Gifting Mirrors

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

Some gifts are as good to give as they are to get. Some don’t even have a price.

‘Tis the season, and this season is unique. I’ve never done so little shopping. I’m giving out presents, but more of them are handmade, personal art, or a helping hand. Without my personal economic turmoil I would have dropped into old habits, rushing to shop, wrap and ship so everything arrived on time. In earlier years it felt good and complete having a check mark by every name on my list, and having a few backup gifts around in case someone drops by or I forgot someone. This year feels better. Like most folks, I’ve spent less time in the malls and more time with catalogs.

Previous years of online shopping helped me memorize my credit card number, its expiration date, and the secret code on the back. Cash never left the wallet and there was no tangible transfer to reinforce the notion that money was being spent. With free shipping and gift wrapping, giving became much easier.

The amount spent in December becomes obvious in January, when the credit card bill arrives, unceremoniously wrapped in a white envelope which is opened anxiously instead of eagerly. Credit card debt can start as simply as that. I am not immune, though it happened differently for me. My Personal Debt Addiction began with an emergency brake job and a mental health vacation (which may result in a book). I was on track to get that credit card balance down to zero by the end of 2011 and then my Triple Whammy hit. Within a few days my liquid net worth dropped 75%.

Purchases that can go on credit did so and do so, though with an emotional cost. Mathematically it might make sense to borrow, but there are risks involved. (Want the math? Check out my post: Hope From Pops.) If I think my portfolio’s rate of return will exceed the credit card interest rate, then it mathematically makes sense to keep the money in the portfolio as long as possible, or find some other source of funds. (Anyone need a consultant, artist, or aerospace engineer?) My resistance to borrowing is strong. I don’t like relying on credit, even with math on my side. Fortunately, I live a frugal life. The balance grows less quickly in the meantime and is paid off more rapidly when the money arrives. My ski trip this year may be in a tent, and I may enjoy it just as much as last year’s trip to a resort. Stay tuned.

Much has been researched about people and debt, and yet very little has been researched about how people have successfully and sustainably eradicated personal debt. I hope and expect to rejoin their ranks. Ann Haebig, under the auspices of New Road Map Foundation, has started a research project to finally document and analyze what strategies have worked. Check out and participate in the survey. Our society talks so much about how to handle debt, but very little about how to get out and stay out of debt. Countries seem to understand it the least.

My credit cards haven’t been used much this season. Early reports are that the cookies and fruitcakes are good. Recipes have been requested. Other gifts won’t be mentioned because it isn’t Christmas Day yet. Very few items will have barcodes, single-use plastic packages, or security devices. Some will have my name on them. Others may come with corks.

I’m hearing about a lot of such gifts. People are dialing it back, thinking outside the red-ribboned box, and finding items that mean more. Artists are giving each other pieces of art. Cooks and bakers are feeding friends. Hugs are definitely as good to give as get and still involved wrapping, though it is arms instead of ribbon.

I don’t know if homemade and personal is a trend. It might only be true on my island. There are a lot of frugal and artistic folk here on Whidbey. I do know that in some circles, giving something handmade is discouraged. Some ads make fun of personally produced gifts. A solo giver can feel belittled in such a group. But when personal gifting is mirrored and heartfelt creations are given throughout a community, then feelings build that are more powerful than “heroes” in video games. Batteries aren’t required. Instruction manuals are easy to understand, usually saying simply use and enjoy. The only software incompatibilities may be dietary. And there’s a lot less mess littering the living room floor.

It’s the day before Christmas, so I don’t know what I’m getting, but I do know that the early packages marked perishable are appreciated. Fruits and cheeses, nuts and chocolate are warming and appreciated; especially with a nice red wine I have in mind. Hmm, I think I gave that as a gift. I wonder if they’ll mind sharing?

Merry Christmas folks.

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Year End Celebration

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

Last night I attended my first Hanukkah. Latkes were eaten. (Thank you spell check.) The candles were lit. A song was sung. I appreciated the invite to such a multi-cultural setting. Friends share simple pleasures and that is sweet and fun. Sweet and simple is more common and more powerful than conspicuous consumption.

But no Dad, I haven’t converted to Judaism. My life and Whidbey Island is a multi-cultural experience. Behind us was a Christmas tree. Over in the stack of books was the Tao Te Ching. Here at home, my tree is up. The Tibetan prayer flags are draped in the wind as usual. Representations of two of my animal spirit guides adorn my house. A quick reach to the bookshelf would grab Hindu, Confusionist, and other texts.

The Hanukkah story resonates for me. People with scarce resources survived longer than expected. It isn’t a story of opulence or a bacchanal. The Christmas story is set as a poor family hunting for lodging on a wintry night. Most spiritual stories that I remember deal with people living frugally, renouncing riches, and being more aware of the realities of their world.

