Union Break Time

I've workied in a union factory. I've worked in a non-union factory. And I can tell you the following is NOT unusual.
Thanks to Bundy for the link.

Here is a link to an investigative news segment. It's to a local news site in Detroit. It shows union members drinking at a bar nearby on their lunch break.

"...This worker who we'll call 'Dale', show's up at the bar at 10:36AM..."

Ok, why call him "Dale" that's MY name! And I hardly ever went to the bar on company time.
I'm predicting that this video will be yanked by the station soon.

Go To Your Room Young Man!

One of the biggest crooks in the history of the world, a man who scammed billions of dollars to fund his own little empire, is under House Arrest.

Of course while some of his scammed clientele may be losing their homes, he'll be snuggy warm in his Park Avenue apartment. Good thing he wasn't playing illegal poker or gambling.

You see, in 2006, while Mr. Pouty Face was busy lying to people to get their money, other people in New York were running gambling operations. James Giordano, a professional poker player, was accused of running a sports betting ring.

Let me illustrate some things here. Giordano was taking bets from people who wanted to gamble on sports. People who knew exactly what the odds of winning are. Madoff was conning millions of dollars from people and companies by telling them they were not really gambling at all.
The District Attorney for Queens New York spent 28 months investigating Giordano. Both men were taking money from people but only one was stealing.

Now here comes the punchline:
Giordano was held without bail. And Madoff is at his Park Avenue home tonight.

Good Boy!

I love dogs. (except maybe little yappy ones)
Of course this breed would likely be banned if this family was unfortunate enough to live where breed specific bans are in place. Much like gun control, bans on dog breeds do not stop the problems they set out to. If scary looking dogs are illegal only criminals will have scary looking dogs.

The All New 2009 Bailout

I'm not sure who created the below image. I found it at The Agitator's site. Whoever did, captured my feelings almost exactly. I apologize for the coarse language but this does sum it right up for me.


You see, I've been through this very scenario. In 2006 I traded a Mercedes C-280 for a new 06 Dodge Charger R/T, ya it's got a HEMI. It was a nightmare experience. I won't list all the details but the dealer, Greve Chrysler, refused to stand by their commitment and I was sorely disappointed. Well, at long last my lease was up and I bought a used 06 Mazda RX-8. This car, priced similarly and comparably equipped, is far better. The build quality is as good as the Mercedes and overall it's far better than the Dodge ever was. But as it turns out, I'll still be paying my money to companies I don't do business with.

So What Does John Stossel Got That I Ain't Got?

Many of the same thoughts and ideas that John Stossel speaks so well about are the same thoughts and ideas that I have had. My wife, when she had nothing else to read, picked up two of my Stossel books. After a few days of reading, BAM, she's a Libertarian with a new world view. I couldn't be happier that we are agreeing on more topics lately but I'm concerned she might become a Stossel Stalker. She even thinks he's good looking!

Bailed Out?

Not even close.

Economics 101

A very good friend of mine has an assignment for his economics class. The assign is to ask a member of the local business community a series of questions. Here are the questions and following that are my answers to each.

1. What impact has technology had on the economy?
2. Is the economy improving, decreasing or maintaining?
3. Is inflation an issue in this economy?
4. How has globalization impacted our economy?
5. What trends do you see in the local economy?
6. What trends do you see for the state of Ohio, and USA?
7. Do you think the Federal government should increase the minimum wage?
8. What advice would you give our political leaders to improve our current economy?
9. Who has the biggest impact on the economy? President? Bernanke( The FED) ? Congress? Corporations? Stock market? Consumers?
10. How does education impact our workforce?
11. Is Wal-Mart good for America?
12. Should off shoring/outsourcing be made illegal?
13. Should we worry over social security for the next generation?
14. Where are future job opportunities? How can we create new jobs?
15. Does inflation impact our economy?
16. How does health care impact our economy?
17. How does immigration impact our economy?
18. How should America deal with the energy crisis?
19. As America experiences the deindustrialization, where will future jobs be?
20. Do you have more confidence in the Federal Reverse Bank (Bernanke) or Congress?
21. Are CEO paid too much money in Corporate America?
22. Is their an income inequality in USA? Is that wrong? Or is it justified by one own productivity?1. What impact has technology had on the economy?
2. Is the economy improving, decreasing or maintaining?
3. Is inflation an issue in this economy?
4. How has globalization impacted our economy?
5. What trends do you see in the local economy?
6. What trends do you see for the state of Ohio, and USA?
7. Do you think the Federal government should increase the minimum wage?
8. What advice would you give our political leaders to improve our current economy?
9. Who has the biggest impact on the economy? President? Bernanke( The FED) ? Congress? Corporations? Stock market? Consumers?
10. How does education impact our workforce?
11. Is Wal-Mart good for America?
12. Should off shoring/outsourcing be made illegal?
13. Should we worry over social security for the next generation?
14. Where are future job opportunities? How can we create new jobs?
15. Does inflation impact our economy?
16. How does health care impact our economy?
17. How does immigration impact our economy?
18. How should America deal with the energy crisis?
19. As America experiences the deindustrialization, where will future jobs be?
20. Do you have more confidence in the Federal Reverse Bank (Bernanke) or Congress?
21. Are CEO paid too much money in Corporate America?
22. Is their an income inequality in USA? Is that wrong? Or is it justified by one own productivity?

1. What impact has technology had on the economy?

Technology has had a very positive effect on the world as a whole. Life spans are increasing and the time/work exchanged for goods and services has never been lower. From the cotton gin to PET scans things are pretty good. As for the impact on the economy what one should look at is the amount of time and work one must spend to purchase. The effect has been and will continue to be very good.

2. Is the economy improving, decreasing or maintaining?

Taken as a whole, the economy in free societies will always improve. And this one is no different.

3. Is inflation an issue in this economy?

Most people think that inflation is an increase in the cost of goods and services. While sometimes true, the real cause of our current inflationary cycle is the continued over spending and debt by our government. As government debt soars and interest rates fall, the value of the currency falls. That is why we are seeing huge spikes in foreign goods like oil.

4. How has globalization impacted our economy?

Certainly it has been very positive for our economy and for the economy of the world of which we are an inextricable part.

5. What trends do you see in the local economy?

I see our future becoming more linked to a global economy. As information and products can now move more easily, the cost for everyone comes down. We may see a shift locally and nationally away from industrial production. We have already seen huge shifts in employment trends. My grandfather worked in agriculture but thanks to trends in automation and equipment advances many fewer people work on farms. And at the same time, farmers now produce much more food on fewer acres. Yet, no one claims that the hydraulic cylinder stole their jobs.

6. What trends do you see for the state of Ohio, and USA?

I believe we are more integrated. The local, state, and national trends are one and the same. See question 5.

6. Do you think the Federal government should increase the minimum wage?

No. It is fundamental to a free society that two parties be allowed to enter into a contract without dictations from a third party.

8. What advice would you give our political leaders to improve our current economy?

This one is easy. Stay away.

For a more detailed description, see Milton Friedman.

9. Who has the biggest impact on the economy? President? Bernanke( The FED) ? Congress? Corporations? Stock market? Consumers?

Of course “The Economy” is influenced by all of us. Consumers have a positive impact. By voting with their dollars they force the market to become more efficient. The Executive branch, no matter who is holding it, has little real power to control the free market. Congress through it's myriad regulating capacity has stifled much of the progress of the last 50 years. This has slowed innovation and stalled growth. Since abandoning the gold standard for our currency the Federal Reserve has presided over the near destruction of the dollar. Fiat money cannot hold it's value in a world of rising debt and falling interest rates.

10. How does education impact our workforce?

An educated populace is a society that will always trend towards more freedom. As education and knowledge increase, the time/work/money to goods and services exchange ratio gets increasingly better. However some jobs are below the standard of an educated work force. I doubt a college professor would be very happy working in a coal mine. That is why there is a perceived “Brain Drain” in some areas of the country. This, I believe, will lessen as more people can now work on projects many miles away.

11. Is Wal-Mart good for America?

I asked my seven year old daughter this question. Here is her answer. “Wal-Mart is good for everyone because you can buy stuff there. If there was ever a real bad storm and you lost some of your things you could go to Wal-Mart to buy them. And it's good because some people like to work there.” Sounds like a pretty good answer to me. I would only add that they also have pioneered some very good product distribution networks that have lowered the price we all pay for many goods. Many people like to attack Wal-Mart but a lazy mind always sees another person's or company's success as sinister.

12. Should off shoring/outsourcing be made illegal?

Why would anyone think they can decide with whom I do business? This nationalistic call to end outsourcing is nothing but thinly veiled racism. Some think that if I pay someone in a foreign nation for work or goods received that it somehow has drained a bit wealth from our nation. False. If both parties have agreed under no duress to a contract, both parties are enriched by the exchange of goods. No wealth has moved at all. Someone once said, “A border that is not crossed by trade and goods will be crossed by armies” I'd much rather trade.

13. Should we worry over social security for the next generation?

Worry? No.

14. Where are future job opportunities? How can we create new jobs?

It is the very mindset that formulates the “How can we create new jobs?” question that gets us into trouble. When the automatic telephone relay was invented thousands of people were put out of work as telephone operators. Let's just require that all telephone switching be manually done. We can create new jobs by allowing people the freedom to do so.

15. Does inflation impact our economy?

As our dollar falls relative to other world currencies, the exchange rate of our time/work/money for foreign goods falls.

16. How does health care impact our economy?

Health care in our current system is flawed and the flaw is not apparent to many. How expensive do you suppose it would be to get a hamburger if it could only be prepared by a person with degree in culinary arts? Medicine is the most regulated industry in the world. No person can provide health services without meeting requirements set down by government. In a truly free society, people should be allowed to contract for any service they choose with whomever they choose. It is no one else's business. Without the regulation from government, health care could be more affordable, and better than it is today. Take the flat screen TV market. It takes a great deal of knowledge and skill to build one. But because of the free market, they constantly get cheaper and better at the same time. The protectionist trade policies in health care prevent this from happening.

17. How does immigration impact our economy?

Very positively. This land was once home to no man, woman, or child. Every person in America is either an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant. Today the Mexicans are targeted as the threat. But not long ago in America it was the Irish, the Japanese, the Catholics, and at one time or another, every other race. I am for completely open borders. I fear no aliens.

18. How should America deal with the energy crisis?

    By getting out of the energy business.

19. As America experiences the deindustrialization, where will future jobs be?

Future jobs will be in unknown industries that evolve through natural market forces. As technologies continue to blur the lines between what we desire, and what we can have, the only limitations will be our imagination.

20. Do you have more confidence in the Federal Reverse Bank (Bernanke) or Congress?

    I have confidence that they will both seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the people. If buying and selling are controlled by government, the first things to be bought and sold will be the government itself.

21. Are CEO paid too much money in Corporate America?

The only people who are paid too much are those whose salaries were not fairly negotiated. If both parties agree to the exchange and the contract deemed fair by both parties, I consider it to be fair. A better question would be, “Are economics professors paid too much?”.

22. Is their an income inequality in USA? Is that wrong? Or is it justified by one own productivity?

    See question 21.

I am supposed to ask 3 of my own questions as well.
1.) Do you think either presidential can have a positive impact on our economy? Why?

Both and either can certainly have a negative impact. I doubt very much that either of the two leading candidates will do anything at all positive.

2.) Should oil companies pay higher taxes?

No. All tax rates should be the same for all companies.

3.) How do you think a government based health insurance plan for American would impact the economy?

Ask the Canadians and the British how they like it. It will be a disaster. It will plunge us further into deficit spending which will then cause the dollar to fall even more. It will force rationing of health care and fewer people will receive care. If you want to fix it, remove the regulations on health care.

It's Almost Time To Get Really Small

The Large Hadron Collider is getting really cold now. In fact inside the LHC it is now colder than anywhere in the Solar System. It's colder there than the South Pole of (former planet)Pluto. It needs to be this cold so that they can accurately shape the electromagnetic field needed to cause two particles, going in opposite directions, at nearly the speed of light, to collide. Here is an image showing the different sectors fo the LHC.


The sectors are color coded to show the cooling status. Light blue is very cold, near absolute zero. Once all 8 sectors dipole magnets are cooled, they will guide the beams along a 17 mile ring and smash them together inside the various detectors. It's exciting to be around to witness this grand experiment. It's quite possible that we could discover some very interesting things. Things like the Higgs Boson, Multi-Dimensional Universes, and other even stranger things. Why do all of this? Brian Cox gives my favorite TED Talk and explains.

Ron Paul

So I fire up Google Video just to see what's new and the top rated "Hot Video" is Ron Paul. Could it be that this nutty guy from Texas is catching on?



Obviously this guy makes too much sense to ever be The President.

Welcome to the 21st Century!

A tribe of people has been found in the Brazilian jungle that has apparently had no contact with the rest of the world. They presumably know nothing of the modern world outside of their very primitive existence.

Now, some are suggesting that we should "protect them" from any exposure to the outside world.

I think we should contact them. We should give them the tools and the knowledge for advancement. I would suggest that those who want to "protect" them, should can certainly go and form a primitive commune somewhere and try it out for a while.

Look at it this way, there are some people who hope that one day aliens will come to our planet and offer us some advanced technology( I rather doubt it) and give us a brighter future. This is really the same thing.

How very quaint to suggest that a tribe of people be denied knowledge.

The always excellent Reason.tv crew has produced one of their finest works. It details the heart breaking story of Cory Maye.

Only 7 Cars Finished!

Only 7 cars finished the first F1 race of the season. Think about that. I could have entered in my road car and finished 8th. Here's a post-race review from the great team at Speedtv.com

Gentlemen Start Your Engines

It's very nearly time for the 2008 F1 season to begin! The 2008 season is shaping up to again be fantastic. Last year the drivers championship came down to a three way battle in the very last race. Newcomer Lewis Hamilton, the favorite going in to the final event, seemed to slip under the pressure and the determination of Kimi Räikkönen. Final points in 07 were 109 Alonso, 109 Hamilton, and 110 for Räikkönen.

Will 2008 be the year that Lewis clinches his first F1 Championship? Can Ferrari repeat and hold on to their slim advantage? And do not discount Fernando Alonso. He's back where he belongs with Renault but will his rookie teammate be a factor? Nelson Piquet Junior makes his debut in F1 along side Alonso at Renault and he has something to prove. I'll say now that if Alonso and Piquet qualify near each other at Australia they will collide in turn one.

To rev you up for F1 in 08, here is a video by Antti that gives you a taste for the rich history of the worlds top sport.



It's gonna be a good year.

Trunk Monkey

more of an ape really but...

Conan The Barber

If Conan the Barbarian wanted to end his barbarous ways and take up another vocation, he'd be wise to stay out of the barber business. Barbering is deeply regulated by The State. To establish himself as a Barber, Conan would have to satisfy these people. He would have to prove that he has attended one of their approved and licensed schools. I know what you're thinking, "He's Conan!". It doesn't matter.
According to the Ohio Revised Code,
"no person shall do any of the following:
(A) Engage in or attempt to engage in the practice of barbering, hold themselves out as a practicing barber, or advertise in a manner that indicates they are a barber, without a barber license issued pursuant to this chapter;......."

It goes on and on and on from there. essentially this is what it says:

First it goes into a lengthy definition of Barbering. Then it basically states that no one may barber or teach barbering. No one, that is, that does not have a license. Even if you are Conan the Rehabilitated Barbarian. No matter that Conan can crush an ordinary man. He is nothing next to the Juggernaut that is the Ohio State Barber Board.
Conan could get a license from one of the many(many!) schools in Ohio. Of course the schools exist to allow people to comply with laws that then enable the schools to exist so that people who want to cut hair instead of being a murderous barbarian can do so without breaking the law. Conan is confused.

Sorry Conan, maybe you can find another job.





I'm glad there is someone to watch our for my hair. My hair is safe from the deadly blade of the barbarian. Imagine what things might look like in a world where anyone could go around willy nilly cutting hair. It gives me chills. Thank you Ohio State Barber Board.