A post it of a fellow gulcher's business.... #JohnGalt2014

Posted by Non_mooching_artist 9 years, 10 months ago to Pics
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.... Which she has shrugged! She is John Galt!


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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 10 months ago
    Great idea! Sharing the publicity with the movie, and stirring up "THE" question at the same time. Being retired, I'm no longer in business, but if I was......
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    Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
    Assuming she sold it for some multiple of earnings, if she invests that wealth in someone else's business (or a diversified portfolio), it's not a complete shrug b/c the wealth is still generating taxable income. If the business took a great deal of work from her and didn't produce much taxable income, there's no value there, nothing to sell. The business didn't work. I admire anyone for trying, and usually people really successful didn't build the amazing business on their first try. Next time will probably be better with all that hard-earned knowledge. If that is the case, it's unfortunate for John Galt's name to be the fig leaf to cover the painful fact it didn't work. I have admiration for anyone who tries. Most people don't try. You only learn by trying. My business/practice isn't consistently making more than a job, so I'm still learning. Putting a fig leaf on things that didn't work makes it harder to learn from the school of hard knocks.
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      Posted by LetsShrug 9 years, 10 months ago
      25 years CG! I could smack you for implying she didn't 'try'. She has horror stories about regulations, taxes, fees, over the craziest things. It got worse and worse and worse until it was just time to galt. So she did. I admire her greatly...and you should sit down.
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      • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 10 months ago
        I was there and walked for the same reasons and IF our once great country ever shrugs these leftist leanings it's hell bent on following and the present administration that's leading it there, I'll pick up where I left off. What CG is not getting is just because you shrug, it does not meat that you dump your abilities on the side of the road. I KNOW how to be successful. I choose not to be until "I" benefit from the efforts of my labors.
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        • Posted by 9 years, 10 months ago
          Hear hear! Exactly the point. Why would you give the thing away that is who you are? That is when the government wins. If you do what you did, and that was to not let them have any profit from your achievements and your mind, you win. Your value has been taken back from those who have no concept of what that is.
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      • -5
        Posted by $ CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
        I am saying *exactly* the opposite. If the business wasn't profitable, then we should say it *failed*. People sometimes hear failure as a bad thing, but it's a necessary component to business. Every business person leans by trial-and-error, i.e. some failures. Most people don't *try* (i.e. try to build a business) and thus never *fail* at business.

        Since schools teach "failure" as bad, we're tempted to come up with a narrative to blame our failures on external factors. Instead of learning from Outback Steakhouse, we come up with a narrative that they must have cheated b/c no one can succeed honestly by serving customers, vendors, and employees well.

        So I disagree with part of the message of AS. I like the allegory of more and more of the world wanting a handout and that making the producers want to give up. But if the story were real and not an allegory, I think the protagonists should have used their amazing abilities to inspire the world to take charge of their own lives and stop looking for a handout.
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        • Posted by bassboat 9 years, 10 months ago
          I wish what you just said could come true but all you have to do is talk to 50%+ of the voters to know for certain that they are incapable of understanding that what they are doing is sticking the knife into their own body. What you propose can only be accomplished by education starting in the first grade by teachers who understand economics.
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          • Posted by LetsShrug 9 years, 10 months ago
            Yes....and the schools would never allow the types of conversations/lessons that need to happen to accomplish this... because it would be too honest and might hurt someone's feelings, or be considered offensive. This is what happens when the gov makes everything easy for the bottom feeders....they then refuse to do any hard work of any kind (especially the mental kind..thinking) and it's contagious... not only that, they vilify anyone of means who isn't singing the same socialist song... so all reason is out the window... Just gimme what I want/need cuz you can afford it and leave me alone. I deserve to have the same as you and if you disagree than you're selfish and greedy!
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        • Posted by LetsShrug 9 years, 10 months ago
          First off, it wasn't a failing...you're assuming stuff you know nothing about. It was time to galt.
          Second:
          "...should have used heir amazing abilities to inspire that world to take charge of their lives and stop looking for a handout."
          THEY DON'T LISTEN! And the entire world is telling them otherwise...they won't get it until the gov stops feeding them, off OUR backs. That's the WHOLE point! omg.
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          • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 10 months ago
            CG and I had the same conversation a while back about my last business. Acording to him, the only reason I had to "shrug" was that my business must have been failing and since I sold my building for $1 less than I had invested in it only meat that was all I could get out of it. He really just doesn't understand.
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            • Posted by $ CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
              "my business must have been failing and since I sold my building for $1 less than I had invested in it"
              I don't recall saying this, but I might have b/c I generally doubt people say they turned down huge amounts of wealth on principle. I do know of one counter-example. I would certainly be interested if you had a customer or competitor who offered to buy you out at many times earnings. I love those stories. I'm really fascinated by cases where people turn down the offer and get nothing or almost nothing on principle. The one guy I know personally who did so was amazing.
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              • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 9 months ago
                I make no claim to be amazing or even boring but I purchased the old dilapidated railroad depot in the small town where I build this last business. It was purchased for a very small amount due to the city owning it and wanting it renovated. My family and I did all the remodel work ourselves investing $24000 in materials plus the $1,000 purchase price. The building apprised for $185,000 following our work - THIS was not what I could have ever sold the building for in that town, but this was what the real estate appraiser came up with. My best guess was $95,000.

