America ( January 31, 2009)

Jane Smith started the day early, having set her alarm clock (MADE IN HONG KONG) for 6 am.

While her coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, she brushed with her electric toothbrush (MADE IN HONG KONG). She put on a blouse (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and shoes (MADE IN CHINA).

After cooking her breakfast in her new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) she sat down with her laptop (MADE IN MALAYSIA) to see how much she could spend today.

After setting her watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA) she got in her car (MADE IN KOREA) filled it with GAS (from Saudi Arabia) and continued her search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.

At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking her computer (MADE IN MALAYSIA), Jane decided to relax for a while. She put on her sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured herself a glass of wine (MADE IN AUSTRALIA) and turned on her TV (MADE IN MEXICO), and then wondered why she can't find a good paying job in AMERICA?

January 29, 2009 - China rules and other victimless crimes

Today i read a number of comments from my blogs...
Some were really interesting, some were out of left field, and all were well received. Even the ones I totally disagree with.

So where to start:

Technology- its not inherently bad, especially computers. Yet people have found ways to detract from the good purposes, especially with internet services. My specialty is industrial systems, where a factory can increase production by using technology driven equipment to do work-like printing 112,000 pages an hour, throwing them into a book format, stitch and bind, and insert into mailers for shipment...my grievance is with the notion that a man made device can be trusted more than our own thinking. Think about a spreadsheet software we all know- it should add correctly, right. And generally it does. But for a variety of reasons, a bad software upgrade, a conflict with another program, a virus, whatever, suddenly 1 and 1 and 1 isn't 3, its 5. And the person that I am I frequently resort to using a random check method, to take sections of numbers and add them on a adding machine (OK class, raise you re hand if you know what that is, and its not a pocket calculator) and compare the tape to the numbers in the spreadsheet.
Point is, blind faith in technology is not a good idea.

China- China has China's best interests at heart, and if as a side benefit they can race past the USA to become the economic giant of the world, well....And look at what we do to help them?
In my career, I frequently come across software that prohibits export or sale to specific countries. Not that long ago China was one of them. Partly because of military usage reasons, partly economic. When IBM said they were going to sell off their notebook and desktop production to Lenovo of China, I thought the Congress would block it..silly me. This country would sell its own mother for a profit..at some point I would hope corporate America would decide being a citizen of this country was more important than making even more and more profit. Some do- Like Polartec, you know the fuzzy fleece we all wear. It started as Malden Mills, and in 1995 could have gone overseas after a big fire, but the owner instead rebuilt and paid his employees while the factory was rebuilt. sorry, i go off sometimes...The point would be that China is slowly migrating to be the greatest economic power in the world. They already provide the bulk of clothing, shoes, electronics, etc. Aided and abetted by BIG BOX stores, America is now in debt to the Chinese BIG TIME. And in this current economic down turn we will borrow from them huge amounts of money, essentially mortgaging our grandchildren 's future.
The news talks about a trillion here and a trillion there.
In 1998, the Federal budget reported its first surplus ($69 billion) since 1969. In 1999, the surplus nearly doubled to $124 billion. As a result of these surpluses, Federal debt held by the public was reduced from $3.8 trillion at the end of 1997 to $3.6 trillion at the end of 1999.
From th 2001 budget forecast
"With continued prudent fiscal policies, the budget can remain in surplus for many years.
Under the President's budget proposals, the Federal debt held by the public would be fully paid back by 2013."
hahahahaha- like thats going to happen

Iran- I have no fixation on the middle east, and think it would be a good idea to cut our selfs off of all foreign oil, and really accomplish something by fueling our cars with electric power. Problem is where to get the juice if 300 million cars are switched over?
I really believe that Iran presents problem to the USA when we talk about Israel, oil, or the deescalation of combat in Iraq. Iran has some grievances- we offed their leaders in 1950's, we helped the Shah stay in power, we blew away an airliner and killed over 200 people, its a not pretty list. My own theory is that because of these historical tidbits, they are nervous we are going to bully them around somemore, hence the "hey, we'll build a NUKE, leave us alone" attitute. Same goes for North Korea. Fear of the US fuels the need to arm up.

Stringing all these together, is our pals in China. Who buys more oil from Iran-China. Who frequently sides with North Korea against the US- China. Who builds more technology then we do-China

wow, now i am paranoid

Entry for January 28, 2009

with the news of the world so dismal of late, you know

• Global Financial Meltdown
• Global Climate Change
• Iran rumored to be on verge having nuclear weapon this year and demand the U.S. "apologize to the Iranian nation and try to compensate for the . . . murderous crimes which they have committed against" it.

