"Not Wanted! Smart people from other countries.", says the US

Taken from Reuters:

"Congress capped the number of non-immigrant visas for skilled professionals at 65,000 in 2004 and 2005 in an effort to increase border security and ensure more jobs for home-grown tech workers."

If this is true, then I am appalled. Why in the hell would you cap talent? I am a skilled worker. I make as many jokes at foreign people as the next guy. I can not stand calling places and being rerouted to Indian People that I can not understand.

But, I can not justify limiting the number of skilled and educated immigrants entering the US. And Look, lets be very honest, this hits me pretty hard. Having a limit benefits me immensely.

But it is wrong.

The foreignors are going to evolve with or without us. If we don't let them in our country, then that doesnt mean that their brains just go away. If you can't beat em, join em. We can't beat them, we need them to join us.

If anything, we should be limiting the number of unskilled foreignors entering the country and not vice versa. Leave the unskilled jobs that we can't outsource (e.g. managing a Walgreens or waitressing at IHOP) to unskilled Americans. But let the talent and innovators and motivated come over here. Let them compete for the skilled positions. Let the U.S. evolve!

We are limiting the U.S.'s evolution because of our own temporary fear of losing jobs. Get over that fear. Learn more. Try harder. If we did either we wouldn't have to worry about outside competition, but the fact is that most americans are lazy, take things for granted, and think that the world is owed to them. A majority of Americans balme everyone and everything around them for their place in life. Instead of being a catalyst for success. It is sad. So many losers afraid to put in the effort to win.

We are essentially curbing our own growth, and speeding up our competitor's growth at the same time.

for details see: DOJ site

It is too easy to mistake chance for talent.

I like buying stocks. I have never lost money on a stock, and I have an 86% return over the last 6 years vs a loss of 20% for the S&P and a loss of 6% for the Wilshire 5000 over the same time period.

I have solidly done what most professionals haven't. I have beaten the market over time. Needless to say it isn't even close.

But how much of that is luck. I'm sure most of it.

I wanted to buy charter at 15. They are now at $1.28. I wanted to buy AIG. They were in the high 60s, now they are at 50, and announcing accounting problems. I bought Iomega thinking they were going to revolutionize computers. I doubled my money and sold because I was unemployed. I did not want to sell, and if I hadn't sold I would have lost my money. I wanted to buy Netzero. I naively thought they were going to change the internet landscape. They don't even trade anymore...they got bought out by the company that owns Juno (remember Juno!?)

So where am I going with all of this? I am driven by a fear that someone is going to discover that I am lucky. I went to grad school and I'm taking the CFA charter. Why? Because I want to learn. I'm scared that I am just lucky. I could have easily lost my ass if I had done any of the above trades. Instead I picked all solid winners. What kept me from buying the losers? Why did I not buy Charter or AIG. I thought they were no-brainers.

Is it luck or is it skill? I'm afraid of the answer.

Mullet-ology

The following PowerPoint Presentation was sent to me...(thanks Kendra).

http://www.geocities.com/doctorlazy/ZZ_smulletpresentation.pps

I went and opened a geocities account which took about 30 seconds...I think they only give me 5MB of web space...I've been out of this game for a long long time (8 years?)....can anyone refer me to a free host with alot of MB?

Do you want to retire in less than 2 years...grow some balls.

Disclaimer: The figures in this post are based on several assumptions...the biggest of which is that the future will resemble the past.

Most people in the real world bitch about not liking their job, or not having enough to buy whatever, or pay bills.

Well here's a solution.

Buy 10 houses. Before I go any further, I have to say: Houses are just things. Nothing more. Its not a big event to buy a house. Its just a thing.

So if you buy ten 100k houses you can rent them for 1k and your payments on a 20 year loan will be 800ish. So if you had ten houses you would make 24k a year TAKEHOME money (which is more take home than the average household gets!...not person, household!)

