not discriminated against. They are not designed to force business to operate in a way that is counter to the forces of the free-market. Specifically, if the demand for a good or service is such that a company needs to have it's workers work overtime to produce the good or service, then they will adjust their operations to do that. If the demand is not there, they won't. For the president to force them to pay more overtime that is not supported by demand, will also force many businesses to cease operations. Which will lead to lost jobs for many.
So, where does it end. And what will be next? Will he force companies to hire more people, so more people will have jobs? Even if they don't need them? Our free-market system and our current government regulations are designed to foster economic growth. From economic growth we all prosper. Jobs are created and wages increase from economic growth. Profits generated from economic growth provide dividends for stockholders. Wages for workers. Taxes for the government to provide services. Most responsible corporations give back to their communities, generously. I don't care who you are and how powerful you may consider yourself, you can't dictate profits. Want an example? Ask doctors in England if working for the National Health System is profitable. Ask  Norway. Ask the citizens of both countries if their income taxes are reasonable and fair.
What could be worse than having a president who would dictate laws to free-market enterprises unlawfully? Having a populace that would allow him to do it...

Friday, March 7, 2014

Checkin 'In...

I don't get over here often enough, some of you who check my blog now and then have noticed that. It isnt for lack of desire, this damn day job gets in the way, like it gets in the way of all of my fun. But I'll work on that. Some of my recent posts have been about current political topics. That's what's in the news and it's what affects our lives. And a lot of people are very passionate about that subject. It's a shame because the leadership of this country and politics in general is a sad state of affairs at present. I don't care what the libtards say, that idiot in the white house is doing a terrible job.

But I need to get off politics because this is a blog about writing and books. Current politics, I mean. If you're writing a thriller it's hard not to involve politics in some way. My first novel had a political current in it. And the one I'm working on now does as well. The difference is mine are made up, they are pure fiction. I got the ideas from real events but it's all made up. I wish all that was going on now like the national debt going into the stratosphere was fiction. Damn, there I go again. Who knows, maybe my next novel will be about an inept president, boy, I could do a number with that subject...
A huge part of writing is coming up with ideas. You can't come up with good ideas by anal extraction alone. Dont get me wrong, there's a lot of good ideas that have come from anal extractions, but there has to be other sources. (Probably better sources...) You need inspiration, and you get that from people you meet, places you go, things going on around you, things going on in the world. You take that idea and mix it up with a good batch of imagination and viola! You are on you're way to spinning a good story.

What's strange though is this inspiration. It seems to come and go. Sometimes the ideas are flowing like a rain-swollen hill-country river. Others times it's more like a bone-dry West-Texas creekbed in August. Lately, my imagination has more resembled the creekbed. I envy the professional writers, the guys who get up about say, seven or eight, have some coffee for an hour or so then mosey into their office (the one in their house...) and sit down to write. Ahh, yes. If only I could do that. I'm not quite there yet but that day is coming. But when you have to get up at four, drive across town and work for nine hours, drive back across town, it's hard to crank out best-sellers. But we all have to start somewhere. And agents won't even talk to you until you have a best-seller under your belt. You can write a great novel but unless you can sell it, not many people are going to know it's great. I wrote one but I don't know much about marketing. Even if I did, I don't have the time to do it. John Grisham said, "Writing books is the easy part, selling them is the hard part." So very true.

In a few years though I'm going to have the time to work on the part I dont know much about. Or at least find someone to do it for me. And, I'm going to crank out some more best-sellers, too.

When Does it end? For now, it doesn't...

An incident that happened some time back when a high school basketball player sucker punched a player from the opposing team causing serious...