I thought I would simply take it easy and not read or watch any news today. But murderous crimes?? I had to look into this .

Specifically the 1953 U.S.-backed overthrow of democratically elected prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh; Washington's support of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war; and the 1988 downing of a civilian airliner by a U.S. warship in the Persian Gulf, which killed 290.

Ah yes, the Iranian airliner fiasco.
After I looked it up to refresh my memory, I found that an after the fact study by the Navy found that the Aegis weapon system that shot down the plane had reported the incoming aircraft as a fighter jet. Even though the crew thought the computer was wrong, 18 sailors and their officers decided to go with the computer; the assumption was it must be right. More scary is the fact that the Aegis system can be set in a completely automated mode, in which humans play no significant role at all.

Allowing people to become so judgment dependent on machines is a real problem that many people either are unaware of or worse, dismissive of.

I work with technology all day, and am continually amazed how reliant people become on technology. Example:
The other day, a machine that has 3 rather powerful computers inside its frame to control all the servo motors that control it during production, and communicate with the production control system in the server room simply, failed. It ran at full production, then started slowing down, then just stopped; the production system sense the failure and "told" the machine to resume production. Production floor people, getting angry because the machine wasn't doing what it was supposed to, started beating on it, pleading with it, as though that would have any outcome other than none. The floor supervisor came to my office and asked why this new machine was doing this...to her utter surprise, i calmly looked at her and said "because its a machine, and machines break sometimes".
The shock on her face was scary to me...because I always assume machines are prone to fail at some point or another, including (maybe especially) computers. Computers are only as reliable as their design, construction and programming. The machine that quit had a faulty sensor, which one of its computers detected, and reported to the central control computer; when the response was no problem keep going , the two computers sent conflicting commands back and forth until it caused a motor to blow a fuse..I know, too techie...

The point is (or should be) that had the sailors in 1988 realized that human intelligence was right, they could have stopped a computer driven system from killing people.

Late entry for January 25, 2009

These are quotes from their own publications:

"Functions and Purposes of the Federal Reserve Bank System"

Preventing asset bubbles

The board of directors of each Federal Reserve Bank District also have regulatory and supervisory responsibilities. For example, a member bank (private bank) is not permitted to give out too many loans to people who cannot pay them back. This is because too many defaults on loans will lead to a bank run. If the board of directors has judged that a member bank is performing or behaving poorly, it will report this to the Board of Governors.

This policy is described in United States Code Title 12 Chapter 3

Every Federal reserve bank shall be conducted under the supervision and control of a board of directors.

The board of directors shall perform the duties usually appertaining to the office of directors of banking associations and all such duties as are prescribed by law.

Said board of directors shall administer the affairs of said bank fairly and impartially and without discrimination in favor of or against any member bank or banks and may, subject to the provisions of law and the orders of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, extend to each member bank such discounts, advancements, and accommodations as may be safely and reasonably made with due regard for the claims and demands of other members banks, the maintenance of sound credit conditions, and the accommodation of commerce, industry, and agriculture. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System may prescribe regulations further defining within the limitations of this chapter the conditions under which discounts, advancements, and the accommodations may be extended to member banks. Each Federal reserve bank shall keep itself informed of the general character and amount of the loans and investments of its member banks with a view to ascertaining whether undue use is being made of bank credit for the speculative carrying of or trading in securities, real estate, or commodities, or for any other purpose inconsistent with the maintenance of sound credit conditions; and, in determining whether to grant or refuse advances, rediscounts, or other credit accommodations, the Federal reserve bank shall give consideration to such information. The chairman of the Federal reserve bank shall report to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System any such undue use of bank credit by any member bank, together with his recommendation. Whenever, in the judgment of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, any member bank is making such undue use of bank credit, the Board may, in its discretion, after reasonable notice and an opportunity for a hearing, suspend such bank from the use of the credit facilities of the Federal Reserve System and may terminate such suspension or may renew it from time to time.

