DavidNatiuk.com

I recently read this news story about the $17 Billion dollars that President Obama is seeking to cut out of the U.S. budget.  Here’s the link to the news story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090507/pl_nm/us_obama_budget

On the surface, $17 Billion seems like a huge amount of money.  The problem is that the government now is so ridiculously big that we’re dealing in the Trillions for our national budget, and these numbers just don’t “compute” in real-world terms.

To properly understand this $17 Billion “cut” in the budget, we need to draw an analogy with a typical American family budget:

Government Budget = $3.55 Trillion
Trying to “trim” the budget by = $17 Billion
$17 Billion is less than 0.5% of the budget!!

Average Family = $60,000  (an easy number for this example)
What is 0.5% of $60,000??  =  $300

Okay, so to put this in perspective, if you have an average family income of $60,000 you would need to cut roughly $300 from your ANNUAL budget.  Which further breaks down into $25/mo.  Could you find a way to save $25/mo?  I’m SURE you could.  Actually, in this difficult economy, how many of you have cut MUCH MORE than that already?  I know we have!  And I can almost guarantee that the average American family has far less “waste” or “unnecessary expenses” in their budget already.

C’mon government, you HAVE to do better than this.  I’d expect at least a 2%-5% cut if you REALLY had the desire for change!  I haven’t yet done much research, but I’ll bet the government is GROWING faster than 0.5% every year, which means this isn’t really a CUT is it?  No, its actually just a reduction in the amount of growth.

Let’s all show the government how its done!  Be frugal, be industrious, pay as little tax as you legally can, get out of debt, operate under a balanced budget and be giving.

One of my inspirations is Dave Ramsey.   I suggest those who don’t know Dave get acquainted with his ideas on money.  Principles I wish I had learned better awhile ago, but am happy to be following now.  If ONLY we could get the government to attend Dave’s “Financial Money Makeover!!”

I have to comment on the recent news story about the Miss USA pageant.  One of the judges was famous blogger Perez Hilton, who became famous ragging on other famous people.  He asked one of the contestants about Gay Marriage and her response infuriated him.

Here’s the full news story (click)

I’m sick of the intolerance of those preaching tolerance!

We are told over and over again by the gay rights movement that we need to be open-minded and accepting of other viewpoints.  But really what they mean is that you have to be accepting of THEIR viewpoints!  In fact, if you simply share the opinion that gay marriage shouldn’t be legal, than you’re a BIGOT, a FOOL, and probably lots of other choice words.

Perez Hilton blasted the contestant on his own blog saying that she didn’t lose because she is anti-gay-marriage, she lost because she is a “dumb B**CH” (direct quote).  You see, you MUST be tolerant of their viewpoint, but it’s simply not allowed to share an alternate opinion.

But it gets even worse.  Perez Hilton then appears on the Today show on tuesday and said his question was relevant and that Prejean should have “left her politics and her religion out because Miss USA represents all Americans.”

Come on!  Leave out the politics and religion?  Then why did you ask such a politically charged question?  (hidden agendas, perhaps?)  Aren’t politics and religion woven into the very fiber of  America?  For goodness sakes, the stereotype of beauty pageant contestants is “dumb bimbo” but if they answer difficult questions they’re told they shouldn’t go there!

And religion?  I didn’t hear her talking about religion?  Prejean shared her personal opinion and stuck by her own morals.  That should be applauded, especially in a situation where many people might pick “winning” over their personal morality.

Where’s the tolerance?  Why the angry responses from Perez and the accusations that Prejean should’ve left her “religious” views out of the contest?  If this contest is to symbolize America, then Mr. Perez Hilton better wake up and realize that even in Miss California’s home state the gay-marriage bill was struck down by a majority of 70%!  I’m surprised she isn’t also being accused of pandering to the majority… for goodness sake.

Perez Hilton is free to his viewpoint, that’s the great joy of living in America.  But he needs to start respecting the rights of others to have their own viewpoint, too!  Right or wrong isn’t the issue…  the issue is that Carrie Prejean should be celebrated for standing up for her morals and speaking her mind IN SPITE of knowing there would likely be consequences.  THAT’S exactly the type of leadership we need more of in America today.

