One-On-One

One-On-One

Tonight's democratic debate featured Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders arguing over who is better fit to serve as president.  The New Hampshire primary is on Tuesday, and this debate was Hillary's chance to get more support in a state that she is likely to lose.

The Democratic debate is now a one-on-one format, because the third candidate polling at more than one percent, Martin O'Malley, dropped out after his disappointing performance at the Iowa caucus.  The debate is a lot different without MOM's humor and sob stories.  The debate is about the issues, rather than playing on the heartstrings of those watching.

The biggest takeaway from this debate for me is that Bernie is overrated.  Many young people and celebrities like his socialist positions, as they pander to people that don't understand how money works.  He flaunts around ideas like universal healthcare and free college even though these things are not currently possible.  Congress would not allow these plans to pass, and he would fall through on all of these promises.

On top of his inability to fulfill campaign promises, Sanders does not know how to communicate with foreign leaders.  When asked who the largest threat is among Iran, Russia, and North Korea, Sanders said that he feared North Korea the most.  Anyone with an ounce of knowledge in the realm of global politics could tell you that North Korea is a threat.  Their entire platform is built around using scare tactics and threatening rhetoric in order to get free food from other countries.  There is nothing to fear from a country so poor and weak that their entire governmental system would collapse from the death of one person.

Bernie Sanders is an idealist; he is a dreamer.  Unfortunately, dreams aren't real, and neither are his proposals.  Bernie Sanders will not live up to people's expectations.  We need a real leader instead; we need Donald Trump.

Death is Inevitable

Death is Inevitable

The recent absence of our lord and savior, Donald Trump, in the Fox News GOP Debate has me questioning whether or not it is worth it to go on living.  What is the use living in a world where a lowly news reporter can bully a potential world leader into backing out of one of the most important presidential debates?  On top of that, death is inevitable, so what is the point of even living?

I am just kidding, of course.  But in all seriousness, I think that it is crazy how Megyn Kelly has so much power in these debates.  I do not understand why a right-wing news outlet would let their own staff member defile the reputation of a high-quality debate by using her own biases to bring down Donald Trump's campaign.

Donald Trump is the most reputable and most qualified candidate to act as our president.  He is the only person who has stuck to his guns on major issues such as abortion, health care, and CHI-na.  We need Trump to make America great again, and Megyn Kelly is standing in our way.  She should be drawn and quartered for her attacks against The Donald so that people understand that nothing will stand in the way of progress.

Help.

Red

Red

Apples, tomatoes, blood, raspberries, strawberries, lipsticks, rubies, roses, ketchup, meat, peppers, firetrucks, cardinals, radishes, licorice, cherries, hearts, ladybugs, watermelon, Elmo, Republicans, Starbucks cups, Ferrari, Big Red, cranberries, lobsters, Mars, holly, Tabasco, scarlet tanagers, barns, fire hydrants, vermilion flycatchers, pepperoni, crimson rosellas, The Crimson Chin, red pandas, parrots, crabs, starfish, tomato sauce, fire ants, bricks, hematite, Darth Maul, salami, Sith lightsabers, foxes, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Rudolph's nose, Nazis, Angry Birds, lasers, Santa, Christmas, Valentine's Day, red squirrels, clay, Red M&Ms, YouTube, red crayons, stop signs, traffic lights, hotline phones, Blinky, Mario, red velvet cake, Louis Vuitton Red Bottoms, Yeezy 2 Red Octobers, catsup, British telephone booths, British double-decker buses, red Crocs, red-handed, Coca-Cola, red balloons, red wine, Solo cups, Communism, Russia, China, Beats by Dre, Red Cross, Cincinnati Reds, Air Canada, Swiss Army, pentagrams, fire, Red Sox, hot dogs, Jell-O, redrum, Red Robin, Chili's, Chick Fil-A, Staples, begonia tubers, dahlia tubers, geraniums, nasturtiums, marigolds, lobelias, poppy, Santander, salvia, scarlet fever, chickenpox, cowpox, rashes, McDonald's, American stripes, rust, maple trees, Canadian flag, North Korea, and red paint are all red.

What is your favorite color?

We're Screwed

We're Screwed

Recently, "The Big Short" depicted how the events leading to the housing crash of 2007 and why the big banks failed.  It was a well timed film, because today, we are on the verge of another economic crisis.

In the 2007 crash, the housing market collapsed because people with subprime mortgages could not afford to pay their bills and the shares and futures that these mortgages were dependent on started to decline.  These shares and futures were bundled in collateralized debt obligations, or CDOs.  The shares in these CDOs did not need to meet the same standards as those in a prime mortgage, so they were filled with volatile stocks and commodities that were likely to decrease in value.  When the shares that these mortgages were built on failed and the owners could not make up the deficit, the banks were forced to foreclose on their properties in order to keep from losing money.  Because so many people had subprime mortgages and all of their houses were being foreclosed, the banks were left with nothing and the economy collapsed.

The same thing that happened in the United States in 2007 is happening today.  Chinese mortgages are not built on CDOs, but their entire market is in jeopardy, meaning that their housing market is destined to collapse as well.  The Chinese markets have dropped more than 12% since the year began., and almost 40% since June.  The Chinese have been focusing less on exports, and domestic industries took a toll.  Many Chinese companies saw little growth this year, and it is showing in their market's decline.  The Chinese government were forced to close their market today after it dropped more than 7%.  To top it off, large-scale investors were previously restricted from selling stock, and this expires tomorrow.  Fear will lead to panic selling tomorrow, and many of these investors will dump their shares, causing the market to fall even further.  When it opens tomorrow on Friday, January 8, the market will plummet.  This will have rippling effects across the entire world economy, as China has 17% of the world's wealth.  We are currently looking at a recession equal to or greater than that of 2008.

