Ace Wisdom

The whole world is on “Facebook”. Mark Zuckerberg became a multi-billionaire several months ago because his company issued stock so others could invest in it. I think he peaked at $16 billion in net worth. It is probably enough to pay cash for a new Toyota Camry.
Mark got married shortly after becoming a billionaire. He and his new bride moved into a $6 million dollar home. Not a bad way to start married life. Mark had a decision to make. Pay cash for the new home or finance it. Not many people have the option of paying cash (for him $6 million is “pocket change”). Nope he didn’t pay cash. He financed the humble abode. He pays 1% interest. That is not a bad rate compared to the average homeowner. I’ve heard rates as low as 3.25-3.5% for someone with a great credit rating and a significant down payment.
If I could borrow money for 1% I would be standing at the door of my local bank. Of course I don’t have $16 billion extra cash lying around.
In Zuckerberg’s defense, he has a floating rate mortgage. If treasury rates or a slick measure called LIBOR start increasing, Zuckerber’s rate will increase monthly.
I guess nothing is new. People with money rule! My mother used to say “the rich get richer and the poor get kids”. Of course she had 4 kids at the time.
I’ve got to learn to make wise investments. I see that my Green Bay Packers are estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $1.09 billion. My one share of stock must be worth a lot. There is a provision in the original Charter preventing the Packers from ever being sold. So I’ve got one share of stock, worth a lot of money and I can never sell it. There you have it! The story of my life.
Hot weather breaks today.
Love
Dad

Today is Friday the 13th. I drove my car defensively today to avoid any people recklessly flying their broomsticks. Actually my leg began to bother me again this morning. As careful as I have been in rehabilitation, the leg is still “owchie”. Maybe the 13th had something to do with it. Maybe the againg process is taking over. Maybe I am not listening to my personal Doctor in Madison.
So I decided to boost my self esteem. Do you know that you can get cosmetic foot surgery? It is equivalent to a face-lift or getting breast implants. It intales such things as having bone shaved off the outer parts of your foot to make it look longer and sleeker. Fat can be removed from the end of your toes and your toes can be lengthened and tapered for additional sleekness. There is some myth about the second toe being longer than the other toes. They can do that too. It has something to do with sexuality.
Wait a minute! Guys don’t do cosmetic surgery with feet and toes. If any thing that is a female thing. No, it is an idiot thing. I don’t know what the risk is to being able to walk normally in the future but it can’t be good. The operations start at about $15,000.
Don’t we have enough important issues to solve in this world without cosmetically enhancing the feet. Maybe it can be justified for people who have a foot fetish.
We are mid-way through July. My Green Bay Stockholders meeting is in less than 2 weeks and Packer training camp begins the next day. My Packer team made $42 million last year. Not bad for an emotional investment that is worthless.
Love,
Dad

I don’t own an iPod or iPad. I do have a computer, a cable TV network, the internet and printed matter (magazines and newspaper). There is a media blitz available 24 hours per day.
As Grasshopper No.5 knows, it is tough to make money in the “news print” business. Many people are dropping their subscriptions to local newspapers in favor of TV news and the internet. Newspapers have been slow to transistion to the electronic side of the world. They offer limited info such as obituaries, major local events and entertainment on their websites.
My local newspaper allows an annual subscription which I pay quarterly. I received notification that the newspaper is going to increase rates. I will get more! In addition to the daily paper, I will have their website internet news at my finger tips. If I understand the letter telling me of all the fine benefits, my cost to subscribe to the paper is going to increase 20%. If 20% is true, it will be a deal breaker. I will let my subscription lapse.
It would be a shame to not have a newspaper. It is like an “old sock”, very comfortable. I’d miss the comic section. I wouldn’t be able to do my daily Sudoku. I’d miss the biased liberal point of view.
Lets face it. Everything is becoming instantaneous and electronic. Newspapers are going the way of the buggy whip. Slow obsolesence.
So my world is going to change again. I will probably have to buy a lap top computer, an iPad, and upgrade my phone system to access the internet. It will mean 2 phones (one for Mom and one for Me) capability and a 3 year contract to get the best rates. And then there would be the “apps” and the music downloads. Stop! What am I thinking? Wouldn’t paying the paper it’s rate increase be cheaper?
Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Pardon me while I turn to page 4 of the morning newspaper.
Love,
Dad

I understand that the State of Wisconsin is thinking of changing the laws for capital punishment. Presently Wis. doesn’t have the death penalty, only life imprisonment. The new law will allow the guilty to choose “life” in jail, death or traveling in a confined car for two weeks to Montana and back with family and friends. Tough choices!
The extreme temperatures being in the high 90’s is getting old. I understand that Madison and Sheboygan topped 100 degrees several times.
I have noticed by looking around the neighborhood that there are no kids. They are all inside their homes in air conditioned comfort. Kids want no part of the extreme heat.
Grandson Tommy is playing baseball this summer. His games are scheduled for late in the afternoon. The last two games have been canceled because it is too hot. Just like “there is no crying in baseball”, you don’t cancel baseball games because of the heat. Really!
When I was growing up we didn’t have air conditioning. Businesses, homes and cars were all without A/C. As a kid, the choice of staying home in the cool comfort of home was not an option. Our city did not have a public swimming pool. Television didn’t exist.
So as a kid I had to find my own entertainment on the hot days. The center of my universe was the “Little Park” at the end of Mill Street. It had shade, an incredible drinking fountain capable of filling balloons with water and a “lazy river” with lots of tiny crabs with pincher claws. The park was located along the road traveled by trucks loaded with pea vines headed to the local canning factory. As kids we would tear pea vines from the trucks and then sit in the park, in the shade, near the cool water fountain, eating peas enduring the heat.
If the heat was over-bearing, you could take an early afternoon public bus from the Little Park out to Crystal Lake for swimming lessons.
I understand the dangers of extreme heat but somehow we figured out ways to survive. I am sure that I got exposed to more life experiences than kids today. Besides, all the girls knew we hung out at the Little Park and somehow managed to walk by.
Beat the heat!
Love,
Dad

