Carrighfergus is poem of the week in honor of the man thatthe Silverware Thief’s takes care off.
Poem of the Week: 11/11/07-11/17/07
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Monthly Archives: November 2007
Rant of the Week: 11/11/07-11/17/07
We have our share of differences with Victor Davis Hanson, but we are in complete agreement with his rant entitled “Please — Not Another Farm Bill.” The very fact that the bill is being considered at a time of sky high food prices in a disgrace. If there is ever a time when the farmers should be able to stand on their own two feet it is now.
Essay of the Week: 11/11/07-11/17/07
It is Veterans Day, so it only seems fitting to select an essay relating to what is going on over in Iraq. To me, this essay from the Army of Dude captures confusion of the current war in Iraq. Just as Alex and his friends were shooting at enemies they could not see, the US as whole does not understand who they are fighting. We do not know what the enemy order of battle is or who is in charge. All we know is that people over there are killing and dying.
This confusion differs radically from the war movies that most of us watch. In the movies the enemy is known and you are always shooting at targets that you can identify.
Be sure to also read Alex’s account of his friend’s death. It complements this week’s essay of the week.
Problems don't go away, they come back
A while ago–a longer while than I realized–I outlined a plan to reduce shipping errors. At that time I promised to give updates and to stay focused on what I could control.
I’ve strayed from that worthy plan. It began to fall apart when the supervisor of the spare parts order pickers would not or could Click Here to continue reading.
A good practical joke
According the comments on this site, the Queen was not pleased that the military choose to play Darth Vader music for the Saudi King.
You only need to watch the first part of the clip to get the joke. The rest is just blather.
There is trouble ahead
I hate to quote the New York Post. I really do. But this guy makes a good point….
IF you think banks have trouble now, just wait until they report financial results in January.
That’s when the balance sheet will really hit the fan.
The problem involves a rule passed a couple of years ago that will put the banking industry’s outside auditors in peril if they sign off on results that they really can’t verify.
The problem involves a rule passed a couple of years ago that will put the banking industry’s outside auditors in peril if they sign off on results that they really can’t verify.
And right now there is nothing verifiable – or even understandable – about the banking industry’s exposure to derivatives.
The auditors’ dilemma was caused by a rule change that now prohibits banks from indemnifying auditors against mistakes.
Why does this matter? Because the banks themselves obviously are not that sure about the value of the assets on their books. Given their uncertainty, they have chosen to err on the wildly optimistic side. But give that the auditors are going to be liable for any errors in the accounts, it is doubtful they will go easy on the banks. So beginning of next year might be a moment of truth.
And just to remind people of what we have pointed out before, we point you to this story from Newsmax….
Think the estimated subprime debt load carried by the big international banks is big, at $1 trillion?
How about this: Americans now owe nearly as much – a record $915 billion – on their credit cards alone.
And defaults and delinquencies in the credit card sector are piling up – which means big banks are on the hook, again. More sand in the gears for the global economy.
A Warning
This from the Jerusalem Post…
The British newspaper said that a battery of US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missiles had been moved to the Negev site following intelligence that Damascus may launch a raid in retaliation for the September 6 strike on a suspected nuclear installation in northern Syria.
I find it hard to believe that Israel’s Nuclear reactor has only recently been protected by Patriot anti-aircraft missiles. I think that this “News Story” is a warning to Syrian not to try anything.
But it should also serve as a warning to all of us. We become so accustomed to stability and wealth that we don’t think about all the ways in which the world is balanced on a knife’s edge. Just think of what would happen should Syrian or Iran launch a successful strike on Israel’s nuclear reactor. The results of such a successful strike are unpredictable, but the after effects would probably make current oil prices look cheap.
I am not saying that such a strike will happen. In fact, the worst disasters are usually those things that nobody anticipates. But we should never fall into the trap of thinking that stable is normal.
On batteries….
This New York Time’s article is a good overview of the battery choices out there.
Shocking Good News
As oil prices surged over the last few months, natural gas prices in the United States did something that could help to cushion the economic shock. They fell.
Now natural gas and oil never move in complete lock step. But I would have never guessed that natural gas prices fell somewhat from last year. I would have thought that duel fuel power plants would have kept that from happening.
Scott Adams as a pointy haired boss
Apparently, Scott Adams is trying to run a restaurant. By his own admission, he is not really qualified to do this so that makes him a pointy haired boss right?
Naturally, Mr. Adams realizes this and displays a decent amount of self deprecation. But rail thin guys who don’t eat meat obviously do not care that much about food and thus should not run restaurants. Otherwise, they start coming up with whacked ideas like “proper lighting is the most important part of a good restaurant.”
But my main thought while reading this NY Times article was “I wish I could make big money by only working a couple of hours a day.”