Frugality is not a new thing. Respecting the resources that are available, and trying to maintain a sustainable life are eternal human pursuits. Many define my frugal life by what I lack. I’m aware of what I lack, but I am also aware of the riches available to me. I have running water, a flush toilet (that takes too many flushes but that’s another chore), a warm house, a car, a computer, family, friends, food, drink, and safety. Somewhere there are people drinking from puddles, trying to survive in war zones, without any way to find their family or communicate with the broader world. I want, and think I need, more; but I am also aware of what I have.

I feel a pinch of regret because this year I am not buying as many presents for family and friends. Sorry folks, but that’s the way it is. I am not the only one. Last night I received a gift of cookies. Excellent. Apples, pears, cheese, and such came in a few days ago. I look forward to delivering some baked goods, giving some of my books, passing along items that I know will be used more in someone else’s life. Artists are handing out unsold pieces that are the equal of everything they sold, and should be appreciated just as much. Thank you by the way.

I’ve lived the life where every present was bought, wrapped, bowed, tagged and placed under a tree. The obligatory part of the season was more readily met, but I recognize that most of the gifts weren’t memorable beyond a week. The gifts represented a ritual, especially after I moved away from home. The ritual was the consideration of each recipient. At least once a year I thought about what they might want in their life. I had to consider what their life was like. The thoughts took me back home even when I didn’t travel. This year I find myself thinking about everyone just about as much. I also find myself with more time, and will be able to devote time to considering family and friends while sitting at home, quietly sipping a contemplative beverage, instead of trying to remember lists, shipping schedules, addresses, and clothing sizes while standing in the midst of a mall crowd.

I hope to make my mall pilgrimage. Every year I like to spend a few hours in the mall, watching everyone else. Partly it is people watching. Partly it is reminiscing. Partly it is investment research. (It is natural for me to notice patterns like what shopping bags are the most common, which stores are busiest, what people are talking about, and what people are eating. It was one of things that convinced me to buy Starbucks (SBUX) because all of the shopping bags streamed into that one store eventually.) Maybe I’ll drop by later this week if I can catch a bus. I have no desire to subject me and my car to shopping mall parking lots.

Today is the Solstice. The days of incrementally increasing darkness will be replaced with increasing light. It is an unequivocal astronomical cycle. Economic cycles exist too. The downs are followed by ups. Usually the cycle is measured in months. Lately it has been measured in years. Some think it will be measured in centuries, like a new set of Dark Ages. We won’t know who is right until the light returns. Stay tuned.

Last night’s celebration felt like the beginning of a long string. People are talking more positively about 2012. Happy New Year has a real emphasis on Happy and New, as we look to better days. Official events may be lagging, but personal events seem to be emerging. There are more party invites than usual. More small local venues opening for music through the end of the year. I even have more to celebrate about next year. My teaching and art event schedule is filling. My photo schedule already has four months of overlapping commitments, and I haven’t added some of the biggest events. (Though one of the biggest in mind is the premier of the fifth of five Whidbey Island photo series to be hosted by Raven Rocks Gallery.)

My guess is that there will be a job spike in January. Many firms prefer to wait until the new budget year before hiring new employees. Besides, that way they don’t hire new folk and immediately have to pay them for the holidays. If that hiring happens, then the year end celebrations may be extended and renamed New Year celebrations. More parties? A Happier New Year? Sounds good. Sign me up. Let’s celebrate!

(Reminder: Stay tuned for my semi-annual stock review, my description of why I own what I own as part of a personal conversation and exercise I make public to inspire discussion.)

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Friend Businesses

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

I was turned down for a job yesterday. Don’t worry. Finding the right job is like finding the right house. You only need one, even though it makes sense and can be fun checking out lots of them. (And feel free to pass along leads.) And as one well-employed friend pointed out, I probably shouldn’t take the first one offered. Besides, businesses are filled with people, people can become friends, and friends should be treated well.

A friend runs a business that is growing and could use some part-time help. A simple idea has hit a sweet market niche. I was honest enough to mention in the interview that I’d have to continue applying for other professional jobs at the same time, at least as long as my liquid assets are in their currently dehydrated state. Where’s that rising tide? Even if I took the job I’d continue searching to find enough to cover the mortgage and my other bills. If I ended up in a full-time job I’d have to quit my friend’s business leaving them right where they are today, or worse if the growth continued in the meantime. They’d have to train someone again and in less time. We’re part of a friendly community. I couldn’t be that mercenary. Besides, maybe one of my friends will get the job.

I have many friends working at businesses they never expected to own and run. Gordy makes camera straps. Frazer sells DIY off-the-grid hot tub kits. Janice teaches dance. Brian and Kachi sell herbs. Mona makes chocolates. Sarah sells outdoor gear. Mix and match at will, but only their friends would probably guess which ones worked high-tech, geoduck farming, airline operations, and teaching. Some of those businesses are earning them a living wage. Some are at least keeping their owners very busy. I started off as an engineer, and have picked up the labels of karate instructor, writer, author, photographer, public speaker, teacher, and now consultant. I doubt that any of us aimed at these targets.

