February 28, 2004

           There you have it! My old self again by quitting the prescription. Up and atter by six in the morning, compared to dragging it up at eight, my average last week. As a special treat I had fried chicken for breakfast. It’s a chilly bit of unseasonal cold morning, more like a Seattle day, but that only tends to make the rest of the day almost perfect. I feel like getting things done again.

           Martha Stewart not guilty, just like I hoped. Or possibly the charges dropped, the radio on the Taurus doesn’t work. Hurray for her. But now, you see, there will be other charges caused by the fact she had to claim innocence in the first place. My favorite it obstruction of justice. Exactly what is that crap? If was innocent of the original charge, whatever she said as a consequence of being charged was really forced upon her in a big way by the system. This is why I say, when you get arrested, shut up. Better to be called “uncooperative” and keep your secrets than go along in the hope they’ll let you out for being nice.

           Time to contact the Helton’s in Tampa about those car papers. I hope the passing time hasn’t caused them to lose or throw them away. That car is for business and besides, Rusty and I learned thirty years ago, you really need two cars so that you can rely on one. I shudder to think what the system would have cost me yesterday if I’d had to rely on them to get to the garage and back home after. With the second car, I made it in an hour, and visited my pal in Dadeland as well.
           I am softening on one point. In bygone years I used to berate businesses that overcharged. By this I mean car rentals and motels. The rate at which you pay daily for a car would buy you a Rolls Royce, and the cheapest livable motel in Miami would cost you $25,000 to stay there a year where my far larger and better appointed efficiency is only $5,400 annually. Also, places that charge incredible “book value” rates, and phony sales. But now I see it. I developed my attitude on the west coast, where the average person probably did have or make enough money to go into business. So it was no big deal, but here in Miami, anyone who can get together a lousy ten grand or so, knows that most others can’t do it. It quickly becomes take advantage time and I concede they have a reason for doing it. I just don’t like it.

           It makes sense here. Why should I invest fifty thousand, and make about the same as some civil servant who is risking nothing? I have to overcharge whenever there is business, because one day it could slow down. One employee complaint, and I lose my shirt. One bad inspection, or more likely bad inspector. One lady too dumb to know that coffee is hot. Or a slippery sidewalk. They are invitations to gouge whenever you can. I think I notice it more because people take me for a stupid gringo at first, and try to overcharge. Too many people still seem to think they can retire and open a corner store, or become a handyman. On the other hand, I always known there is no happy medium business that plugs merrily along. You have to continually change and grow or get wiped out.
           So any investment here must be used as a blunt instrument. An ever greater portion of income must come from overcharging those who do not have the cash to set something up of their own. Get anyone who does not have a disaster fund. Now, the cheating and lies make sense, kick him while he is down. Why, we are merely teaching him a lesson and should be thanked extra for it. They don’t have the money to do it to us, or they would. It is self-defense, them or me, so it is not enough to protect my own money, I must prevent them from getting any also. Besides, they are poor because of bad moral behavior, you see. For a Cuban community, these people have certainly become excellent Englishmen on this count.

           [Author's note 2024: This entry is from another source than my blog style. Possibly it was a letter, as I seem to be replying to questions about potential investments that never happened. In the end, they got Martha, basically for following her lawyer's advice. When the system does not like you, there is little escape.]