There have been significant sales of electric cars. I understand that the “Volt” can go 80 miles before it needs a charge. For me on a “football Saturday” in Madison, 80 miles would get me to Sun Prairie before I’d have to “plug it in”. We are talking hours to charge. It depends whether you have 220V or 110V.
Despite the inconvenience of being limited to short trips, long recharges and the expensive cost of electricity, electric car owners are saving the environment by not polluting with carbon emissions.
I just passed a coal fired power plant and noticed it was dirty and belching black smoke (gray smoke) into the air. Let me see! We produce more electricity because of auto demand but we save on car emissions. Did anybody ever figure out the net pollution?
So here is my bigger concern for electric power for cars. There has been a prolonged heat wave along the east coast causing severe rain and thunder storms knocking out electricity. This week in Virginia, some people have been without power for up to 5 days. If you have an electric car, what do you do? The answer is nothing. Call in to work and tell them your battery is dead.
Lets review! You bought an electric powered car to preserve the environment by not polluting but carbon polluting coal power plants need to work harder to keep you supplied. You paid $5000-$7000 for the privledge of driving and electric car. You run out of electic power after about 80 miles. And finally after a storm knocks out power, you don’t have a source of fuel.
I guess I’m just old fashioned. Having a fuel reserve in my car is a priority and driving to Madison without running out of electricity is nice. Old people like me have a tendency to resist change. Yah, that is what it is. I’m old fashioned.
Happy 4th of July,
Love,
Dad

Grasshopper No.4 has a birthday today. Consistent with past practice I will not disclose his age as he turns 40 (Whoops!). Happy Birthday No.4. The best is yet to come. May all your dreams come true.
Grandson Nevin coincidently has his birthday today also. It is easy to remember when two great people were born on the same day. Happy Birthday Nevin.
I try not to get into political rhetoric because everybody is entitled to their own belief’s. I have noticed a trend lately. In January, there were some big changes in Wisconsin legislation. The State Senators of the minority party refused to participate in any debate and fled the State and hid out in Illinois. I pay taxes for representation and Senators sitting in Chicago isn’t the answer. They ran from the problem.
Yesterday it happened again only in Washington D.C. The House of Representatives has a Committee investigating Attorney General, Eric Holder concerning the illegal importing of 4000 guns across the Mexico/US border. Some of the guns ended up killing our own people and many guns are unaccounted for. Eric Holder got Obama to invoke “executive privledge” meaning Holder didn’t have to disclose important info. The House of Rep. decided to vote to hold Holder in “contempt”. All the Representatives of the house that didn’t agree with the House vote, left the House chambers and refused to participate in the voting process. There is that “running from the problem” again.
Your Mom and I saw a local Community Players version of “Joseph” last night. It was certainly an amateur performance but the music was still magic. Hey, we need a Joseph to lead our government. Someone who can interpret dreams and lead us to prosperity. Joseph didn’t run.
Enjoy Summer’s offerings.
Love,
Dad

Grasshopper No.2 walked with me this morning. How many people can say they took their personal chiropractor with them to an exercise session?
No.2 “adjusted” me several weeks ago. After the severe shock to my system, my piriformis muscle has continued to heal thereby improving my sciatic nerve response. The good news is that if I got a reoccurance of my “leg pain” problem this morning, I could lay down in the middle of the mall and my Doctor would adjust for the pain.
Your Mom and I did a “St.Anna” visit for her birthday last Friday. We both had a craving for the “fish platter”. We probably could have ordered one platter and split it. Nope. We each ordered a platter. When it arrived at the table I couldn’t help think “what have we done”? So much food. Could we finish it all? It was scrumptious. Some food ended up in a “doggy bag”. It satisfied a craving. The company was great.
I keep watching the economy. It is limping along. They just closed the Country Buffet in town. It couldn’t survive. Yes, they had competition but I don’t think people are eating “out” as much as they normally do. Recently your Mom and I had tickets to the Fireside. The theater was probably 30% full. Many people can give up spending on a dinner and a play. Gasoline prices are coming down. That is a good thing on the pocket book but the truth is the rest of the world especially Europe keeps sliding into a recession and using less gas. The result of too much gas is lower prices. My advice is to spend your money wisely. Avoid frivolous purchases. This too shall pass.
And so it goes. The 4th of July week is coming. I’m sure somebody is going to have a party.
Love,
Dad