Sad but true...
They will not admit that, and talk all about strategy and other stuff, but hey quarterly results do dictate a lot of the "strategy" actually. Sometimes it sounds like that they have the right idea in the long run, but execution is pretty much crap - quarterly plans and targets being one of the reasons (among others) contributing to this.
Also worrying is that with leadership focused on bringing so many short term (quarterly) results, will they lose the art of truly strategic thinking in the future?
Yep, just keep on changing, keep the cash registers ringing as you pile up more low quality stuff, and keep on talking about being environmentally friendly!
Very good summary TVRGeek - can we add a bit of consumer brand infatuation to that?
Well, plans do change. I'd really like to have a small concrete house in the Bahamas or Virgin Islands, sit there in the warm February evenings sipping rum and enjoying life, but nooooo, we're starting a private school! Now I have to work until I drop to help finance this new venture. It's really important to us, so I'm not really complaining, but you know, sometimes it's just nice to think about what I'd be doing otherwise.
at my previous employer, they kept talking about these strategy changes that they were planning to implement. the idea was really nice but for a whole year until I left them they only talked about it, nothing got actually implemented. and I do mean absolutely nothing. I keep in touch with my ex colleagues and one year and a half after I left the situation remains unchanged.
it's not that they didn't want to implement those strategies but short term deadlines were always tight and they kept getting new customers. the workload kept continually increasing. so no-one actually ever found the time for paradigm shifts in the middle of a project, when customers started to worry about the decreasing quality of the deliveries and reoccurring delays. it's a vicious circle that's difficult to escape from and some are unable to see it coming.
sometimes the best you can hope for is being able to learn from your mistakes.
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Imagine you enjoy high speed sportfishing and you could get marine gas oil for 18 cents the gallon at 50 miles distance (Venezuela)
This time a week ago me landed on Curacao, Dutch Antilles.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/atta...pub-high-end-off-topic-thread-curacao-nsj.jpg
MGO currently does $7.35/gal in the Netherlands.
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Great thread.
Just turned 30, already a grumpy fart looking for an argument (as long as I have a reasonable chance to win).
The thing about saving up was a great reminder, I've been looking for what to do after my BSU (Savings system with tax reduction for young people wanting to buy a place to live 20% and 20000NOK/year) max out next year or so, I had totally forgot about the tax reduction (28%) from pension saving (max 15000NOK/Year).
I am grumpy about the management system we use at work, meetings all the f***in time and forms and applications and spreadsheets needing filling constanly, there's so much control and bureucracy nothing gets done!
Just turned 30, already a grumpy fart looking for an argument (as long as I have a reasonable chance to win).
The thing about saving up was a great reminder, I've been looking for what to do after my BSU (Savings system with tax reduction for young people wanting to buy a place to live 20% and 20000NOK/year) max out next year or so, I had totally forgot about the tax reduction (28%) from pension saving (max 15000NOK/Year).
I am grumpy about the management system we use at work, meetings all the f***in time and forms and applications and spreadsheets needing filling constanly, there's so much control and bureucracy nothing gets done!
Management system? Runs on a Billybox and shares points???
Sounds familiar, both the Billybox and the shares points.....
It's all very fictional, and I've been observing the shares value over long periods of time, it always drops back down again it seems. I tried simulating a investment in the shares over various parts of a 15 year period, I usually end up loosing about 0,4%. A rollercoaster is what it is, fun for the few visiting once or twice, but a nightmare to maintain. Not that i work with rollercoasters, but I can imagine it being comparable.
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Only thing I have found to work is to invest in shares of market dominators. Coca Cola, Sisco, Wall Mart, Hershey, Phillip Morris, Mc Donalds, Microsoft etc. Their shares generally do go up 7 to 12% per year, but that is not why I invested in them. They gush cash. Means they buy back shares, which is why yours will increase in value no matter the economy, and they provide increasing dividends. You take the dividends and reinvest them in the stock. Called DRIP, but you have to tell your broker you want that, doesn't cost any extra. This compounds your stock value, but compounding takes at least 20 years to really get rolling. So, you buy the stock and forget about it.
I will second the motion about other stock market schemes. I lost half of my retirement to the 2001 through 2008 kleptocracy. Had it in a number of "Growth" stocks. They tanked before I got smart enough to buy gold. Not complaining, my stupidity.