Have you heard of the SNUGGIE blanket?  Been getting emails in your box constantly about it?  My kids are already asking for one.

I posted my “very detailed” insights into the Snuggie on my humor blog.

Follow the link for more info:

http://thingsifindfunny.net/?p=44

This book came out in 2000, and I read it a long time ago. I recently picked it up to read again and realized how relevant much of the information still is. I guess that speaks highly of Bill O’Reilly’s straight-talk and analysis of America.

Many times I hear people preface their opinion with an, “I don’t agree with everything he says…” Well Duh! Who in the world do you agree with 100% of the time. It goes without saying that if you’re a thinking person, you will have developed your own belief systems and will never agree with somebody all the time.

That being said, I find myself in agreement with much of Mr. O’Reilly’s analysis of the good, bad, and ridiculous in this country. The problems of class, money, corruption and power are truly some of the things I highly resonate with.

One of the reasons I really enjoy reading & watching Bill O’Reilly on his TV show is that he is a guy who really comes from a blue-collar background, has worked hard to achieve his success and yet has not forgotten his roots. He still sticks up for the “little guy” because he comes from those same humble roots, and understands the problems intimately.

Three of the most important things pointed out in this book to me are:

1. The real separation in this country is not race or culture, but CLASS.
   Poor, Middle, Upper, the Rich… no matter which class you come from, it shapes your thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Because of the education you get, the people you know, the attitudes and philosophies you grow up with, etc. it is one of the hardest things to crossover from one class to another. It also divides the elite from the “common people”… and unfortunately many of the elite are ruling this country. No wonder things are such a mess.
    
2. Integrity, honesty and sticking up for the truth are worth fighting for.
   There is no denying it will be a fight. You don’t have to be as outspoken as Bill, or speak your mind so blatantly as he did growing up… but standing up for what is right is both desireable and difficult. People are never happy when called out for improper behavior, and sticking to your morals can cause conflicts at the job and with caustic individuals. But it makes you a better person, and you will find a place that you are celebrated for who you are.
    
3. Education is critically important… so you can reject the ridiculous!
   School is just your launching pad. Your real education comes after you’ve got all the basics. If you simply allow television, movies, network news and popular culture to dictate your “education” you are in big trouble. Their is always more than one side of the story, and their are many options today to compare stories and find the truth.
    

Read books, look at history, study the great thinkers. Don’t limit yourself to the popular culture of the day without using common sense and a broader perspective.

If you don’t know where to begin… why not start with this book. No, you won’t “agree with everything” but that’s the point! Educate yourself and form your own views that you can firmly stand on. I think Bill O’Reilly has done a great job at doling out a huge dose of common sense. I look forward to reporting on his other books as well.

There are very few real secrets in this world, especially with the almighty GOOGLE search engine.  Usually what is marketed as a “secret” is no longer a secret the moment you figure out the hook.  Let me try to give you some examples:

“Secret Weight Loss Technique” – don’t eat
“Secret Way to Wealth” - Make a lot more than you spend
“The Secret Society” – well, is it still secret once you know it exists?

My point in all this is that the word “Secret” has a lot more power usually than the actual secret it imparts to us once discovered.  And nowhere has this power word been more leveraged (abused?) than with a video & book called “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrnes.

Millions of “The Secret” books and videos have been sold during the last few years.  The big secret in the book is simply a new presentation of the “Law of Attraction”.  While I am a believer in the power of your beliefs and affecting your life through positive thinking… there are also a great many flaws in this philosophy.

Just one example?  Okay, how about the recent election of Barack Obama over John McCain.  Both men were positive thinkers.  Both of them BELIEVED whole-heartedly they were going to win up until the very end.  Why didn’t John McCain win?  If you believe in the “Law of Attraction” then John McCain was personally at fault.  Perhaps he didn’t believe hard enough, or visualize himself winning often enough.  He didn’t attract the WIN to himself!   (Sounds kinda silly).

I personally believe a much better philosophy to mold your life after is found in the Holy Bible.  Who better to learn secrets from than our Creator.  And who better to gain wisdom from than Solomon himself.  He left us many secrets in Proverbs alone.  We should strive to study what the Bible says and then measure other philosophies against the truths we find there.