Artists particularly fall into the camp of following unexpected passions. At least where I went to school, such pursuits were discouraged in favor of professional collegiate careers, or life-long skilled labor in the mills around Pittsburgh. Wait a few decades and some slim remembrance of a high school hobby can resurge as a long-suppressed passion.

Making a living as an artist is less certain than as an entrepreneur, though each is effectively a self-written lottery ticket. The odds may not be very good, but devote your time, effort, money and resources towards something you care about and it may become a best seller, a modern art marvel, or a greatly expanding business.

Most entrepreneurs and artists start small, and therefore start frugally. They understand how small things can have large effects, and they appreciate each sale and each bit of progress. In most cases, that shows through in what they provide, typically simple quality.

Malls are defined by excess. Most of what’s for sale is unnecessary and largely driven by massive advertising campaigns that convince millions to collectively spend billions on things that are likely to end up stuffed back into boxes in storage, or eventually in the landfill. I don’t shop in malls anymore, though I do admit to an occasional visit to see how the mainstream flows. It is an amazing Las Vegas style spectacle when viewed from even a temporary remove.

I intend to friend my friend’s businesses this year. Sorry Frazer, I don’t expect to buy anyone a hot tub, and with my funds remain limited I will limit my shopping, but as much as I can, I’ll buy from friends. It’s more fun, more convenient, has more of a story behind it, and I know that the money will probably remain in my community, strengthening it, which is an even larger gift.

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Global Net Worth

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

What’s the world worth? Net worth is assets minus liabilities. If the bank account is bigger than the mortgage, net worth is probably positive unless some big surprises lurk. The economic crisis revolves around discussions of debt. The Occupy Movement revolves around discussions of wealth. Those two components entered a conversation the other night and inspired me to ponder whether there is enough wealth to pay off the debts. That’s a simple enough question that never seems to come up in the news.

I’m a fan of history. On the scale of the universe, our history is short. We haven’t been practicing at this civilization thing for very long. We have a tendency to repeat mistakes, repeat solutions, and spiral back through the process one slight step higher than before. Within science there is a progression through increasing complexity that reaches unreasonable levels that is then resolved by a simpler, more comprehensive view of the world. The stars revolved in perfect spheres around the planet but that didn’t explain retrograde orbits. Putting the sun at the center cleared up a lot, but the timing was off. Put circles within those circles (epicycles) and predictions are better but harder. Use ellipses instead of circles and predictions are simpler for hundreds of years. Start getting picky though and realize that relativistic effects are significant. There is a cycling through complexity to simplicity to complexity to simplicity that continues. Quantum mechanics, multi-verses, dark energy, and dark matter make a complicated mix. I’m waiting for an ingenious simplification.

Our current economic situation sounds incredibly convoluted and complex. American debt ceilings, entitlements, deregulations, European Union bond defaults, Euro dissolution, the rise of sovereign wealth, China’s possibly unsustainable growth, and the impact of population on a limited planet creates a picture so intertwined that most purposely lose sight of everything except for one issue that they can understand. So, why not take a step back and look at the really big picture. What’s the world’s net worth? I asked four financial friends. Their answers were simple. Pardon me if I manage to misinterpret your responses guys. (Their names are withheld because I don’t know if their professional regulations would preclude them from being quoted publicly. Guys, feel free to add your names by commenting.)

On a purely bookkeeping level, the global net worth is zero. Balance sheets are called that because they balance. Every asset is balanced by a liability. There’s a implicit philosophical statement you can play with. Assets and liabilities are where money sits or where it’s supposed to be shoveled into. The other issue is where the money flows: income and expenses. As one friend and expert pointed out, the issue of the debt becomes a non-issue as long as the debt payments can be made. It’s like the mortgage company having no issue as long as the check gets there every month and on time. (Mine should squeak in under the wire. Cross some fingers, eh?) I suspect that global income equals the total expenses. One person’s income is another person’s expense.

Zero is certainly a simple answer, but it may not be a very useful one, except for the philosophers.

One characteristic of frugal folk is that they tend to be very aware of their assets, liabilities, income, and expenses. They can be wealthy, comfortable, sustainable, or struggling, but they are aware of their situation and aware of what they can and can’t control. It is an uncommon characteristic within the general populace, partly because financial literacy isn’t taught (something that the New Road Map Foundation attempts to remedy) which also explains why advertising is so successful at selling luxuries while necessities are overlooked.

The skills frugal folk learn can be applied to understanding the slightly more complicated financial condition of corporations. That is one reason I am willing to invest in stocks. I have at least some ability (currently under intense internal review) to analyze companies and see if they manage their finances better than I do. If so, then maybe I should invest in them instead of myself. (My post, Irrational Markets, talks about why I don’t beat myself up about my current performance, even while I gripe about it.) If they don’t handle their finances better than I handle mine, then I won’t buy their stock. The same logic can be applied to countries, though I am less likely to switch citizenship purely based on finance. Currently, while I don’t like the US debt and expenses, the US does have significant assets and income that are within our control. The solution probably involves bits of hurt all around: reduced entitlements, increased taxes, and cutting programs that are based more ideology than pragmatism.

