Batten Down The Hatches

Shared Data Among Battlefield Operating Systems

I am no friend to hackers.  Thanks to hackers, we have to password-protect wireless routers, use firewalls, install virus and malware scanners, and other security measures.   There are plenty of good reasons why not all information should be free.  No one but my family and me has any business in my computer.  As far as I’m concerned, the Hackers’ Manifesto is the fast lane to 10 to 20 years in  prison.

An even bigger threat, though, are terrorists and foreign powers using the same types of tools to gain access to government secrets or to bring down communications, electric, or any other system that relies on computer technology and networks.

Mantech International Corporation is one of the world’s largest electronic and cyber security firms.  The people they hire make the average hacker look like a minimum wage entry-level Nerd Herd tech at the Buy More.  They provide “systems engineering, software development, enterprise security architecture, information assurance, intelligence operations support, network and critical infrastructure protection, information technology, communications integration and engineering support.”

Mantech started with a couple of guys in 1968 and is now a  a nearly two billion dollar a year business.  President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Coleman, who came aboard when his company, Integrated  Data Systems, was acquired by Mantech in 2003,  is stepping down in a few months.

Most of their work is for various branches and departments of the U.S. government.  Their clients range from the Central Intelligence Agency to NASA.  And therein lies a weakness.  Reviewing their annual reports, I discovered that, on average, 95% of their customers are government related.  That weakness, however, creates a strength.

In my cover letter to Board Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder George Pedersen, I suggested “an expansion of Mantech into the private sector.  I believe that some of the technologies Mantech has deployed in the defense of our country can be deployed commercially.”  Encryption used by the State Department to U.S. Embassies abroad, for instance, could be used for business communications.

With very little effort Mantech could easily become a major player in information technology security, with the C.O.O. leading the efforts to keep private information private.  We are in an arms race with hackers.  Mantech products could help us turn the tide.

Terror of Freddie Macagodzilla

Mechagodzilla Action Figure. It's debt-free!

Let’s say, just for example, that I had my eyes on a Mechagodzilla action figure that cost $20.00.  And for the sake of our argument I had only $5.00.  The dealer would finance the remaining $15.00 at 6.5% interest for 30 years.  I would pay nine cents a month. But wait!  There’s more!

Suppose this dealer then sold the mortgage on my Mechagodzilla to another dealer soon after my purchase.  This new dealer would purchase the promissory note for, oh, say $17.00.  The first dealer has made an extra $2.00 over the list price of the Mechagodzilla.  Meanwhile, Dealer 2 is hoping that the action figure will appreciate in value, and I will sell it in a three years for $25.00, and pay off the note.  Not only does Dealer 2 get the $2.95 in interest during those three years, but he will receive the $17.00 he initially paid to purchase the note.  And I will have made a little bit of profit as well.  If I keep the Mechagodzilla for all 30 years, Dealer 2 gets $34.13, of which  $19.13 is interest. His total profit is $17.13.

Broadly, this is what “securitizing” loans is all about.

Continuing our supposition, let’s suppose that I’ve owned this Mechagodzilla for six years.  I’ve been riding high on the speculative market and Mechagodzillas have risen in value to a massive $28.00!  But the bottom begins to fall out.  Folks are losing their jobs and just don’t have the money to buy Mechagodzillas.  In three months the value of my Mechagodzilla has fallen to less than half of list price.  Now I own a Mechagodzilla that is worth only $9.37 and I still owe $13.79.

Broadly, this is the danger of “securitizing” loans and why our housing market is in such crisis.

Broadly, this is why Freddie Mac is in deep deep trouble.  Much of this quasi-governmental agency’s business was buying mortgages on the secondary market, packaging them up, and reselling them to investors.

David M. Moffett has resigned as CEO of Freddie Mac.  He took the job just last September.  The massive losses at Freddie Mac may have been too much for him to get a handle on.

This is going to be one brutal job, and it’s going to take a Mechagodzilla style of leadership to pull it off.  The first thing I would do is squash this 40 year mortgage concept that’s floating around right now.  I think 30 year mortgages are too long already (I’m on track to pay mine off in 20).    I would also try to minimize the buying and trading of real estate like baseball cards, which played a big part in getting us into this economic morass.  Houses are homes not poker chips.  Adjustable Rate Mortgages are also on my hit list.  ARMs should go down, not up, when interest rates go down.

Give me an Absolute Zero Cannon and let me get to work.

The Tick Tock Man

Somewhere In Time clock, by Infinity Art Furnishings

Once upon a time, when my children were much younger, we were careening down the road at the legally allowable speed when one of them asked “What time is it?” I answered “It depends on whether you are in the front or back seat.”