                At the time I decided to sell the property my intent was to sell it in a manner that would insure that the looters would not be able to get one penny form our efforts in that business. After conferring with my accountant and my tax accountant we determined that selling it for any more than $25,000 would result in the proceeds exceeding $25,000 being taxable as income.

                The sales price is public record and if anybody wants to bother to look it up I'll tell you where to find it.

                Here's what the building looked like when we started - after we replaced doors and windows; http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Larry_...

                And here's what it looked like as we were finishing;
                http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Larry_...

                It started at 400sf and ended at 2800sf. between the two buildings on the property.
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                • Posted by $ CircuitGuy 9 years, 9 months ago
                  Wow. Is the whole thing finished and heated? Even in the countryside it's hard to find finished space in good condition for $50 per sq ft, which would make it worth $140,000.

                  The trouble is the buyers got a great deal and will have a huge gain when they sell it. If someone's going to pay taxes on it, I'd rather it be the one's who did the work (i.e. you).

                  I understand, though, that in that case you'd be pulling the trigger. Selling it at no profit means the next seller will be pulling the trigger; and maybe they'll follow your example.

                  I get the logic, but I would _never_ forgo roughly $100,000 in profit that I earned through hard work. Even if half the population followed your footsteps instead of taking the taxable income, things would change immediately.
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                  • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 9 months ago
                    I live my ideals and the BO IRS stole a year and half of my life and didn't even say, sorry when they were PROVED wrong. (yes it was finished space, heat and air. I build good stuff)

                    As I recall reading a story a man being backed against the wall by some thug (sorry I can't recall where I got this) the thug says "You need to come around to our point of view, after all, if you had a broken leg, you'd call a doctor to fix it. Upright citizen replies "not if he was the one who broke it in the first place".

                    Edit - I just remembered - it was Mr Thompson to John Galt.

                    I would not in any way shape or form do anything that forced me to give this administration one penny from the work of my mind or body. It is called standing for ones values and mine exceed whatever money I might earn by prostituting myself for this administration. From this rock I will not be moved - they have no value to trade for my mind.
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                    • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 9 months ago
                      If the president changed to someone you supported, though, you'd start earning money again?
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                      • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 9 months ago
                        I said administration, not just the guy on top. Looters are the same it seems, no matter what title they take on. If I were to see a President Reagan in the Oval Office again there would be no hesitation. Take your pick of the Bushes, not so much. Come 2016 I look forward to the pus filled, maggot encrusted, tyrant leaving office - if he does. I can't say how I will respond. It's possible I may keep on doing what I do now, working every day - but I don't sell any of the pieces I make. It's given away to friends, entrusted to galleries - but not sold, I even send out a certain number of pieces for national and international expositions. Again, nothing is sold.

