Another post here talks about using your blog to promote your business. Why not? Makes sense. If you get really rich, you can get the media to promote your business for you. I was reading the Yahoo financial section today and noticed that Mr. Warren Buffett (that's Buffett, like pummel, not like the place you pig out after church, buff-ay, eh?) bought the railroad that runs by my house. It talked about how Mr. Buffett (of Omaha, such a great all-American mid-West town) is making an "all-in wager" on American economic recovery. The article takes Mr. Buffett at face value, then goes on to describe what the business has been like for the railroad, and is entirely accepting of Mr. Buffett's motives as he states them. Well, having read "Catch-22" I am reminded of Milo Minerbender, who did all sorts of things because they were good for his business, and hence, ipso facto, good for America. Regardless...

Warren Buffett, Mr. Benign Capitalism himself, and his company, Berkshire Hathaway, bought Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. As I sit here typing this, a BNSF locomotive a half-mile away is blowing it’s “lonesome whistle”. It’s a familiar sound. Now I must not know much about the system of Capitalism, because I am poor, financially. Well fed, employed, covered by health insurance and a union contract, in love and recently married, and poor. Six out of seven ain’t bad, so maybe I do know something .
Anyway, not knowing much didn’t keep you from reading my blog yesterday, did it?

Ah! There’s that C note blowing from the engine, with the pistons' rumble providing the bass. Nice. It’s the aural equivalent of a Norman Rockwell painting in its American glory. So, what’s a Berkshire Hathaway, anyway? Are they the guys that make those cool Hathaway shirts I used to see yuppie prototypes wear in Time magazine? How could someone that makes shirts take over probably the second biggest railroad in America? Must have been some power shirts that cost a heap of bucks. That really boggles the mind. Maybe I’ll go walk Jake while I think about the implications, and digest what I read today about Mr. Buffett being “All-in” investing in America. Maybe you all could read what I read and we’d all be on the same page, if you haven’t already read about it or seen it on the TV. See you in a few...

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OK, I’m back. So Warren says he was a little late in buying into railroads, hmmm. Yeah, James Howard Kunstler, the Peak Oil prophet of doom and gloom that nobody hopes is right has been saying we should invest in our railroads for oh, ten years, maybe. Hmmm, says here, the RR’s are very fuel efficient. Hmmm, says they ship raw materials to Western ports, and bring manufactured goods from Asia back to the people in the rust belt that used to make things. Hmmm. Yes, that’s how mercantilism works, take raw materials from the colonies and ship them value added manufactured goods. That Warren is one smart good old boy! He sees the writing on the wall, all right. I’m impressed. Quite a good move, I’d say, and I’ve always liked looking at trains more than shirts too. I’m not sure if Mr. Buffett is betting on America, or the continued East-West traffic that we have going continuing. “It is what it is,” I guess. I think Mr. Buffett is onto something solid, but, hey, what do I know. I just dig trains. Good-bye resources, hello imports, blow your whistle, Mr. Engineer, blow that sad, lonesome whistle for us all to hear.