One person who I highly respect is doing just that.  Reading a chapter of Proverbs everyday, and commenting on what he finds.  You can read his daily wisdom post at his blog:

SecretForLife.com.

This person is my Dad.  Just one of his thoughts was the McCain vs. Obama comparison I alluded to earlier.  Why not join us in studying Proverbs.  There is a chapter a day for an entire month.  And when you reach the end… start over.  Do that for a few months and see how the ultimate SECRETS play out in your business & personal life.

Congratulations new President-Elect Mr. Barack Obama!  And a big shout-out to Jon McCain for his classy acceptance even in losing and all his many efforts in putting America first.   Now that the big race is over, the promises have been offered and history has been made… let’s get busy FIXING this country.

There are a few immediate benefits of having Barack Obama elected in the manner he was elected:
 

• Barack won by a definitive number, going nicely over 50% of the popular vote and over 2:1 in the electoral college.  America’s choice is clear, unlike the 2000 debacle.
   
• Almost without fail, the international community supported Barack.  Let’s hope that Barack’s win will immediately increase America’s standing internationally.
   
• It proves that opportunity and dreams are alive for people in America, regardless of age, race, religion, political leanings, etc.
   

Now that he has been given the clear consent of the majority of America, President-Elect Obama faces a huge challenge.  America needs strong leadership to get things done!  It’s time to stand up to the bickering politics, the self-serving interests of wealth without compassion and the image of America as an aggressor around the world.

Here are my TOP 5 items for the new President to tackle head-on, as soon as possible.
 

1. THE MILITARY

   Immediately begin a plan to withdraw troops from places all around the world that are not requesting our assistance nor need it.  It is time to rebuild America, and we cannot afford to prop up the entire world.  Work WITH the United Nations to stop egregious acts of tyranny, like ethnic cleansing, but we can no longer operate outside our own country with disregard to the rest of the world.
    

2. ENERGY

   Barack Obama promised energy-independence in 10 years.  Not only is this possible, it is very attainable, but only if we stand up to the monopoly that big oil companies have on this country!  Our President’s have promised for 30 years now to remove our dependence on foreign oil (back to the days of Jimmy Carter) and yet nothing has been done.

   Bring back the ELECTRIC car as an option… whether its a plug-in hybrid or other form.  We can build an electric infrastructre quickly and easily.  ELECTRICITY can be generated in many 100% renewable ways, including human power, solar power, wind power, wave & tidal power.  Brand new industries will emerge providing solutions for renewable electricity generation, bringing thousands of new jobs and new money.  (Go watch the movie “Who Killed the Electric Car!’)
    

3. HEALTHCARE

   The system is broken and needs major restructuring.  I’m all for individuals being able to join a larger “government group” to reduce personal healthcare premiums, as suggested by Mr. Obama.  Get it done!  Next stop frivilous lawsuits against medical professionals which drives costs through the roof.  After that, we MUST establish reasonable costs for medical procedures.  It’s wrong that doctors markup their fees & costs by 50% because they know insurance will cut it by 30-50%.  Healthcare providers must charge a fair price, then individuals and insurance companies could afford to pay it.
    

4. MONEY SUPPLY & BUDGETING

   Mr. Obama in his acceptance speech talked about a difficult time ahead that would require sacrifice.  Nowhere is sacrifice more necessary than in government spending.  For the love of the country Mr. Obama… please do exactly what you said and have teams of smart, financially knowledgeable people go LINE-BY-LINE through the government books.  Eliminate programs that don’t work, cut costs and waste everywhere possible.  Why not even reduce the salaries being paid to our senators and congressman.  They don’t work as hard as the average American, let’s see them sacrifice too!  All together now, reach across the aisle.

   The budget HAS to not only be balanced, but we need to start paying down the debt.  Americans are going bankrupt at an alarming rate, but they’ve only been doing exactly what the government is doing, except the individual cannot simply run the money printing presses to pay for their debts.  America will soon be bankrupt at its current rate of spending, and the government is killing the citizens wealth with its constant devaluation of the currency.  It HAS to stop!  Government needs to sacrifice in a BIG way.
    