As soon as I asked myself about the Earth’s net worth I knew the over-arching answer was that the value is significant and positive. I hemmed this discussion within the bounds of our monetary system and our bookkeeping system that are arbitrary and part of a young and learning civilization; but, before we invented money the world had a value. Cared for properly it sustains us and allows us to grow and develop. That’s a net worth that exists regardless of ideology. Given the choice between the Earth without an economic model versus an economic model without the Earth, I’d skip the economic model. Monetarily the global net worth may be zero. In reality, the globe’s net worth is priceless.

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The Waiting Game

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

Living in the moment is espoused because the moment is the only reality. Patience is a virtue, and has been proved by The Marshmellow Experiment. Those are two ideas that each hold value, but they create a tension, especially when I am trying to pay my bills.

Living in the moment is “zen”, or at least what many people interpret as zen. For a true definition, ask a zen master. I ain’t one. The moment is the only reality we can prove. There’s a head trip. The past is merely memories. The future hasn’t occurred yet. The only thing we know for sure is what we are experiencing now. Philosophers have written libraries of proofs that we can’t prove that the past existed. Memories aren’t perfect, so what really was in the past? The future may never happen. We can agree on the now. (Of course, fatalists and physicists with closed form solutions to every dimension might argue that everything exists and we are merely limited by our perceptions which seem to only see sequential slices of time. Ain’t philosophy fun?)

The virtue of patience has a long lineage. Slow and steady wins the race. Be the tortoise and not the hare. Some folks at Stanford even tested the value of delayed gratification by teasing children with marshmellows. A child was left in a room with a marshmellow. (I’m sure some furniture was present too.) The child was told that they’d get another marshmellow if they didn’t eat the first one. Then they could eat two. Some kids ate one. Some kids waited and got to eat two. Years later, the kids who waited were measured to be better adjusted and also found to get better grades.

Stereotypical retirement is a life-long sequencing of the two: patiently work, act responsibly, and save for retirement at which time you’ll be able to live in the moment. A generation or three lived with such a life model. That was better than the previous model which was to work until you died. Recently, as a country we’ve become rich enough to work, save and then play.

I semi-retired at 38. There was more than enough money, so I was reasonably confident leaving my job to work on other aspects of life: home, family, arts, vacations and play. As most of my friends and regular readers know, various potholes have altered that plan. (Check my Triple Whammy post for some details.) More than a decade after leaving a regular paycheck I am applying for jobs. (Check my personal web site for links to my resumes.) Throughout the intervening time I’ve spent more time planning for and anticipating the future than I spent living in the moment because I was waiting until I had “enough”. Bicycle rides and hikes became books. Photography became art. I even taught karate for a while. Enough people came to me for advice that I started charging consultation fees, which I did because of their advice to me. I took longer vacations when I had a regular job.

My main monetary occupation has been investing. Long term buy and hold with an eventual sale has paid my bills for years. The majority of my time has been devoted to efforts which are just beginning to bear economic fruit. In both cases I’ve employed patience, a long term view, and a constant concerted effort. Considering my portfolio and my bills though I wonder if I should have spent the intervening time living in more of those moments.

Living in the moment can sound frivolous, hedonistic, and irresponsible. There’s no plan for the future, merely an enjoyment in what the senses deliver and the mind can imagine. But, that enjoyment is real and tangible, not anticipation of some theoretical but uncertain future.

Currently, I am delaying some gratifications even more than I have over the last few years. I believe that the stock market and the real estate market will recover. My business is growing. I have many lines in the water and therefore many ways for my economic life to dramatically improve. If I could simply sit in meditation (being very present in the moment) until the money returns then patience would be all that was required.

Unfortunately, something else lives in the moment: bills. I can delay many gratifications because I can enjoy much of what the world offers every day. Nature delivers beauty and abundance constantly. But I can’t delay the mortgage, utilities, food, insurance, and those others that are equipped with due dates and penalties. Within the next few days, unless money arrives from some unexpected source, I’ll have to sell the last significant shares of stock that are outside my severely shrunken IRA. After that, sales from within my IRA will come equipped with their own penalties and taxes. Each share sold delays personal gratification while I absolve my obligations to the various companies from which I’ve received aspects of my basic needs. If my stocks don’t recover or if sufficient money doesn’t arrive from another source, then many gratifications are postponed far longer.

Someone recently said that they were glad to hear I was having a rougher time now because I had easier times before. As another friend said, he was glad that I was willing to chronicle the ups and downs because so few are willing to do so. I took those two comments as two more reasons to continue blogging because I anticipate writing about the climb back up and out of delayed gratification.