Forget about buying real estate, unless you intend to rent it out. But that's a career for a younger man than I am. Purchase a place to live in that you aren't going to want to flip for profit. Purchase it because you intend to spend 20 years there and keep it up. Then you probably will profit from selling it.
Bud
I will second the motion about other stock market schemes. I lost half of my retirement to the 2001 through 2008 kleptocracy. Had it in a number of "Growth" stocks. They tanked before I got smart enough to buy gold. Not complaining, my stupidity.
Forget about buying real estate, unless you intend to rent it out. But that's a career for a younger man than I am. Purchase a place to live in that you aren't going to want to flip for profit. Purchase it because you intend to spend 20 years there and keep it up. Then you probably will profit from selling it.
Bud
The real estate market here in Norway is on fire these days. If I calculate with the worst numbers, the value of my small 45 square meter apartment has increased about 300000NOK (over 52000USD) since I moved in January 2010.
I really want to get a house further away from the city, and use the gains on that, but those are flying through the roof as well.
I really want to get a house further away from the city, and use the gains on that, but those are flying through the roof as well.
Housihng around here market here is still pretty stagnent. My house (2000 sqft, or about 180 sqM)was recently asessed at only 5.4% over what I paid 12 years ago.
That said, it needs a lot of work that I have been putting off.
I signed separation papers with my spouse yesterday. She will take a very large part of my retirement savings, considering we were only together 12 years and have no common children.
On the other hand I do get to keept he house which I had purchased before we were married.
Terms of the separation require me to pay for life, or until she re-marries which is a very low probability.
Best case I can retire at 68, even though I qualify to retire already and reach full retirement (66) in three years. I'm 63 now.
I may work till I'm 70, if I don't get laid off before the as I calculate that by using a loophole in the terms, I will be able to stop paying alamony by doing so.
That said, it needs a lot of work that I have been putting off.
I signed separation papers with my spouse yesterday. She will take a very large part of my retirement savings, considering we were only together 12 years and have no common children.
On the other hand I do get to keept he house which I had purchased before we were married.
Terms of the separation require me to pay for life, or until she re-marries which is a very low probability.
Best case I can retire at 68, even though I qualify to retire already and reach full retirement (66) in three years. I'm 63 now.
I may work till I'm 70, if I don't get laid off before the as I calculate that by using a loophole in the terms, I will be able to stop paying alamony by doing so.
Ah yes... retirement....
Having retired less than a year ago, @63 from a health care management (revenue cycle for $30M+ multiphysician practice..ugh) I was confronted in April with the BIG C, so all the money saved, future planning, whatever seems pretty much irrelevant...
That said, seeing as I have a weirdoma form of unusual sarcoma, that responds in Wac-A-Mole fashion, I've had a sizeable chunk of my left upper arm removed, and am scheduled for 32 focused high dose (64 grays for those wondering) radiation treatments to lower the odds (from 35% to maybe 3.5%) of recurrence.
I currently am NED, which means no evidence of disease, there is no remission or cure with this type, just NED.
7 weeks living in an RV near the treatment center for daily fractional doses @ 7:20AM... 3 hours from home and not sure obamacare is gonna cover any of the $100,000.00+ cost, so we're calling this my Radiation Vacation..... everything else is on hold.
Life goes on, though... at least for now.
John L.
Having retired less than a year ago, @63 from a health care management (revenue cycle for $30M+ multiphysician practice..ugh) I was confronted in April with the BIG C, so all the money saved, future planning, whatever seems pretty much irrelevant...
That said, seeing as I have a weirdoma form of unusual sarcoma, that responds in Wac-A-Mole fashion, I've had a sizeable chunk of my left upper arm removed, and am scheduled for 32 focused high dose (64 grays for those wondering) radiation treatments to lower the odds (from 35% to maybe 3.5%) of recurrence.
I currently am NED, which means no evidence of disease, there is no remission or cure with this type, just NED.
7 weeks living in an RV near the treatment center for daily fractional doses @ 7:20AM... 3 hours from home and not sure obamacare is gonna cover any of the $100,000.00+ cost, so we're calling this my Radiation Vacation..... everything else is on hold.
Life goes on, though... at least for now.
John L.
Hey, divorce is easy to recover from. Health is another matter.
Best wishes John.