5. SOCIAL SECURITY / MEDICARE / Entitlements

   Another ticking time bomb.  When the baby boom generation starts to retire, there will eventually (and sooner than we wish) be nowhere near the money coming in to the system to pay the promised benefits.  That is simply a fact.  Social Security cannot continue the way it was created.  Life expectancy continues to rise, meaning longer and longer periods of time to pay benefits.  Scientific breakthroughs might even raise longevity in the next few decades to a possible 150 years!

   There is no easy answer, but Americans need to get away from an entitlement mentality.  I am only 34, and I do not expect nor believe Social Security will be around for me.  But we also cannot eliminate it, as there are many who are sustained by its benefits.  We must somehow begin to reduce the promised benefits for those in the future while providing more support to non-profit charitable companies who provide necessary “saftey net” options instead of Social Security.  Let’s begin setting up programs where housing, food, and basic necessities of life are provided for the needy.  Instead of doling out checks to individuals, the government can begin paying Social Security to the companies that provide… and individuals can personally donate to the same necessary organizations.
    

I realize this is not an exhaustive list, nor even a very detailed list.  Even my mention of these TOP FIVE problems are barely touching the surface of the many underlying facets.

Americans have elected a President who has promised the Change We Need.  Now its time to start those changes.  It is either a time for greatness (for the ones who will solve the issues) or a time for great disappointments.  There is no longer time to simply tow-the-line, and be business as usual in America.

Our hopes are now on you, Mr. Obama, and the leadership you must bring to solve the problems.  You promised to listen to us… and so I have done my patriotic duty to communicate some of my deepst concerns — and conversely my greatest hopes for our Great Nation to rise above them all.

MOVIE: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
RATING: 7 (of 10)

“Disappointing!”
Oh George Lucas… why must you ruin beloved movies with “modern” drek and nonsense.

You know, it might have been the writer or Spielberg, but I place the blame firmly on Lucas because he did the exact same thing with Star Wars – and thus had to prove himself otherwise.

Is Indy 4 a good movie? – YES
Does Indy 4 carry on the franchise? – BARELY

There are JUST enough elements in Indy 4 to make it feel like a real Indiana Jones adventure. Harrison Ford is a joy to watch as he embodies the charm, quirky smile, and confidence of Dr. Jones no matter what his age. And Shia as “Mutt” does a great job as a young upstart kid.

As far as “Action” movies go.. this is a good one. Some fun chase scenes (ie. the motorcycle on campus), a bit of spelunking and fighting, some good old-fashioned stunts. But as far as being an “Indiana Jones” movie… I can only say “Disappointing!”

Here’s just a few things that make this Indy the bottom of the Jones barrel:

1. Believability - C’mon. Indiana Jones is older.. so how can he take so many punches, falls, etc. without seeming to feel any of it. At least in the earlier movies, he was sore after some of those tough chases… now he’s just another invincible action hero superstar. Yuck.
2. Cute Lucas Creatures - From ewoks to Jar Jar Binks to now having tiny monkeys in trees with big eyes. I groaned aloud in the theater when Mutt gets stuck in a tree, only to be rescued by such pleasant creatures. And swinging from tree-to-tree with them – ugh!
3. WHAT?!? No Booby Traps - Have you forgotten what makes an Indiana Jones movie so cool? The booby traps, man! Indiana’s big skill was somehow surviving where others had always been caught. I kept waiting for traps during this whole movie, and there were none. DUH!
4. No Scary Villains - Yeah, we have those Nazi guys again.. but for some reason, they never scared me one bit. And the leader, Cate Blanchett, I never believed for a second she would hurt Indiana. Without a real menace… you can’t have legitimate suspense. Too bad.
5. Poor Script - What was that big ol’ box at the beginning of the movie? Why did the skull need to be returned? Why was everybody double-crossing Indy? How could the skull be so easy to find in the first place? (see #3) And everybody talks a lot and “figures it out” too quickly!

So unfortunately, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was not at all what fans have been hoping for. Sure, its decent enough and you’ll probably want to see it… but if you’re hoping for a return to the glory of Raiders or even Last Crusade, not going to happen.