Stocks sell quickly. Houses usually take longer. My home is my only other major physical asset besides my body. I called in a friend who is a real estate agent so we could begin the long conversation and process for selling a house. Her main advice was to wait. I should wait for the market to recover before I sell. The longer I wait the more living expenses I’ll be able to clear from the sale. If zillow is any gauge, my house value is increasing by about two months living expenses every month. That’s an incentive for waiting that’s more appealing than a second marshmellow.

I don’t know how this will play out. Someone speculated what would happen if the United States government (We The People) had spent $700,000,000 bailing out mortgages instead of banks. It would have freed up a lot of discretionary spending, allowed people to stay in their homes, maintained housing values, and may have relieved a lot of stress. Such things are still possible, but I won’t sit around waiting for it.

Within these several moments, I’ll finish this post, pour a cup of tea or go for a run, and then decide how long I can wait before selling some stock to pay the mortgage. After that, and I am eagerly anticipating this, I get to go hang out at a book signing, and then go dining and dancing, activities that are truly in the moment. It’s all part of my waiting game. Stay tuned.

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Tapping Well

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

Rats. I had to do it. I transferred money out of my IRA. Penalties, emotional and financial, loom. I’m not the only one. Some have it much worse as they too look for income, some of them without savings. A friend demonstrated how quickly it can all turn well.

DNDN, the stock for Dendreon, remains lower than it was prior to the FDA approving Provenge, Dendreon’s benign cancer vaccine. The company is making hundreds of millions of dollars and extending lives, and the stock languishes 85% below its peak. Like I wrote before, that’s proof of an irrational market. It and similar stories with American Superconductor (AMSC), GigOptix (GGOX), and Real Goods Solar (RSOL) have decimated my portfolio. My early semi-retirement is much more semi and much less retirement.

I’m busier now than I was a few years ago. Coordinating book and art sales, classes, and working on consultations is enough to fill a day; but, they haven’t generated enough income, so I also spend part of each day applying for jobs. Fortunately some nice positions have opened up. Stay tuned.

I know a few people who are similarly on edge. Savings are being tapped. Assets are being sold. Job applications are sent outside the region. Maintaining optimism and enthusiasm can be difficult. Luckily, I have a lot of practice. I also listen for and celebrate those positive moments that prove the value of patience.

A friend was in a three year slump. Jobs came in, but rarely and not significantly. Savings were dwindling. To be concise and tactful I’ll skip the rest of his laments. He held a smile, but it was tired. It is brightening now. Within the last few weeks he was hired as a consultant for more than he’d asked for or expected. Within a few weeks his finances were recovering nicely enough to largely recover years of negative cash flow. Any tired lines around his smile are beginning to soften and fade. A friend tapped him for a job and life improved.

News is delivered in discreet packets. Receiving a phone call, an email, a letter, is a singular event. Seconds before its opened, the world has one sound. Seconds after its been read, the world may be singing. I keep that in mind with every ring of the phone, every ding of the mail program, and every envelope in the mail box. Meeting anyone on the street can have the same effect. “Hi. How are you doing? I’ve got a job that I think you can do. Do you want to help?” The time between breakfast and dinner can remove a lot of worry and change a lot of plans.

In the meantime, amidst waiting for my portfolio to recover, pursuing the business, and applying for jobs, I’ve also started selling things. My kayak is for sale. I bought a sea kayak that evidently was tough enough to handle the west coast, but I only needed a camera platform. Camera platforms need to be broad and stable, not skinny and fast. The price I’m asking is nearly identical to the number on my propane bill. That’s not a coincidence. I’ve also got a first edition of 2001 that may be worth a mortgage payment. I’m even considering selling my house. These aren’t pleasant things to do, but prudence and pragmatism suggest taking those steps at a timing that I control.

The kayak hasn’t sold, yet, so I transferred some money from my IRA. Ouch. Limited edition books have small markets, but very enthusiastic buyers. I haven’t heard back about the house yet. If nothing changes, I probably have a year of living expenses, which is a bigger buffer than most, but every slice makes it harder for the portfolio to maintain itself, recover, and then maintain my lifestyle.

Each sale, whether it is art or personal possession, makes the day easier and provides more time for good news to arrive.

And being tapped for my art, or my consultations, or for the right job can also make my lifestyle sustainable again. It can happen in a moment.

I don’t write this to lament my life. I write this as a reminder to others that are in similar situations. One) You are not alone. Two) Every moment holds the possibility that the next moment holds a better reality.

My portfolio resides at Schwab. Yesterday, as I worked through process of pulling money from my IRA, I called the help line and explained my situation. After we finished he asked me to apply to Schwab. I hadn’t considered it, but it was a good idea. I’ll get to it after I post this. I don’t know if they’ll hire me, but he provided a reason for optimism at a critical time. He also pointed out that I could put the money back into the IRA if I did so within about sixty days (with a few conditions of course.) Within sixty days life can become much better. It can happen within sixty hours, or sixty minutes, or sixty seconds. In the time it takes to tap a key, my somewhat ailing financial condition can suddenly become well.