                        I do give away a lot of my work for various charities' fund raising efforts. Otherwise I'd be drowning in stuff.
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                • Posted by 9 years, 9 months ago
                  That's impressive. Glad you didn't let them take anything else from you.
                  You do nice work, by the way! :-)
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                  • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 9 months ago
                    I grew up with a hammer in my hand and there's not many things dealing with construction that I've not done. This was a labor of love. Parting with it was an emotional catharsis, closing one door, which opened other doors.

                    As I said my family helped do all the construction with me sitting on the floor in my wheelchair acting as foreman. Even though my wife and I were in complete agreement about selling the building, including price, I felt that I had to "pay her back" for all her labor in a special way. Our next construction project was a big swimming pool she had wanted for years. It was the least I could do.

                    About my work, I'm humbled. After all, I work in clay and it's hard to be uppity when you make mud pies all day.
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            • Posted by LetsShrug 9 years, 10 months ago
              Yeah...he's like that.
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              • Posted by Robbie53024 9 years, 10 months ago
                He lives in Madison, and thinks like a Madisonite. (for those not "in the loop," Madison, WI is the state seat of government and home of our largest university. A deadly duo if ever there was one.) On the bright side, they've never felt the effects of recession as all they need to do is hike taxes and tuition rates and the whole community is happy. Two more years and my last daughter will be a graduate, then they can nuke the place for all I care. (After getting Gov. Walker and family out, of course).
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          • Posted by $ CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
            "First off, it wasn't a failing...you're assuming stuff you know nothing about. It was time to galt."
            I knew someone who turned down selling something for millions and instead carrying on collecting only tiny rents from it. My first thought was "no way, he didn't have a real offer," but I now believe he did. It definitely happens that people are offered millions of dollars and just turn it down on principle. I've only seen it once, but maybe what I saw wasn't all that rare.

            "THEY DON'T LISTEN! And the entire world is telling them otherwise...they won't get it until the gov stops feeding them"
            I'm not close to anyone who admits to be looking for a handout. My sister knows some people who live a reasonably middle-class lifestyle only on handouts. They drive me nuts so badly that I just end up not interacting with them. If they ever say something like "I'm through looking for a handout" I would be eager to help. I'm no master sales maker, but I'd at least have a shot at those looking for a change.
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    • Posted by edweaver 9 years, 10 months ago
      Is this kind of like saying she did not build that? 25 years sounds kind of successful to me.
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      • 10
        Posted by 9 years, 10 months ago
        She DID build it, and was very successful, until the over regulation ate away at any reasonable viable income. And these states which are increasingly unfriendly to business, well, they will see their tax revenue evaporate. As it should.
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        • Posted by edweaver 9 years, 10 months ago
          This is were I am at currently. Still need a few more years to be in a position to shrug but would shrug in a heartbeat if I could go to the gulch. So frustrated with taxes and over regulation. I have told many of my friends that I would give everything I own away for free to go to a place that had the freedom of our founders. I believe I could replace it all and then some in 10 years providing value to people who care about real value.
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          • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 10 months ago
            I've been where you are. For me shrugging and going on strike was the best route. I know that's not the case with everyone and I'd never urge somebody to take the plunge without knowing a lot more about them.

            In my case I have a nice retirement and some very solid investments that pay my bills without me ever touching my cash, but all of it is just one penstroke (by the guy who has a pen and a phone) and I'd be wiped out. But that's true of any of us I think.
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          • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
            If a small group of people with modest net worths were willing to put their entire net worth toward the cause, I wonder what sort of free-trade settlement, seastead, etc they could build? The hardest part would be making sure everyone is 100% in agreement on values. You don't want people who will want to use their position as founders of the settlement to profit unfairly. You'd need to be sure the people are really into value.

            You'd also have to sell the idea to some host country, since all the world is part of some nation state. You'd say the deal is they leave you alone and then they get the benefit of all the trade with a group of affluent people who love creating jobs, making products, and selling things. You'd say maybe the next Google will start in the settlement b/c immigration rules and rules on investment capital will be open there. Most of the means of production are electronic now, so you'd have to have a backup plan to move the entire settlement if the host gov't started meddling.