Bull Market, Bear Market, dollar-cost-averaging, diversification…
I’d like to add one term to the lexicon — “BULL-oney”.

Americans have watched over 2 Trillion dollars in retirement funds and savings disappear in the last few weeks.  Poof!  And what are the “experts” telling you now?

“Don’t worry.  It will recover.  Just stay in for the long haul.”

Well, unfortunately if you’ve already been investing in the stock market for years, there might not be any other good choices.  Taking out your money now means you’re locking in all those losses without any chance of recovery.  But its time to reflect a little on the current state of investing.

Does it really make sense to lock away your money for 20,30, even 40 years and hope that when it comes time to retire the market will be “up”?  What happens if you already are retired and your stocks drop 50% over night?  And just because we’ve had a long peace-time prosperity that has driven the market up overall… doesn’t necessarily mean it will do that in the forseable future.

We have a ticking triple-time bomb with Social Security, Medicare and stock-market retirement funds.  When the baby boom generation begins to withdraw their money instead of put it away… how can stocks NOT continue to drop.  What happens as life expectancy continues to go up, and Social Security benefits have to keep getting paid?

I could go on, but the point is that there is no safe investment for long-term retirement.    The only real investments you can make are in assets with intrinsic value:  real estate, precious metals, businesses that generate cashflow etc.  Invest in a business that generates cashflow, and invest in learning skills to make money at any age (mind money, not physical labor!)

Work at paying off all your debts, even your house, and reduce your cashflow requirements.  And above all else, take heart that we have a God who cares for us and says so in his scriptures.  That no matter what happens to us, he promises us life with him if we believe and accept his gift of salvation.

When the economy goes south, we’re forced to dig deep, cut back on expenses, and look for ways to make additional money.  If I wasn’t watching any news at all, I would know the economy is getting rough just from how many people have approached me with new business opportunities.

That’s a great thing, though!  It’s important to realize that the true path to better financial stability is to have better control over your own income.  You don’t have to quit your job to start something fun & easy on the side (yes, keep it simple & easy!).

The one BIG problem I see is that many who are starting a business for the first time are not aware how much things have changed in the last 5-10 years.  With the rapid and sweeping changes of technology, its very difficult to compete without a little bit of help.  You can be overwhelmed and overrun with all the things people tell you are a “MUST HAVE”!

I’m a big proponent of MLM (aka. Network Marketing, or Multi-Level Marketing) for many people just starting out.  The risks are minimal, especially if you connect with a person who has YOUR best interests in mind, not THEIRS.  I’ve setup an MLM blog called “MLMTruthTeller.com” to help you avoid some of the biggest pitfalls and understand the industry far better.

I hope to see you there, and I hope I can help you in your path towards success and freedom!

I wanted to talk just a little about Integrity Marketing, and why I’ve chosen these words to describe what I do.

I’ve been interested in marketing for many years now.  Some would’ve said I was an entrepreneur even in school… buying toys in bulk and selling to some of my friends.  Part of the reason for the interest is that I’m an information vacuum.  I love to learn new things, and the marketing world is evolving constantly.

It used to be that you’d learn about marketing from books at your library, from live seminars with well-known individuals, or at college level classes and on-the-job experience.  These methods are not gone, but they have been eclipsed by the all-powerful force of the internet.

It’s a new age of information and with that comes overwhelm.  We’re literally drinking from a firehose instead of a water fountain.  I personally have already downloaded enough ebooks, audios, videos and courses to probably last me a lifetime… and yet there is constantly new materials coming out.

This situation has created an environment where many people are set to be deceived by fantastic income claims, high-priced courses and seminars far above their skill level, and slick sales letters that has you buying yet ANOTHER information product.  I know… I’ve been there and done that!

With “Integrity Marketing” the focus becomes not how much can I sell, but how much can I help.  Marketing skills can be some of the most powerful information we can learn… whether we want to start a business, or just learn how to communicate better.  But that power can be abused, and people can be hurt.

I promise that if you join my blog feeds and email updates, I will do my best to share what I know truthfully and honestly.  I started a blog called “IMTruthTeller.com“  (the IM stands for Internet-Marketing).  Please visit and share your comments.