USC Title 18 part I chapter 47 § 1014

"Whoever knowingly makes any false statement or report, or willfully overvalues any land, property or security, for the purpose of influencing in any way the action of the Farm Credit Administration, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation or a company the Corporation reinsures, the Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Farmers Home Administration or successor agency, the Rural Development Administration or successor agency, any Farm Credit Bank, production credit association, agricultural credit association, bank for cooperatives, or any division, officer, or employee thereof, or of any regional agricultural credit corporation established pursuant to law, or a Federal land bank, a Federal land bank association, a Federal Reserve bank, a small business investment company, as defined in section 103 of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 662), or the Small Business Administration in connection with any provision of that Act, a Federal credit union, an insured State-chartered credit union, any institution the accounts of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Thrift Supervision, any Federal home loan bank, the Federal Housing Finance Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Resolution Trust Corporation, the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation, or the National Credit Union Administration Board, a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or an organization operating under section25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act, upon any application, advance, discount, purchase, purchase agreement, repurchase agreement, commitment, or loan, or any change or extension of any of the same, by renewal, deferment of action or otherwise, or the acceptance, release, or substitution of security therefor, shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both. The term “State-chartered credit union” includes a credit union chartered under the laws of a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.

OK, so are the Wall Street types that lied about the mortgage securities values going to the SLAMMER ??

January 25, 2009

Squirrel valley News proudly presents:

Great Quotes from the Future


After the world dumps the dollar and goes with the Chinese Yuan
America will be a memory of a bygone era,
a sort of free
sort of not country of
knuckleheads and whiners..
sort of like France.

CD Macthomas
2009

Today is as though yesterday never was..

In another blog I may have told this simple tale, but its new to here...
I am a project manager, and having completed a recent project, and seeing there being to acknowledgment for their hard work, I took it upon myself to treat the two analysts I work with to a lunch at a place of their choice..which was the Hard Rock Cafe.

We were finishing lunch when a young woman went by, and I started laughing to myself..When they asked, i said that young woman sort of reminded me of myself in my 20's. (Ok, late 20's).

I had recently separated from my spouse, whom I had caught cheating on me. I moved back to California, and was in need of cheering up. My best friend ( whom i had known since 8th grade)
invited (talked me into) going with some other people to a baseball game in San Francisco, and then a night partying in Palo Alto. After the baseball game, at which we barely watched the game, but did manage to get drunk, we did the sensible thing and got into my car and drove to Palo Alto, to a nightclub. I was shocked, and pleased, to see "Tonite ONLY- George Throughgood and the Destroyers" on the marquee..we had a great time, although being a small club and a loud band I was not hearing too well for a couple of days after...

Anyway, I remember standing in front of the stage, maybe 5 feet from George, as they played this song...

January 23, 2009

The Economy is

CHINA

I didnt write these words, but they need to be heard. Years ago in economics class, I learned that the United States perceives long term savings and business planning as 3-5 years in heavy industries like cars, maybe 10-20 in financial planning. In Asia, specifically Japan, South Korea, China and Singapore, long term is a horizon 30, 50 maybe even a 100 years out. Companies like Honda frequently introduce products ahead of their competitors, because they manage on a 30 year planning cycel; the hybrids of today were proposed production ideas in 1973!

In order to finance the last $168 billion stimulus package in February 2008, Congress actually had to borrow money from abroad. That's right: the package did not come from the vaults of the Treasury, but rather from foreign savers from Japan, China, Russia, and the Middle East. Politicians took out a loan that has to be repaid by taxpayers — with interest.

Upon receiving their rebate checks in the mail, many Americans dutifully spent the money as told — shopping at places such as Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart in turn sent a large portion of the monies back to the original manufacturers overseas, mostly places in China. And the Chinese in turn used the money to buy more US Treasury debt.

Without the Chinese, the United States would not have had any kind of temporary stimulus. Without the Chinese, the United States would not be able to finance its large deficit.

And without a healthy China, the United States cannot hope to finance yet another round of faux stimulation.

In the event that a new stimulus plan is sped through Congress, unless it includes cuts to federal spending or tax increases, foreigners will once again fund it.

At least until foreigners get tired of the same rinse cycle and refocus their funds outside of the United States.

As a result, in the long run, China as a whole will be able to adapt to market conditions and prosper because sick companies will have been expelled from the marketplace and capital will be reallocated to the most efficient participants. Conversely, because the US has given up on bankruptcy and the freedom to fail, they will continue to flounder as they prop up poorly managed firms.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government continues to privatize state-run firms and allow them to go bankrupt.

Thus the only unknown factor for the future is just how much damage the Fed will do to the US currency, potentially driving away foreign holders of dollars.

If history is any guide, while China may be faced with uncertainty once again in 2019, it is backstopped by a nearly $2 trillion foreign reserve and solid financial ground. The same cannot be said for the United States.