Turns out, I was right. It’s got something to do with energy, mass, speed, and a whole lot of other math.

The Earth’s gravitational and magnetic field bends time, and among other things, causes satellites in orbit to drift out of time sync. If it weren’t for time synchronization products, I would always be late for lunch (instead of often).

Symmetricom materials say their “Perfect Timing… solutions… have helped define the world’s time and frequency standards, delivering precision, reliability and efficiency… in more than 90 nations.” They have customers in Government, Aerospace, Broadcast, and other sectors. From television stations, to stock markets, to Global Positioning Satellites, if time is a critical componant Symmetricom has something for you, including the spiffy new XPRO High Perfomance Rubidium Oscillator.

Thomas W. Steipp is retiring this year, after more than 11 years with the company, the last ten as President and CEO. He’s leaving the company in a strong position for future growth. In my cover letter I noted that while the Symmetricom is “well known and respected within its markets, I would like to create a stronger consumer awareness, similar to the brand awareness of Intel.”

Wow! Free Stuph!

On their website they have a download of a Windows based program called Symmtime. It’s a highly configurable clock program that syncs with numerous time servers, has hundreds of time zones, and you can have up to 30 clocks on your desktop. I have three: Fort Smith, AR; Tucson, AZ; and Mumbai, India. It’s free, but you do have to register to download it. You can opt out of their newsletters and I have not received any spam from them. This is pretty cool.

Update! (already)

An email from Mr. Steipp:

“I appreciate your interest in the position here at symmetricom, but our position description calls for someone with a much different background than you currently have included on your resume.”

I guess my timing was off.

“Just Listen To That Cold Steel Ring”

Andrew Carnegie.

J.P. Morgan.

Charles Schwab.

Soon, you may be able to add Robert Parson to that list.

I’m sure you recognize those other guys as manufacturing magnates of the early 20th Century.  They, along with Elbert H. Gary, founded the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel is the largest steel company in the nation, but times have been tough on them.

The steel industry is subject to wild fluctuations in demand.  If there’s no construction going on, there’s need for steel girders.  If no cars are being built, there’s no need for sheet metal.  In the last several months U.S. Steel has shed at least 3500 jobs and idled at least two facilities.  Even though the last year had excellent profits, the company says it expects a loss in the first quarter of this year.  A major stock analyst this week also cut U.S. Steel’s profit estimates through 2010 in large part because of a weaker market for tubular, or pipe, steel.

J. James Kutka is going to retire this year.  He started more than 40 years ago as a production worker and his risen to become Senior Vice President- Strategic Planning and Business Development.  My resume should now be in the hands of Chairman and CEO John P. Surma.

I’m certain that I can “research and analyze existing and new markets… the slowdown in the economy may be the opportunity to the evaluate new and exciting markets and develop them as the economy recovers.  Specifically, I would be interested expanding the market for U.S. Steel products in residential construction.”

And that would indeed be tubular.

Securing the Exchange

What better way to relaunch Bob’s Job Blog than by applying for the job of Director of the Division of Enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission?

Linda Chatman Thomsen resigned that job this week. She got beat up last week by Congress for failing to catch the alleged pyramid scheme alleged to have been run by Bernie Madoff that caused investors to lose billions of dollars.

Prior to that, though she had a pretty good run at catching the bad guys.  But sometimes things slip through the cracks.  Unfortunately it was $50 billion dollars that slipped through those cracks.

Mary Schapiro is the new Chair of the SEC, and she has a difficult task ahead of her.  As the meltdown in the economy continues, more people and more companies will be looking for ways to squeeze a few dollars, much of it through illegal investment schemes.  She’s the watchdog, but she’s going to need a strong attack dog to go after these scalawags.

I can bring her data analysis skills, extensive interviewing experience, and public relations expertise, all rolled into one tidy package.

Why should I settle for CEO when I can be the bulldog nipping at their heels?  Bring on the quarterly reports.  They’ve met their match.

Bob Job’s Blog: The Bailout Edition

Dow Jones Industrial Average February 10, 2009. Graphic from djaverages.com

Hi there!

Remember me?  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

A lot has happened since the last time I worked on this.  Obviously, the most significant thing to have occurred is the deepest recession in decades.  You already know all the details so I won’t get into all that.

As the economy looks for solid footing, it appears that there are going to be a lot of changes going on in the executive suites at many companies.  These companies are going to be looking for strong leadership with new ideas.  They need look no further!

It doesn’t matter to me if there will be a salary cap on CEO salaries of companies that accept government bailout bucks.  I’ll manage somehow if my pay tops out at half a million dollars a year.

I am here to serve.

Those Daring Young Men And Their Flying Machines

Unmanned drones have been a key technology in the war in Iraq. The allow surveillance of dangerous territory before sending live troops into the area.