I've started riding a bicycle several times a week on an old railroad bed that is being converted into a walking/biking trail (Tweetsy trail - The Tweetsie Trail - Connecting Johnson City and Elizabethton ).
I've got degenerative disk disease of the lumbar vertebrae and other ailments (From being hit by a car head on while riding a bicycle) which plays hell with riding but I'm hoping that I'll strengthen my back and abdominal muscels enough to offset any damage done riding.
Today I rode 17.5 Miles from JC to the Covered Bridge and back, averaging 8.8m/h.
By the way the site that claims flat grade is pure BS. a lot of it is 3%grade with a max of 6% grade for over a half mile going past the old quary.
Best wishes John.
I've started riding a bicycle several times a week on an old railroad bed that is being converted into a walking/biking trail (Tweetsy trail - The Tweetsie Trail - Connecting Johnson City and Elizabethton ).
I've got degenerative disk disease of the lumbar vertebrae and other ailments (From being hit by a car head on while riding a bicycle) which plays hell with riding but I'm hoping that I'll strengthen my back and abdominal muscels enough to offset any damage done riding.
Today I rode 17.5 Miles from JC to the Covered Bridge and back, averaging 8.8m/h.
By the way the site that claims flat grade is pure BS. a lot of it is 3%grade with a max of 6% grade for over a half mile going past the old quary.
Retirement. short and long range planning ---- long range... You MUST get a property/home of any sort you can afford...paid off or you will never make enough money in retirement to pay mortgage/rent and live also. And, it takes a long time to pay off a house/home/condo/tent. So you have to start saving early enough for the down-payment. Then when you do have your place paid off... all that monthly money goes into FUN.
I left the 9 to 5 Work-a-Day because the pay was too low for my long range plans. By age 50, I never had a 9-5 job ever again. Now I am 68 and retired. It just takes planning and some luck. But retirement is not all it is cracked up to be... boredom and less activity leads to more health problems fast etc. IMO it is best to stay working at something not stressful. Or, be able to have hobbies you enjoy. but in the end... it all comes down to People as being the most important.... esp a few close friends and what you can do for others who are still struggling. And, stay in present time... enjoy everyday you wake up above ground.
-Richard Marsh
I left the 9 to 5 Work-a-Day because the pay was too low for my long range plans. By age 50, I never had a 9-5 job ever again. Now I am 68 and retired. It just takes planning and some luck. But retirement is not all it is cracked up to be... boredom and less activity leads to more health problems fast etc. IMO it is best to stay working at something not stressful. Or, be able to have hobbies you enjoy. but in the end... it all comes down to People as being the most important.... esp a few close friends and what you can do for others who are still struggling. And, stay in present time... enjoy everyday you wake up above ground.
-Richard Marsh
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In post #155 I said this:
About 18 months later I find myself "retired." The process of spinning off, and exiting businesses continued until there is only one core business unit left. Despite being the clear market leader in a captive market, at time where the technology is due for some major advances, the engineering workforce is being severely cut back. They made it clear that the older, higher paid workers were no longer wanted, and offered a targeted buyout. I was one of the targets, so I took the money and ran. Most of my friends who decided to stay have been laid off.
The cost of living in South Florida is ridiculous and rising, and there is no prospects of employment for a 61 year old engineer in an area where all the tech companies are laying off. So, I filled a 22 foot Penske truck with most of my stuff, and drove it to rural West Virginia. I will repeat the process one more time next month.
I will figure this "retirement" thing out pretty quick, but the first 3 months have been non stop heavy work, either moving, land clearing, or dealing with the details of having a house built. It will probably be that way for the next year or so.
I also have degenerative disk in two lumbar disks. It appears hereditary since both of my brothers have the same issue. The specialist I worked with about 15 years ago wanted to do surgery, but I refused. Too many people got no relief, or got worse long term, from the surgical procedures done at that time. The techniques have improved a lot in 15 years.
The specialist and I sat down and discussed lifestyle changes, and the number one red flag was bicycle riding. All of the shock and vibration that the bike's rear tire is transmitted through the seat right into the lower spine. At the same time the spine is curved due to the riding position creating a small contact patch between the vertebrae and the disk. This creates stress damage on a small area of the disk leading to disks that are wedge shaped, and this was clearly evident on my MRI.