            I hope someone starts a Gulch in my lifetime. I will definitely visit.
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            • Posted by khalling 9 years, 10 months ago
              "If a small group of people with modest net worths were willing to put their entire net worth toward the cause..."
              how is that efficient or moral? value for value. not collective
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              • Posted by 9 years, 10 months ago
                "Profit unfairly"?? What's the definition of unfair? What if a person had a larger stake in the arrangement? Should they then not reap a larger percentage of earned income? I despise the word unfair. It is completely subjective and a collectivist's dream.
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              • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
                I was describing the plot of AS-- producers being willing to throw away everything and put it all toward building a Gulch.
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                • Posted by khalling 9 years, 10 months ago
                  Akston had a small diner as you recall. not all resources were put entirely in the gulch. In fairness, this was not well-explained in the book. Partly, it was not her goal to give a blueprint for creating another country. Gulches are retreats, they are not city states. Libertarians have spent more time thinking about how to create such, but it still relies on the government of another country. No one suggests forming a gulch in Mogadishu,for example. It is another short cut Libertarians take.
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                  • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
                    Speaking of Somalia, it had no functioning gov't yet had a mobile phone network before other African countries, partly b/c it did not have a gov't-sponsored telephone network.

                    I hope the very concept of the nation state is breaking down. Then it won't be true that a Gulch relies on another nation state. It will start in the world of nation states that we have today, it will produce amazing value that people want, and that will lead to the adoption of the policies elsewhere. It has to be far enough away to make it hard to loot from but not so far as to make trade difficult. That may be impossible. It may be just a dream.
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                    • Posted by $ stargeezer 9 years, 10 months ago
                      That sounds a lot like how our country started. Then after 20 years or so, the liberals that had sat out the revolutionary war managed to gain a bit of power and things have been going down hill since. Around the beginning of the 1860's libtards realized that they needed control of the educational system if they were going to make real inroads into the culture and by the 1900's they pushed into politics with Roosevelt's and Wilson.

                      Today it's almost impossible to find a university that's not a libtard training ground. All pretense of education is gone. It's just programming from day one. Universities are all multi million dollar per semester operations that are some states top industries in earnings and as employers.

                      When you reach that point, where both education and politics are controlled by liberals and you add in the useful idiots in the press, that great sucking sound you hear are your liberties being sucked away.

                      .
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                    • Posted by khalling 9 years, 10 months ago
                      Why can 't it be virtual?
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                      • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 10 months ago
                        virtual, as long as either (1) barter is used successfully
                        despite the surrounding society, or (2) the surrounding
                        society is sufficiently amenable to business,
                        unlike ours today.

                        perhaps promissory notes could be used to get
                        around the barter problem. I will give you my hat
                        in exchange for a note. you give me your tomatoes
                        in exchange for a note. then, we meet and tear up
                        selected notes to balance things, over a beer.

                        and the meeting could be by skype!

                        maybe??? -- j

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          • -5
            Posted by Maphesdus 9 years, 10 months ago
            Psst. Here's a book you should read:

            "Rich Dad Poor Dad," by Robert Kiyosaki:
            http://www.amazon.com/dp/1612680003/
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            • Posted by Robbie53024 9 years, 10 months ago
              more aptly named - Rich Kiyosaki, poor you.
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              • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 10 months ago
                Rob, my dad grew up poor and inherited $300 from
                his rich uncle;;; when he died in '91, he was worth
                over 2,000 times that. he taught me about getting
                your dollars to go out like little soldiers, like little
                employees, and defend -- plus earn more dollars
                for -- you.
                good advice, I'd say, and somewhat similar to the
                first part of this book as I just scanned it. even
                though the author's an accountant. argh. value is
                a strange concept to accountants!!! -- j

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                • Posted by CircuitGuy 9 years, 10 months ago
                  I read it many years ago. I agree with everything you said your dad said.

                  The Rich Dad in the book was a laconic figure who implied the secrets of the rich were available to those who took his seminars or got involved in MLM.

                  If Rich Dad had said only the things your dad said, I would wholeheartedly recommend the book.
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