Depending on the configuration, an unmanned vehicle can also be used for other missions in which small, silent aerial craft would be useful, such as border and sea patrol and law enforcement. Outside of government use, they can be used to establish communications in sparse or even overloaded areas.

Cyber Defense Systems makes Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Airships. They’ve been developing their technology for a several years, and are now apparently ramping up for some serious sales and manufacturing. Their key products are the Cyberbug, the larger Cyberscout (seen in the picture above) which also has helicopter-like capabilities, and three models of airships, which are to remain fairly stationary following deployment. They’ve won several awards for their designs and technologies.

The company’s CEO, William Robinson, will be stepping down, but will remain with the company to "strengthen the balance sheet, raise capital, and generate new revenues" for the company. Sounds like he’s going to be more hands on when it comes to sales.

Needless to say, they will need someone to run the shop on a day to day basis. They are expanding their facilities in two states and eyeing international markets. I can bring my expertise in dealing with government entities and officials to the table as Cyber Defense Systems negotiates tax and other incentives. There will also be an opportunity to assist less developed nations as they consider using some of the technology to upgrade their communications infrastructure.

Not only that! But my 6 Sigma certification will be of great value in reducing defects in manufacturing and other systems.

In addition to all that, I have experience in construction and deployment of unmanned craft. Indeed! Once, I very nearly blew up my car with a model rocket.

I Needz Cheezburger

I love cheeseburgers. And I have the cholesterol tests to prove it.

The best cheeseburger I’ve ever had was at Shari’s Drive-In at 2650 North First Avenue in Tucson, Arizona. Now that you know the address, you must go there and have lunch. Or supper. Or both.

But alas. For me, Shari’s is 1000 miles away. Hamburger Barn, here in Fort Smith, AR, is pretty tasty. But it’s not Shari’s.

But there is a national chain that makes burgers nearly as good! Steak N Shake, the home of the Steakburger. SnS is also known for its hand-dipped shakes. Steak N Shake is one of the first national burger chains, having its start in 1934. This picture is of the first restaurant (courtesy steaknshake.com).

The company has fallen onto hard times in recent years. Profits are down significantly, they’ve had to close several stores, and they are cutting back their hours at many restaurants (they are currently open 24 in most markets). CEO Peter Dunn has stepped down to “pursue other interests.” As I noted in my cover letter, Steak N Shake is in need of “visionary leadership.”

My goal, at first, would be to increase profits and shareholder value. I believe a key to that would be to re-evaluate the existing menu to see what items could be enhanced. While Steak N Shake is the best tasting
burger of the national chains, I think the burgers themselves could stand to be beefed up, so to speak.

From a marketing standpoint, I would like to reposition the restaurants as less expensive alternatives to full service restaurants, while maintaining the image of speedy service. I would also consider entering into new
market locations with potentially high yields, such as malls and large office buildings.

Just as there are no Pizza Inns where I live, there are no Steak N Shakes either. I’ll have to get that taken care of.

That makes two (!) restaurant jobs I’ve applied for this week. As any good stockbroker will tell you, I need to diversify.

Pizza Inn: Update!

Whoops! I went to lunch yesterday at my local Pizza Inn and discovered I no longer have a local Pizza Inn. It recently closed. That’s why it wasn’t listed on the company website. We used to have two of them. Now we have none. When Pizza Inn chooses me to be their next CEO, I’ll have to make sure that gets rectified.

Hold The Anchovies

When you think of pizza, what restaurant comes to mind? Pizza Hut? Dominos? Papa John’s? How about Pizza Inn?

Pizza Inn has always been one of the stalwarts of the pizza industry. They’re always there, they’re always tasty, but they just don’t have the top of mind awareness of the others. Oddly, the company’s website doesn’t even list my friendly neighborhood Pizza Inn. According to the website, the nearest Pizza Inn is over 60 miles away! I don’t think they deliver this far.

Tim Taft is leaving Pizza Inn as CEO after about two and a half years to “pursue other interests.” He’s credited with increasing sales, profitability, and revitalization of the franchise system. Not bad for a couple years on the job. But I think it can do better.

From my cover letter:

“Even with it’s strong brand identity, Pizza Inn, frankly, does not have the top of mind awareness of other national chains. My primary goal, at first, would be to pull Pizza Inn into one of the top two, if not the top, pizza franchises. This would be a multi-tiered approach by expanding the number of franchised and owned restaurants, updating the marketing imaging, an aggressive national advertising campaign, street level promotions, and expansion into the delivery market.”

The website lists the favorite pizzas for the top executives for the company. Since it appears to be a Securities and Exchange Commission Disclosure Requirement mine is pepperoni with jalapenos and onions.