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Links to Gifts 2011

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Tom Trimbath
December's Arms

December's Arms

By request, which caught me by surprise, I’ve put together this short list to the various online places where my books and photos are available.
Evidently, some people, some shoppers, would like to see all of the possibilities in one place. I hope this helps. And thanks for the thought.
(As much as I am out there talking about my work,
I rarely stress the possibility of purchases.
That’s why I wrote UnShameless Self-Promotion last year and this post this year.)

My books: easiest online source is my author page on amazon.
Just Keep Pedaling
– a corner-to-corner bicycle ride across America
Twelve Months at Barclay Lake, Lake Valhalla, and Merritt Lake
– wilderness in Washington’s Cascades when we’re there (Saturdays in August) and when we’re not (the rest of the year)
Dream. Invest. Live.
– my approach to personal finance (which has temporarily stumbled amidst the Euro crisis)

Also my photo books about Whidbey (available on blurb):
Twelve Months at Cultus Bay, Admiralty Head, Penn Cove, and Deception Pass
– photo essays of Whidbey’s nature throughout the year

Also on blurb:
Modern Self-Publishing
– taking advantage of new technologies to empower writers

And of course, my photos
of
Whidbey Island
– via fine art prints from Fine Balance Imaging
or
Whidbey Island plus Washington’s Cascades
– via prints, cards, tote bags, too many possibilities to list from smugmug.

And contact me if you have any questions about the art or how to buy it. (Web sites aren’t always as obvious as they are supposed to be.)

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Walls Fall

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

I discontinued my satellite service last year. (TV Less) Most of the news was commentary instead of reporting and the ads carried themes of either fear or unrealistic excess. My life became quieter. My stress reduced. I’m feeling much healthier now. I can’t imagine investing in the broadcast media. Most of my news now is via Google News and searches. I only dive into a story if it is a new perspective or an unexpected twist. Much of the daily political machinations are on constant replay. I watch for the bigger replays, the generational trends that play out over years and decades. A trend can appear inconsequential when each detail is excessively examined. But lots of little droplets can turn into floods and storms that redefine the world.

About a week or so ago I watched a documentary called, “The Wall: A World Divided“. It is the story of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Evidently it wasn’t an evening for light entertainment. It was enlightening and humbling. I thought the wall went up immediately after World War II, but it didn’t go up until 1961, two years after I was born. It came back down, which seems obvious in retrospect but was revolutionary in 1990. A generation had grown assuming the Wall would always be there. The documentary did a good job describing the social pressures that created crowds that couldn’t be denied, even within a totalitarian regime.

The people were inspired by the stories from the Solidarity Movement and from Tiananmen Square. Enough people became upset to ask for and demand change. In one case they got it. In the other case it looked like they failed, but they probably affected unacknowledged internal changes. A swell of people, through a series of increasingly less inconsequential events, made themselves heard. It was political change, but it came mostly from the populace.

That’s where our country came from. We The People, decided it was time for a change, and we changed our world.

My brain clicked through some connections that wouldn’t fit within a news broadcast. The American Revolution encouraged the French Revolution. As I recall from Gandhi’s autobiography, it also inspired his more peaceful work to free India from the British Empire. His work inspired the human rights movement of the 1960s. Allow me to skip to the longer string of connections that came to mind.

The English challenged the Royals with the Magna Carta, which centuries later encouraged
the American Revolution, which years later encouraged
the French Revolution and decades later encouraged Independence for India.
The Communist Revolutions in Russia and China may have found courage in the power of crowds from those earlier movements.
The Human Rights movement of the was encouraged by Gandhi’s success.
Tiananmen Square & Polish Solidarity were influenced by stories and lessons learned as unfiltered information pervaded dissatisfied populations.
The Fall of Berlin Wall was inspired by their courage and successes.
Then came the Breakup of the Soviet Union where a revolution removed the products of an earlier revolution.
Skip ahead through a few reasonably quiet years and welcome to the
Arab Spring.
All of those movements, revolutions, dramatic changes were brought about by passionate people who joined together and found a voice (sometimes discordant and always loud) against dysfunctional institutions

So why would anyone discount the Occupy Movement?

And why would I blog about such a topic under the charter of this blog? This blog is based on my book, Dream. Invest. Live., a book about how I handle my finances and the advantages I’ve found in the combination of personal awareness, frugality, and individual stock investing. Much of the Occupy Movement rhetoric is directed at dysfunctional distributions of resources and power. Except for Tiananmen Square, each of the events listed above resulted redistributions of wealth and power. Whether it was royalty losing authority or rights being distributed to all, crowds of people changed the way everyone lived their lives and earned their livings.