I quit bike riding for several years, but I picked up a used recumbent cycle a few years ago that has a rear shock. I find it much more fun to ride if you are looking for a leisurely ride instead of trying to keep up with the younger guys on their $1000 road bikes!
BTW, Dayton sucked this year. It was the worst weather I have ever seen. In one day we had cold, rain, hail, and high winds. I got pelted with hail 3 times in the same day while trying to cover my tables, and a piece of flying junk left a gash in my forehead during one of the freak windstorms.....but I will be back next year.
Good luck with "retirement" guys. There are plenty of new challenges to deal with, but life is what you make of it, so......full speed ahead!
About 18 months later I find myself "retired." The process of spinning off, and exiting businesses continued until there is only one core business unit left. Despite being the clear market leader in a captive market, at time where the technology is due for some major advances, the engineering workforce is being severely cut back. They made it clear that the older, higher paid workers were no longer wanted, and offered a targeted buyout. I was one of the targets, so I took the money and ran. Most of my friends who decided to stay have been laid off.
The cost of living in South Florida is ridiculous and rising, and there is no prospects of employment for a 61 year old engineer in an area where all the tech companies are laying off. So, I filled a 22 foot Penske truck with most of my stuff, and drove it to rural West Virginia. I will repeat the process one more time next month.
I will figure this "retirement" thing out pretty quick, but the first 3 months have been non stop heavy work, either moving, land clearing, or dealing with the details of having a house built. It will probably be that way for the next year or so.
I also have degenerative disk in two lumbar disks. It appears hereditary since both of my brothers have the same issue. The specialist I worked with about 15 years ago wanted to do surgery, but I refused. Too many people got no relief, or got worse long term, from the surgical procedures done at that time. The techniques have improved a lot in 15 years.
The specialist and I sat down and discussed lifestyle changes, and the number one red flag was bicycle riding. All of the shock and vibration that the bike's rear tire is transmitted through the seat right into the lower spine. At the same time the spine is curved due to the riding position creating a small contact patch between the vertebrae and the disk. This creates stress damage on a small area of the disk leading to disks that are wedge shaped, and this was clearly evident on my MRI.
I quit bike riding for several years, but I picked up a used recumbent cycle a few years ago that has a rear shock. I find it much more fun to ride if you are looking for a leisurely ride instead of trying to keep up with the younger guys on their $1000 road bikes!
BTW, Dayton sucked this year. It was the worst weather I have ever seen. In one day we had cold, rain, hail, and high winds. I got pelted with hail 3 times in the same day while trying to cover my tables, and a piece of flying junk left a gash in my forehead during one of the freak windstorms.....but I will be back next year.
Good luck with "retirement" guys. There are plenty of new challenges to deal with, but life is what you make of it, so......full speed ahead!
Yea, well I have to pay alamony for the rest of her life. Sort of.
I have to insure that she gets the same amount she is getting now minus $100 (1800/mo), after she goes on SSI. If I work it right I will be down to less than $400/month at that time. There is no provision for inflation, so as time goes by and SSI gets increases, my payment will go down. If she and I both live long enough, I won't have to pay anything.
I have to pay all medical expenses for 5 years, including deductables and co-pays. But, there is a limit of $5000 per year.
It certainly could be worse.
George, that is my biggest concern. I'm looking for a bike with good shocks to minimize the dammage. The bile/walking path I'm riding on is improving day by day. They have been running a roller over it this past week and packing the surface. It is not near as bumpy as it was a week ago. They are going to put crusher run on it in the next month, and then pea-gravel mixed with portland. Hopefully it will be pretty smooth when they are done.
I've actuallty had less back pain in the last week than I have had in years. Downside is my hip is worse, and I think the shorter right leg from surgery after a bike accident 16 years ago, is catching up with me.
Growing old sucks.
Sy, sorry to hear that.
I never went to court. I have been trying to work out an agreement for 6 months. We went to mediation last Thursday, and worked out the final kinks. I really didn't want to go to court and have to let a judge decide my future.
I've actuallty had less back pain in the last week than I have had in years. Downside is my hip is worse, and I think the shorter right leg from surgery after a bike accident 16 years ago, is catching up with me.
Growing old sucks.
Sy, sorry to hear that.
I never went to court. I have been trying to work out an agreement for 6 months. We went to mediation last Thursday, and worked out the final kinks. I really didn't want to go to court and have to let a judge decide my future.
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