Every year the houses will appreciate 5% on average. So the spread between your loan and your rental income will grow. Every year you would get a 5% raise. Or you could sell a house and reap the benefits of someone else paying it down for you and its appreciation.

Plus the houses will get paid down (by someone else). Plus you get to save a ton on taxes....(not only can you deduct more, but you will save 7% of the payroll taxes that you are currently paying right now).

But Greggie Greg, I don't have enough for a down payment. I have 2 houses. I have paid a combined total of 800 dollars out of my own pocket to buy them. You people spend more than $800 on toys!

But most importantly, the houses will appreciate. Ten 100k houses will be worth $1.6MM in ten years. But you will only owe 600k-ish. So you just made 1MM appreciation in 10 years, plus by now your rental income is 16,000 rent - 8,000 mortgage payments = $8,000 a month X 12 = $96k a year. All this and you will only work 2-5 hours a week. Oh and that $96K is nowhere being the same as a $96k salary because. (96k salary ends up being 57k after taxes).

Everyone knows and understands everything I just said.

But who has the balls to act? Its alot more convenient to complain isn't it?

You're all too stupid to retire in 2 years. (Note: I have not retired either, so obviously I am stupid also).

Disclaimer: The figures in this post are based on several assumptions...the biggest of which is that the future will resemble the past.

Pimp my ride.

I want someone to build me a hydraulic telescoping arm that extends at the push of a button out of my trunk with a bi-folding backboard. That way I can play basketball anywhere. Of course we'll also need a way to hold a tarp tightly for the 90% of shots that I miss. I don't want to dent the car.

I also want someone to build a container for my washing machine. There is no reason why I have to add one cup each and every time I do a load. The washing machine should have a resevoir that holds 1+ gallons and automatically secretes detergent. It would make things much more easy, and it would help people like my mom who has a broken back, or my grandma who is suffereing from being old. (I smell a patent idea)

The bet to end all bets....and maybe more.

My brother Tony and I made a bet this morning.

By 5/31/2005 Each of us has to lose 15 lbs. He has to drop to 215, and I need to drop to 150.

To make it more interesting I added this clause: We each have to bench 215 that day.

If we do not hit our goal than we have to give our other brother $50.

This is not going to be pretty.

Please feel free to taunt me...maybe call me a fatty every now and then as motivation.

The Amazing Popeman...in stores soon....

Copied and pasted from Reuters:

"BOGOTA, Colombia, April 5 (Reuters) - Pope John Paul II is being reborn in a Colombian comic book as a superhero battling evil with an anti-Devil cape and special chastity pants. The first episode of the "Incredible Popeman" is about to go on sale in Colombia and shows the late Polish pontiff meeting comic book legends such as Batman and Superman to learn how to use superpowers to battle Satan. "The pope was a real-life superhero, of flesh and blood," said Colombian artist Rodolfo Leon, a non-practicing Catholic who has been working on the comic book for about a year. Like any self-respecting superhero, the Incredible Popeman has a battery of special equipment. Along with his yellow cape and green chastity pants, the muscular super-pontiff wields a faith staff with a cross on top and carries holy water and communion wine.

In the comic book, the pope dies and is reborn with superpowers beyond the infallibility Catholic doctrine gave him on Earth. Leon said he was saddened by the death Saturday of John Paul II, whom he admired. The artist worried some people might be offended by such a revered figure becoming a comic book hero, but said the reception so far has been good. Apart from predominantly Catholic Colombia, the book will be sold in Poland and publishers in Mexico, Canada and the United States have expressed interest, Leon said. He also plans to produce Incredible Popeman action dolls. "He isn't John Paul II any more," Leon said. "From now on, he's the Incredible Popeman.""

A few Websites

Click here and you will burn in hell.

Click here to be impressed.

Are you in the eternal Yahoo vs. Google debate...click here to get you to shut up. (note this was down last I tried...probably getting lots of hits)

Click here for Texas Hold'em odds.

Click here to get answers to any questions. (or ask me, I love questions!)