I bemoan my current financial situation. More than enough times I’ve reviewed my strategy and portfolio. Based on thirty years of investing in a particular financial environment, I’d made good choices. There was risk within that system within normal markets I suspect that I’d be enjoying the rewards from having taken those risks. Companies that were startups five years ago are making hundreds of millions of dollars a year, yet their stocks are trading at a tenth of their recent prices.

Every plan for the future is based on implicit and explicit assumptions. The explicit ones are easiest to see; e.g. bond ratings, employment expectations, historical interest rates, living expenses, etc. The unexpected changes witnessed after the American Revolution, after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, after any of those events partially result from the changes in the implicit assumptions. So I wonder, even if the Occupy Movement is moved out of the parks they occupy, what walls will fall within our lives and institutions? What personal internal walls should I tear down to be ready and able to thrive in a new world? It’s time for me to dream again about how I want to live.

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Local Shopping

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

I applaud my neighbor.  She probably didn’t have any agenda in mind. She wasn’t driving around with Shop Local bumper stickers on her car. But she shopped local and barely budged her carbon footprint. She got in her electric golf cart, drove the couple of blocks to my house, and bought some art. Thank you. After she left I realized that I could shop even more locally by looking inside my self.

Shop Local is a catch phrase that appeals to Chambers of Commerce and local merchants. Keep the money close to home and it doesn’t diffuse local wealth.

Shop Local also appeals to anti-corporate types because the money is more likely to go to small businesses and individuals. Want to reduce the need for social services? Help someone pay their bills by buying something they offer. You get a gift. They pay their mortgage.

Shop Local appeals to people who love the planet. Buying non-local usually means buying something that had to be shipped thousands of miles burning petroleum products all the way. Shopping local may mean buying socks made from wool sheared from local alpacas. (At least that’s the case in my neighborhood.)

My neighbor didn’t mention any of those things. I was convenient and what I have to offer is unique. She didn’t have to get in the car, hassle with traffic, find a parking space, wander through the mall, probably pay for an expensive below-average lunch, and then rewind her trip all the way back home. The cost of gas is enough to discourage that, and if she had to pay for parking the trip can cost more than the gift. Instead she spent a few minutes looking through my photos without distraction and was able to find two to choose from. We chatted as neighbors, not as merchant and customer, and then she left with two prints, and a coupon for a frame. She only paid for one print, because she didn’t know which one she wanted. I suggested she take both and then bring back the one she didn’t choose. She’s my neighbor. I can trust her. Thanks for keeping me in mind.

After she left I did the requisite artist happy dance, and got back to work. I was either finishing the first draft of my book about Scotland or was arranging my schedule to show art or teach classes. I can’t remember. Maybe I was so happy with the sale that the task didn’t register.

For most, Shop Local means shopping in the local stores. She’d taken it one step further by shopping in the neighborhood. I realized that I was taking Shop Local one step closer to home. I make gifts.

I’ve made some gifts ever since I started baking. In 1980 I moved to the Seattle area to work at Boeing. I left my family back in Pittsburgh to become an aerospace engineer, but brought along my mom’s recipes for Christmas cookies. Traveling during the holidays became laughable when six out of seven trips included being stranded in an airport or driving through ice storms. Instead of spending time worrying about the weather across the country, I established the ritual of making mom’s cookies. Eventually, I sent some home. She passed away years ago, and since then I’ve regularly baked cookies and fruitcakes (yes, by request) and shipped them to my family.

Regular readers know that this year my portfolio was hit by a triple whammy and has yet to recover. (Pardon me as I check again. Sigh. Sooner is better than later. Come on soon.) Watching shopping ads while waiting for The Daily Show to stream is the opposite of appealing. Recently when I had the money I didn’t dive into the mall maelstrom except as investment research. (Want to see what stores are busy? Sit in the mall and watch the shopping bags go by.) Seeing those ads now is actually somewhat repulsive. Unfortunately, I’ve even had to cut back on shopping locally. (Ah, to drop by the local wineries to do more than talk . . . ) Fortunately, I have a source, I am a source, of gifts. Either with baked goods, books, or photos, I can create gifts that by definition are personal and therefore meaningful. I even made my own Christmas cards. (Send me a note if you had a problem with the site. I’ll talk to them.)

Those are the gifts that are tangible, the gifts that can be wrapped and ribboned.

A friend pointed out something more valuable that they are providing to another friend, and he didn’t think of it as a gift but simply as something that must be done. They have a friend in need. For a short while, until their friend can get their financial feet beneath them, my friends are opening their house. They are giving her a room and a bit of space in their small house in North Seattle, and they are also giving her a part time job at their small business. Their truck needs brakes and tires. Any home repair is done with sweat in whatever weather Seattle produces. They are not financially wealthy. Yet, they are acting extremely local by letting someone into their house and their lives. (note to writers – pardon the pronouns, but discretion is more important than literary norms.)

