Ralph Nader is an interesting person – from his early days crusading against GM for safer automobiles to running for President to being a good person trying to make the system better, for he sees many areas of improvements. Mr. Nader has written many books and when a person wishes to run for President, often times they sign a book deal, which helps finance the campaign. The biggest supporters buy books and give them away, hopefully they are signed for a small contribution to the campaign. Mr. Nader never did that as a Presidential candidate – his books are more thoughtful including the 17 Traditions, Harper Collins, 2007. The traditions are the ones that make any family successful – the traditions are listening, the family table, health, history, scarcity, sibling equality, education and argument, discipline, simple enjoyments, reciprocity, independent thinking, charity, work, business, patriotism, solitude and civics. For each of the 17 Mr. Nader describes his family and particularly his parents directions and how each of the above fit into the traditions.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, the traditions of meeting customer demand and staying in business for a long time are wonderful traditions. Similar to the 17 family traditions of Mr. Nader, it is to be expected not everything went well all the time. Each family has setbacks, challenges but manage to keep the right attitude and continue. From an investor point of view, one can understand the setbacks, but as long as the company is profitable and pays the dividend, it is someone else’s problem. The 17 traditions that Mr. Nader lists are excellent traditions for everyone to have and bring to the workforce which would make the world a better place.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions