Category: economics

Obama – ISIS Campaign unending, expensive ordeal

On By Rick McIn bad news, economics, ethics, government, things getting worseLeave a comment

… White House aides confirmed that President Obama will reassure Americans that the impending military campaign against ISIS will be the exact same type of open-ended, drawn-out conflict that they are used to. …

… speech to comfort the American public by reminding them that they have been through armed engagements without clear end dates or even concrete objectives plenty of times before, and that this case is no different,” …

… the president will assuage viewers’ concerns by laying out precisely how the U.S. will mire itself in the same old quagmire that citizens have grown accustomed to over the years. “The president’s message is clear: This will be just another one of our routine intractable engagements in the region—it’s going to be unending, it’s going to be expensive, and it’s going to affect our credibility within the international community. …

The Onion

Worst two Presidents ever, I’d say. And for much the same reasons. 😦

Barack Obama, George W. Bush

my future home?

On By Rick McIn economics, good news, philosophy, product endorsements, things getting betterLeave a comment

… 150 square feet …

Screen Shot 2014-09-02 at 9.33.37 AM

The architect stole design elements from ships to make this home as efficient as possible. The kitchen does double duty as a home- and work-station, and it’s naturally lit with a wall full of windows. …

The cottage, designed for year-round use, is small enough to be powered solely by solar panels. A central cast-iron, wood burning stove heats the home. Plus, building costs were relatively low (about $42,000 including all interior furnishings) thanks to the cabin’s small size and smart design.

In fact, you can buy this cottage—or one like it—for about $18,500 …


How to Design the World’s Most Efficient Tiny Home

I love Safeway

On By Rick McIn economics, food, good news, product endorsementsLeave a comment

But I can’t afford Safeway. It’s too expensive.

However … there are a few things in the Deli and bakery that I will pay the Safeway surcharge for.

Yesterday a clerk informed that Safeway Canada discontinued their loyalty card program in April 2014:

“There are just too many cards in the wallet these days … “

Club-Card

FANTASTIC

I hate loyalty cards. 🙂

Nova Scotia-based Sobeys, Canada’s second-largest grocery store chain, acquired Canada Safeway stores for $5.8B in June.

Think Like a Freak

On By Rick McIn audiocasts, books, economics, product endorsementsLeave a comment

I’m a fan of Freakonomics Radio, the audiocast.

… hosted by journalist Stephen Dubner, with economist Steve Levitt as a regular guest. Freakonomics Radio occasionally hits No. 1 on iTunes, with 4 million downloads a month …

Dubner and Levitt have 3 Freakonomics books, the most recent of which I just read.

Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain

It’s short. But good.

Freakonomics attempts to shed light on topics misunderstood by the general public.

cover

Amazon

Losing Iraq

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, government, Islam, things getting worseLeave a comment

When you hear anyone tell you that the USA could have WON in Iraq, please know they are blowing smoke.

George W. Bush

11 May 2003 Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush appointed L. Paul Bremer to run Iraq. Bremer did not speak Arabic. Knew nothing of the Middle East. Seems to have done pretty much everything wrong.

On May 23, 2003, Bremer issued Order Number 2, in effect dissolving the entire former Iraqi army and putting 400,000 former Iraqi soldiers out of work. Discontent and insurgency grew stronger.

… It probably doesn’t matter what Bremer did.

It’s not possible for a foreign invader to WIN in Iraq or Afghanistan. Never has been. Never will.

Recall that wannabe President John McCain said that U.S. troops could spend “maybe 100” years in Iraq. That wouldn’t have been long enough. 😦

If you want a recap, I recommend Frontline:

U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011, ending America’s military commitment in the country.

Now, chaos is once again engulfing Iraq. The team behind “The Lost Year in Iraq,” “The Torture Question” and “Bush’s War” takes a look at how we got here, what went wrong, and what happens next.

Losing Iraq (July 29, 2014)


The longer the U.S. military stays, the more suicide bombers they will inspire. The more Westerners will join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 😦

Paul Ryan – specific proposals

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, GOP USA, governmentLeave a comment

The main reason I gave up on Romney was that he had no specific platform.

Ryan’s not perfect, but at least he’s got the guts to put a plan forward.

Rep. Paul Ryan said Friday that Republicans must do more than criticize President Barack Obama to succeed politically, saying they must become the “proposition party” to become an alternative to Democrats. …

Last month Ryan released a new anti-poverty plan, calling for reforms to the nation’s welfare, education, and criminal justice systems. …

Time – Paul Ryan Says GOP Must Become ‘Proposition Party’

On the other hand …

Asked whether he supports the military action authorized by Obama in Iraq on Thursday, Ryan told a reporter “Yeah, nah, call my office. I don’t want to give you a flippant, walking-through-the-halls thing. It’s something I’d rather think through.

Republicans are two faced. Saying one thing, doing the opposite if it’s in their own benefit. I’m hoping Ryan is slightly better than the rest of the Presidential contenders.

tumblr_mhathfOnKS1rdkw6yo1_500

For a Republican, he’s no Tea Party nut.

Ryan was one of 32 Republicans in the House to vote for the auto industry bailout.

related – Tea Party steers GOP right — away from White House

an honest American polititican

On By Rick McIn economics, GOP USA, government, humourLeave a comment

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Though “Honest” Gil Fulbright claims to be running for Senator Mitch McConnell’s seat in the great state of Kentucky, he isn’t actually on the ballot. McConnell, running in a tight race for reelection this November, can breathe easy.

In fact, Fulbright doesn’t actually exist at all. He’s a fictional candidate played by movie and TV actor Frank Ridley …

Mashable

plastic could be killing you

On By Rick McIn economics, ethics, health & fitness, product complaintsLeave a comment

I curse the stuff, even when it isn’t killing you. It’s so breakable.

AVOID as many things plastic, as you can.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

(via Hiking in Finland)

Think Steve.

On By Rick McIn Apple, economics, movies, music, philosophy, things getting betterLeave a comment

Think Different.

apple-logo-steve-jobs-silhouette

Steve Jobs, more than other one person, disrupted and reinvented the personal computer industry, animated motion pictures, music sales, retail stores, mobile phones and tablet computing.

–1976. STEVE JOBS and STEVE WOZNIAK form Apple Computers and build their first personal computer . . . in Jobs’ parents’ garage.

–1977. Apple releases the Apple Two, which becomes the first widely-used personal computer in the world.

–1984. Apple launches the Macintosh, a desktop computer with the screen built in.

–1986. Jobs buys Pixar Animation Studios for $10 MILLION. In 1995 they release “Toy Story”

–1998. Apple releases the iMac. It becomes the fastest-selling personal computer ever.

–2001. Apple introduces their first retail store and releases the iPod.

–2003. Apple launches the iTunes music store. This began the transition away from illegal digital music downloading and toward people LEGALLY listening to music again.

–2007. Apple introduces the iPhone

–2010. Apple introduces the iPad

–2011. Apple . . . the company Jobs started in his parents’ garage . . . is briefly the world’s most valuable company.

history of the U.S. public debt

On By Rick McIn economics, gymnastics, things getting worseLeave a comment

During the presidency of George W. Bush, debt held by the public increased from $3.339 trillion in September 2001 to $6.369 trillion by the end of 2008. In the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis and related significant revenue declines and spending increases, debt held by the public increased to $11.917 trillion by the end of July 2013, under the presidency of Barack Obama. …

638px-Federal_Debt_Held_by_the_Public_1790-2013

More important is the increasing of debt/GDP.

G.W. Bush was the worst President ever in his second term.

Obama was the second worst President ever in his first term. … Of course Obama had to take over the mess left to him on G.W.’s watch.

In any case, regardless of which Party wins the Presidency of the USA, I can’t see how the USA can ever repay that debt. They cannot grow the economy enough (as they could after WW II). And they cannot pay it back.

Something will happen.

Default?