Not A Mystery
Fluff
Stretched For Income? Invest In Gatorade [Bottles]
Get a grip, because I’m about to tell you how to double your money with no risk. While simultaneously bringing new meaning to the phrase, “go green”. Let’s talk recycling. Like me, I’m sure that many of your beer-drinking friends go on about the hundreds of dollars they ‘make’ by taking their crushed aluminum cans … Continue reading
USA Manufacturing, Getting Our Groove Back In A Smallish Way
I revel in a good day every so often, as an attempt to avoid morphing into a grumpy old man. Recently I went to Lowe’s home Improvement Center with the goal of purchasing a “Shrub Rake”. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a shrub rake before I got there, I was just … Continue reading
Lobbyists Do It In The Dark, Bankers Post It In The Cellar
In a nutshell, the way financial institutions (Big Bank) make their money is by knowing more than the other guy (that would be you). They will famously say that their priority is to serve their customers, and that capitalism depends upon them for the efficient allocation of capital. Also, that they are all in favor … Continue reading
Chew Gum And Walk? How About Argue And Laugh.
This teaching moment is in the spirit of our continuing drive for bipartisanship. It was Tip O’Neill who, as Speaker of the House, famously battled President Reagan, but still managed to get along. It would be a positive change if the relationship between Speaker O’Neill and President Reagan became a model for today’s politicians. [The] … Continue reading
Children Should Be Taxed And Not Heard
As far as I’m concerned, all babies look like Winston Churchill. I’ve never thought of babies as contributing members of society. But now that’s changed. Parents aren’t just raising adorable kids. They are also producing little human capital units that are likely to grow up, get jobs, pay taxes and raise little human capital units … Continue reading
Spring Is Almost Here, Don’t Worry Be Happy
I’m really not a cranky old man, but sometimes I stray close to the line. It’s not my fault. The world, and Republicans, make me do it. So today a happy post. Spring is coming, birds are nesting and it’s time for renewal. We live in a community with lots of open space, which requires … Continue reading
Yes Sean, I Really Do Know How To Wait For My Guinness
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day I’ll share my Irish drinking (what else) story. A few years ago Leslie and I spent a month driving around Ireland. We had a fine time. Beautiful place, wonderful people. Having spent more than a considerable amount of time in English pubs over the years I felt I should … Continue reading
Those Ancient Romans Knew How To Package Their Product
Rome has seven famous hills, and an eighth that should be equally famous as a monument to product packaging, Mt. Testaccio. I learned about this when reading Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr. I also learned to be grateful that I never had to raise twins, but that’s another story. Mt. Testaccio is composed almost … Continue reading
Planted In Front Of The TV
Here’s a provocative thought, and certainly one that hadn’t occurred to me, So if your children are supposedly vegetating in front of the television when they watch it for hours, what happens when you show television to vegetables? Jon Keats, a self-described experimental philosopher, has set up an exhibition in NYC purporting to explore just that question. He’s filmed … Continue reading
A Frappuccino To Die For
Many of us are not quite right in the morning until we get our caffeine buzz going. But until recently we weren’t packing guns. That’s all changed now. From the Wall Street Journal we learn that “Starbucks Corp. and some other chain stores in the U.S. are finding themselves caught in the middle of a … Continue reading
Since Cheaper Is Better, I’ve Up-Sized My Jeans
I know, or at least I’ve been told, that women’s clothing can have sizes that are fungible. The more expensive the dress, the smaller the size printed on the label. I was under the impression that when it came to men’s clothing, we played by the rules. My bad. A few days ago I was in … Continue reading