OK, now do something damn it...

I need this type of music to stay calm during times like these...

Entry for January 21, 2009

Blogging here on yahoo is like "yo-hoo, anyone here???" so here, take this...and relax with this music... at my other page on multiply

Entry for January 20, 2009

Call me a jaded, an old fuddy-duddy , a middle aged crackpot...

As I wandered about the house this morning, with all the TVs on so I could catch any moment that sounded interesting from the inauguration, I remembered back past inaugurations- though I undoubtedly saw them all on the news from Kennedy onward, I really remember Reagan in 1981, Clinton in 1993 and Bush in 2004 .

History was made whenever a president took office, not just the achievement later on in each presidency.

Reagan spent so much money on defense that the Russian empire went under trying to keep up(at least that's one version)...

Clinton presided over unmatched economic growth, which in some ways contributed to our current mess...

Bush in 2004...well, he got elected to some degree to end the mess in Iraq he started, and who knows what else..

As I listened to our new President give his address, I was not entranced by his oratory skills, which are very good...nor was I spurred on to seeking some new confidence.

Kennedy had asked us to not seek help from our country, but offer to provide service to it, and as his administration took off, so did the Peace Corps and other programs. He challenged those who saw America as a foe to do so with caution:

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

Obama on the other hand, has a different reality to confront, and addressed it:

"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

Elsewhere he said "...know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and is ready to lead once more. "

Let us all sincerely wish this man well in achieving his lofty goals, for surely our common fate is made by his (administrations) success ..

CDM

Entry for January 18, 2009

I watched a piece this morning on TV, it was very interesting although short.

Some doctor has done a study of physical (photographic) evidence of the presidents from Theo Roosevelt to GWB (Dubya), and determined that in most cases the presidents seem to age at about 2 years for every year in office. The theory is that the enormous stress of being literally the person with the fate of the free world on your shoulders is almost too much to bear, and may have been a factor in FDR's demise in his 4th term.

I mention this because yesterday I quipped about the comparison photos I looked at of Obama arriving at the WH to meet w Bush after the election and the same day when he left the WH...somber, almost sad. And why wouldn't he be. He knew there were issues he would have to tackle, but no one knows the depth of those issues until confronted with the facts.

I (being the center of my world) compare it to when I took the job being the project manager where I am now. I knew what the project was, but had NO friggin idea how screwed up it was until I got hired, and realized this was going to be a lot more work than I had thought. A year later I have completed the project, but not without having to re-written some of the rules, redesigned and supplemented the project with more equipment and staff, and had to answer to government control agencies about expending a lot more than originally budgeted...which in the end saved the government money.

Point is, you really don't understand the depth of the problem until you dig into it. My worry is that no politician today, maybe other than the new president, seems to give shit other than lining their campaign contributors pockets with taxpayer money. Here in California we are facing a $42 billion deficit...essentially California is broke. Yet out of the California Capitol doesn't come a plan to save the state, but continued arguments about you can't raise taxes, and you can't cut programs> a recipe for failure. Yet when I downloaded the budget, and put on my manager hat, I cut programs and raised taxes, and managed to balance the budget and create a small surplus. I applied common sense, and tried to think about what was really important and what was nice to have...a principle I apply in my own life as well, especially since I am facing a 10% cut in pay next month. Since none of my deductions for insurance and the like are going down, it actually works to a 15.44%cut in my net pay...and I know I am not alone. This is happening to one degree or another across the country, if you are luck enough to keep your job. (Our union actually says that in the latest union bulletin- we saved your job by agreement to cut salary).

But I diverge from the topic...

So out new administration come in a couple of days, and everyone wishes them well...and yet deep inside my head is that little voice saying about congress that nobody seems to really have a clue.

One last thing...can we stop hating?

Can everyone who thinks Bush was the devil just stop now? Can everyone who thought the Clinton's were the greatest defilers of America just give it a rest? Can we all just be kind to each other, and try to actually practice some kindness to each other? Because if we can't be nice to each other, how can we possibly hope to have any kindness for strangers, in this context people outside of America. When American call each other names, often over political differences, lately it seems to devolve into this hate for hate sake...and how does that equate to policy? HOW DOES ANYONE OVERSEAS TAKE US SERIOUS WHEN WE HATE OURSELVES SO MUCH.

