A Diamond is Forever

That’s the line the De Beers cartel decided to sell to impressionable Americans starting in the late 1930s (the literal line itself, in 1947). Those shiny bits of carbon of artificial scarcity and fixed prices didn’t sell themselves – considering there was no long-term or widespread historical tradition of diamonds containing value or imparting status. Diamonds are no gold.

Recorded history of diamonds used in engagement/wedding rings takes us back over 500 years, a (true) fact pushed by the “history of the engagement ring” websites run by jewelers. No reference to the “standard” diamond engagement ring being a result of a De Beers advertising campaign, or that many other countries (including those that can afford diamonds) stick to simple gold bands or rings mounted with other gems. I’d wager most Americans believe the diamond engagement ring is dominant throughout most of Europe. For all the glorious background, read THIS PIECE from The Atlantic written by Edward Jay Epstein. I know… it’s long. The first few pages deal with the relevant engagement ring/ad campaign issues. Here is the brief.

Amway/Quixtar: Evil, Rich, White Men Go to Battle

Which TEAM are you on?

A number of Quixtar distributor kingpins have left/been terminated from Quixtar. They are filing a lawsuit against Amway/Quixtar/Alticor. Both sides are smearing the other, except through the unlikely method of “telling the truth.” Both parties are guilty of so many crimes against humanity that it doesn’t take lies to fuel a smear campaign. I can’t add much to the discussion other than pointing out a bit of silliness here and there, but it is so damn interesting to see two equally evil, rich, and powerful interests doing battle with one another.

The Ethics of Couponing

When I decided to get hardcore about clipping coupons, I inevitably ended up consider coupon ethics. I also started using words like “hardcore” to describe couponing. When I first start getting back in the game – the hardcore coupon game – I ran across an article on coupon ethics. It covered the basics: don’t use expired coupons unless your store has a policy of accepting them, don’t try to get coupons scanned that you didn’t actually buy a product for, and when there are restrictions on size or quantity adhere to them. This is all ethical child’s play.

I was more concerned about the big picture – the implications of my calculated, excessive, coupon usage.

Amway/Quixtar: Selling Broken Dreams

A couple days ago a friend recruited me to join an MLM (multi-level marketing) opportunity. I assumed that’s what it was after the initial phone call Sunday, and it was obvious after the meet-up Monday. A manic 12-hour research session later (9:30pm-9:30am) and I identified the company, the business model, and the reality of the opportunity vs. what was sold to me. I learned a whole lot about MLM organizations, their supporters, and their critics.

No research is done without collateral damage. Did you know that Lyndon LaRouche supporters are a cult? That’s a seriously interesting read if you, like me, are seeing LaRouche booths popping up with increasing frequency. And if you like cults and conspiracy theorists/criminals/presidential candidates.

We can fulfill all your hopes and dreams. Freedom! Flush that stinking job! Your future is just one click away . . .

Living Expenses

Housing: $605/month. My own (big) room. All utilities included. Washer/dryer. Bathroom and refrigerator shared with one other person. Bathroom cleaned by maid every couple weeks.

Transportation: 2000 Honda Civic, paid off. 63,000 miles. New tires, new brakes. Over $3000 in maintenance performed in last six months. Runs like new.

Food: I need to find a job where co-workers don’t make fun of me for bringing a sack lunch. Probably $200-$300/mo despite rarely eating out. Prime territory for cost-cutting.

Cell Phone: $53-54/mo

Clothes: Nordstrom Rack and Buffalo Exchange. Any other suggestions?

Toys: Let’s look at the things I want: big screen TV, TiVo, Xbox 360, new computer, fancy digital camera, and every other gadget in existence. The common theme is time-sink electronics that depreciate like crazy. TiVo is the most dangerous – I don’t need to spend all weekend catching up on the TV I missed during the week. I can live without.

Vice: 16 days since last cigarette, longer since last drink. A couple months without blazing. My goal of working 14 hours a day should help keep me away from temptation. I could spend $15-20 a day on booze, get too lazy to make food and spend $20-25 on a pizza, all while smoking $4 worth of cigarettes… then wake up the next morning and burn $10 smoking away a hangover. $0 fits my budget better.

Vacations: I can take a six to twelve hour vacation that feels like a week whenever I want, I just need to find a good hook.

The Job Hunt

Finding a decent entry-level job is more difficult than I expected, considering I was under the impression the job market is wide open right now. Every job worth having wants a candidate with a degree in economics, finance, or business administration. My standard line: your supervisor doesn’t hand you a stack of papers on your first day at work and say “here, perform some econometrics.” I actually came across a job titled “Econometrician” and it was, unsurprisingly, looking for a master’s degree + experience. Anything relevant to an entry-level position could easily be learned on-the-job by a qualified candidate, so why do many businesses unnecessarily limit their pool?

Hello, World

In fifth grade, my class was assigned to read “The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck. It was some of my earliest training in basic principles of capitalism. Own a factor of production and use it to generate profit. Instead of spending that profit frivolously, use it to buy more factors of production. Keep doing this long enough and you’ll find yourself smoking opium and screwing hookers in an upscale gentleman’s club.

This was the life I wanted to lead.