We're screwed (unless the market rebounds next week).

Edit: Never mind.

Martin Shkreli

Martin Shkreli

This morning, Turing Pharmaceuticals AG executive Martin Shkreli was arrested on charges of fraud.  For those who are unaware, Shkreli is best known for purchasing the patent to Daraprim and raising the price from $13.50 per pill to $750.  Daraprim is one of the only drugs that can be used to treat toxoplasmosis, a common parasitic disease that can be fatal to those with compromised immune systems.

He was charged with defrauding former employees of securities that he owed.  For years, he was running a pseudo-pyramid scheme where he would take out loans to pay workers from former companies.  He then fabricated reports for the SEC that made it look as if he was operating legally.

Despite his recent misfortune, Shkreli is actually quite well-off.  As of September 22, he had a net worth of $100 million.  This was shortly after he began price gouging on Daraprim.  Recently, he made the news for buying the sole rights to the Wu-Tang album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin for $2 million.  

His business decisions have led him to receive serious criticism over the past couple of months.  Despite these verbal attacks, Shkreli has remained steadfast in his drug pricing.  In fact, he often takes to Twitter to silence his haters.  He realizes how immoral his actions are, but he takes pride in how much success he has achieved.

Personally, I have a great deal of respect for Shkreli.  Yes, his business strategies are unethical, and yes, he is a psychopath.  Fortunately, ethics are not important in business.  What he is doing is morally wrong, but it is completely legal.  His personality also has no effect on his success.  People that need Daraprim are going to buy it regardless of whether or not he is a benevolent person.  He is taking advantage of people and making a fortune.  His past business decisions have not been the wisest, but he is still quite successful.  Martin Shkreli is living the American dream, and that is something worth envying.

The Reuben Sandwich

The Reuben Sandwich

The Reuben is a staple within American sandwich-culture.  The classic Reuben sandwich is a corned beef sandwich with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, all grilled between two slices of rye bread.  It is a staple sandwich of delicatessens across the United States, and it is the state sandwich of Nebraska.

It is amazing what a sandwich can do.  As the crusty exterior enters your mouth, you can't help but to savor the first bite with your tongue's warm, tender embrace.  The sweetness of the Russian dressing and sauerkraut contrasts with the tanginess of the rye bread to create a flavor explosion in your mouth.  You feel the need to keep it in your mouth for as long as possible, so as to save it from the perilous journey through the digestive canal.  You want to eat it so bad, but you know Reuben doesn't deserve it.

As you finish savoring the first bite and finally swallow, you look down at Reuben, only to see him in excruciating pain.  Tears of Russian dressing runs down its face and the corned beef presents a frowning pattern.  You want to stop, but you just can't resist.  You keep taking bite after bite until there is nothing left.  You hear screams coming from your midsection as your small intestines try to fight against indigestion from the sauerkraut.

You can't believe what you've done.  You just murdered the sandwich, and you begin to realize how many traits you share with Jeffrey Dahmer.  But you don't care.  You eat another one.  Another one.  Another one.  Sandwich after sandwich becomes victim to your endless hunger.  All you can do is laugh and eat more as DJ Khaled eggs you on.  There's no more excuses.  By the 30th sandwich, there is no explanation to why you did it.  The first one sated your hunger.  Every sandwich after that was meaningless to you.  Your blood-lust consumed you, and you consumed them in return.  You monster.

Tai Lopez

Tai Lopez

If you have watched a YouTube video without AdBlock recently, then you probably know who Tai Lopez is.  His video "Here In My Garage" is one of the most popular advertisements on the site, with over 66 million views.  This video is a promotion for his website, TaiLopez.com, where he offers his tips and tricks to getting rich in his book "67 Steps To The Good Life" and paid seminars.  Many people think that this is a huge scam and that he is just taking your money for bad advice.  In fact, some people have used video evidence and house rental websites to prove that he is a fraud.  These people are partially right.  Tai does not provide any revolutionary information.  His advice is not going to make anyone rich overnight.  This does not mean that his advice is not useful.

Tai Lopez's YouTube channel is full of videos on various topics related to being successful in business and in life.  Most of these videos share the same themes.  The only way to get rich is to take risks.  It only takes one good investment to get rich.  You need to be aggressive to make it in the world of business.  All of this advice is basic, and most people understand these concepts.  Despite all of the repeated garbage, there are still some great pieces of information to take from Tai's channel.

Tai is a success.  He is a conman, but he is a successful one.  He has hundreds of thousands of subscribers to his YouTube channel (including myself), and he brings in enough revenue to rent a mansion and Lamborghini in Beverly Hills.  There is a lot to learn from the way Tai acts.  Everything that he does promotes himself in some way.  Some of these tips he shares through his words, and some of these things he shares in his actions.  If you pay careful attention to the way that he speaks and acts, you can see that he is always directing the conversation in his videos towards self-promotion.  He constantly talks about his own financial successes and words of wisdom from his mentors.  He does not actually share these tips; instead, he tells people to pay for his book and seminars.  These mentors and investments probably are not real, but he is persuasive enough that thousands of people fall for it.  He is the perfect businessman.  He has learned to brand himself and promote himself in such a way that he has become successful without doing anything.  

Every businessman should look at what Tai Lopez does and try to emulate him, as he is great at what he does.  As a side note, he has an interesting interview with Mark Cuban.  The videos that I mentioned are shown below (Warning: The second video may contain inappropriate language and imagery).