I often think about this kind of thing, about how people have become in my lifetime so opinionated that there is no more discussion, just yelling at each other. I disagree with many peoples opinions, but I respect them as people. Where has that gone today?? When did being a member on one political party become synonymous with being evil?? (And how uneducated a thought process it that- I mean evil is evil, regardless.Right?)

I need to get off this political stuff, but its everywhere anymore...

Weekly update - January 17, 2009

Is it just me, or does President (in a couple of days) Obama seem more...presidential lately.

I read a lot online, and find it interesting that several more liberal news outlets (I use the term news only because calling them online gab sources seems harsh) have started sounding alarmed that Obama has such a moderate view of things. I dont particularly think asking Congress for $850 billion ($0.85 trillion) dollars is a moderate thing to do.

Why can government believe in borrowing money to get out of debt, but real people trying to do that are likely to end up asking for bankruptcy...its like when i was in college, I had checks in my check book, and figured I would have the money soon, so I wrote checks for my books and stuff, only to find that the money I was expected didnt show up...and i was referred to the police for being a crook!

Thankfully the DA decided i was a stupid college student, not a professional check passer, and i was able to pay off my debts, without jail time...

Now however the government is asking us to how we pay enough taxes to balance the books in 15 years or so...I hope to be retired by then, so who pays my share???My daughter and her husband?

The first part of this discussion, about Obama, was sparked by a photo comparison i saw, the day he went ot the White House for a breifing with Bush...he was happy looking going in, and really bummed looking coming out...like maybe Bush told him about the bad people in the world that really DO want us all dead? I know thats not a popular view right now, and I know we started a war with Iraq based on total BS...

That doesnt alter my belief there really are people wishing out country ill. Some of them live here.

Multiply brought to you by...Microsoft???

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Well this is news to me. Here is more

 

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• September 09

  Why is MSN Groups Closing?

  Because we are dedicated to providing our customers with the most current and user friendly technology available today we made the difficult decision to close the MSN Groups service.nbsp; This decision is part of an overall investment to update and re-align our online services with Windows Live. In the long term we believe that closing the service is the best way to continue to offer innovative, best of breed services that help you stay in touch with the people you care about. We plan to launch a new Groups service this fall, but unlike MSN Groups, Windows Live Groups will focus on offering a place for small groups to collaborate. A service for small, medium and large groups is available now with our online partner:Multiply.
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  Why are all the pages on the Microsoft site dated September 09????

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Well this is news to me

Entry for January 10, 2009

I didn't like Ronald Reagan as Governor of California, a sure as hell never voted for him to be President. Yet nearly 30 years after he came to office, some of his quotations seem relevant today:
The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.


Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.

Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them.

Ronald Reagan


He also said a lot of really silly things that look even stupider in hindsight. Still, my inner voice, the one I call reason, says that the more our government tinkers with things the more screwed up things get.

40 year old music...really?. Yeah dammit, really

<>
Updated...1983
<>
and something I like

California-sign of the times 2009

Welcome to 2009.

Today, January 09 of 09 at about 3:30 PM an email appeared simultaneously in every email inbox of the 3,000 plus employees of the state government agency I am working at. Sort of like a "Greetings from Uncle Sam" feeling came over the office, and soon printers were humming as the attachment was printed: the official letter from the Department of Personnel Admin that everyone would be forced to take two days off without pay for the next 18 months, or more. Thats if you weren't being laid-off. Lets see, 20%=600 jobs for us. Those cut loose will be placed on a  list called  State Restriction of Appointment (SROA) and allowed to bump other employees less senior to them elsewhere. With employees in counties from the north to south, potentially a person in Eureka could bump someone in San Diego and move the 900 miles; the local media says in 2009 there will certainly be an uptick in foreclosures in this area, already one of the worse in the country...our state legislature  is totally useless. Even the Legislative Analyst Office here has so much as said so in their latest report:

"The Governor’s budget framework makes a good faith effort to close a colossal budget gap. The Legislature, however, can improve the plan by making further use of the ballot, adopting more strategic programmatic reductions and revenue increases, and reducing the reliance on borrowing. There are no easy paths to solving the crisis. But it is urgent that the Legislature and Governor act immediately to address a budgetary and cash situation that has the state on the edge of fiscal disaster."

This is one trend that I hope California isnt the trend setter...

Waste of Time 2009

Visitor Stats: Jan 2009

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I might as well make this private, it virtually is anyway. I will now focus on Multiply, whihc seems more vibrant community now.

http://canicem.multiply.com/