People like that make me pause. What else can I do? I’ve thrown that spare blanket into my car. I won’t be giving as much to charities this year, but I can strive to be more charitable. I can rummage around within my self to see what I can do. Is there any better way to shop local?

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Fencing

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Tom Trimbath

Wind dropped a tree across a friend’s fence, providing an unnoticed opportunity for the dogs to sojourn. Luckily, they missed it. Wind caught the wisteria that drapes across my backyard fence, and helped break a 4×4 post. Impressive. Fences are useful for keeping in the dogs and sometimes holding up the foliage. Lately, a number of projects have involved reaching across fences to allow collaborations as people try new ways to express themselves and possibly pay the bills.

Bicycling across America (buy the book) and walking across Scotland (stay tuned) taught me that two of civilization’s pervasive inventions are pavement and fences. Outside cities, the land along paths, lanes, roads, and highways is cordoned by stone, wire, or wood. Scotland commonly had all three. Hedgerows, living wood, grow beside stone walls that stand beside wire fencing. We are so determined to display territorial boundaries that I seriously wonder about the investment possibilities. I doubt there’s any pure-play fencing stocks. I’ll check later. It is pervasive though. Thousands of miles of fencing undoubtedly cost millions. Most of it is there for good reasons, mainly for containing animals. In the city we can defend turf by defining property lines or hollering at the kids to get off the lawn. In the rest of the world though, negotiations with wandering livestock and migrating herds are useless despite their danger to travelers.

It is too easy to erect and maintain personal fences and boundaries. People who are different are mentally herded to other pastures. Recluses take that to an extreme. Hermits know they want a world of one.

I’m a people person, part time gregarious and extroverted enjoying teaching classes or hosting parties, and part time quiet and introverted writing or producing my photo essays or simply pondering. I hop fences a lot, metaphorically. Maybe the grass is greener on the other side.

Lately I’ve had fun collaborating with some talented friends, reaching beyond my fenced off creative realm. Wynn Allen and I made a video of Langley called Two Guys Walking Around Langley. Tristan Bach used my photos and his music to create a series of nature videos based on Washington’s Cascades. There are other collaborations running about but those can be celebrated for having reached their goals of being completed, uploaded, and made available for all to see.

Collaborations can happen within fenced boundaries. Writers create compilations and anthologies. Musicians create bands and orchestras. I’m involved in a few of those too, sometimes as a contributor, sometimes as a consultant. Collaborations within a common field enjoy common vocabulary and perspective.

I think the world needs a few fewer fences, or at least lower ones that make it easier to cross over and visit other fields.

The video Wynn and I did of Langley was mostly for the fun of it. Of course it gives both of us a bit more publicity, for what we do within our talent territories: him for his writing, acting and professorial career; me for my writing, photography, consulting, and social innovation endeavours. In large part though, we did it for the city and its economy. We did it unofficially and for no fee instead as part of a formal, rigid fenced-in process and protocol. We mentioned it to a city official or two, and checked in with random shop owners, but what we relied on most was our appreciation for our place. For the cost of walking around a place we’ve both walked around, and a few hours editing the raw material, we were able to produce a video that may appeal to tourists that want something less formal than professional productions, and something that may produce a chuckle or two for us locals. If tourism benefits and some people laugh, we succeeded.

Tristan’s work was a nice transition from the videos I produced from my Whidbey Twelve Month series where I did the voice-over based on the books. By letting someone else work with my work, I got to see my work from a new perspective. Tristan got a chance to demonstrate his musical skills. I get to point to my books, photos, and cards.  It cost us nothing but a bit of time. Tristan did most of the work, but he was so efficient that very few days went by from start to uploaded. That impressed me, but it may not be apparent that the works were original and he created both the music and the video within very little time. I already have heard that some appreciate the slower pace of his presentation. I’ll keep that in mind for any of my subsequent work.

It’s the holidays and there are plenty of messages about everybody getting along, if not every day throughout the year, then at least through the season, or at least during the family visit, or at least as long as everyone’s sitting at the dinner table. The messages are there because getting along, tolerance, acceptance of others eases stress the more people practice it, and making life easier is a fine example of a common life goal. A less stressful life is more valuable than anything for sale in the mall.

For those that want higher, more dangerous fences, or think verbal fencing with jibes and thrusts is somehow the way everyone should act, I think we should accommodate them. Let them build one really big circular fence as long as they herd themselves inside it and then cover it with an acoustical cap. Imagine penned-in politicians and pundits. Maybe then, outside the walls, we can get back to statesmen and stateswomen, and balanced, considerate discussions.

In the meantime, the holidays are an excuse for me to consider friends and family from their perspectives, from what their lives show them; and a time to collaborate on important projects like dining, dancing, playing games, and basically having fun together. Sometimes I’ve found that after I’ve hopped the fence around my comfort zone, I find yet another comfort zone. That’s a gift to share.

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