The Science of Economics

I "learned" economics from Campbell McConnell at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Back then, the course was taught on television and was mandatory for first year business students. There were a lot of us and not enough space at UNL so Econ 101 was one of those "eliminator" courses. UNL operated on a 9 point scare-that's ADCD with the plus and minus stuff put in there. Most important, the draft was hanging over the heads of every able-bodied male student. Get below a 3.0 and the letter would soon come..."Greeting...you're going on an extended vacation to sunny Viet Nam."

There were no big screen TV's  back then. A 30" screen was a monster. The TV's were mounted on top of metal stands and put in front of the class so you could squint and watch Dr. McConnell go through the science of Economics. He presented a series of graphs as the TV flickered along.

There was also a lab taught by an underling.  In my case, a Korean underling. He was very hard to understand and therefore, so was McConnell's course. Tests were impossible.

Micro. Macro. Macroroni and cheese. I really didn't give a damn. This was not why I came to UNL. Next to Statistics, this was the most worthless course I have ever taken. UNL got good money for a bad presentation and that was the bottom line. The economy didn't gain a thing. Only the Army benefited.

As you might guess, I am not a big fan of Economics. I am not a big fan of Economists, either. All I got out of that class was eyestrain; Korean pig English; and a new definition of economics that still works today.

Economics is the science of applying labels to cover theft by the government, banks, and the stock market. Today, we call that kind of theft...bailouts. The Korean might have actually nailed this one...bailrouts.

For the Children...

KFAB had an item on it's newscast this morning that caught my attention. Some city government type wants the schools to pony up with some of the money they get from fines and share with the cities. The cities need the money because they are running out of ways to collect it. (The recession has caused cash flow problems and things like the $200,000 payoff to a mayor's mistress are causing problems.)

These folks are going to run into a brick wall.

Schools are never going to give up a dime. Make that a penny. They tell you they are in the business of creating the next generation of great Americans and they are running on a shoestring right now. If you doubt that, walk into Lincoln's Northstar or Southwest high schools.  Dumps.

School administrators are suffering through impossible budgets because they are better than the rest of us. Their lives are devoted to making life better...for the children.

Anyone who goes after the school system budget may as well stand up at the NAACP convention and use the "N" word in the greeting.  It's for the children. Hands off.

Well, maybe it's time we put that to the test.  What is for the children?  Unless times have drastically changed since I was there, children still hate going to school.  Children hate homework. Children hate cafeteria food. The only folks who appreciate all of the nice stuff that got put into the new school budget at the teachers.

Maybe all of this untouchable money is "for the teachers..."

Administrators will tell you students are more difficult these days and the classroom is out-of-control. What do you expect from people who view success as being a rapper, or a drug dealer, or a pimp driving around all night in a black SUV with dark windows? Who needs an education to do that?  Well firearms training maybe.

These are tough times. I don't think they will get much better very soon. At some point in time-probably sooner rather than later-the tax payer will be taxed out and those without children are going to say..."enough of the children."

Schools, you have enough money. You have adequate facilities. You have adequate training. Teach. Show us something for all of that money you get. Teach. Stop bitching that the conditions are deplorable. Teach.

And to parents, if you can't supply a home environment that points children in a positive direction other than dealing drugs and prostitution, take birth control pills.

We could make those free for the asking by diverting some of that fine money. Now that would make a difference.

The Light on Your Path

I am part geek. I like computers and Internet stuff. I do things like Twitter and Facebook.

Tech has allowed us to do so much in such and short time. Information is exploding and the flip side, privacy is eroding. Anyone who thinks otherwise is only kidding themselves. There is way too much money on the tech side of things to ever expect the government to do anything to curb the way information is gathered and disseminated.

But that is not my subject today. The look at the past is. And that look comes to me through Facebook. There are some people I found on Facebook that were very important to me a long time ago. One would or could have easily been my bride but things didn't work out and she went a different way. I have always wondered about her path and all of a sudden, along comes Facebook. Not only is her path there, it's a superhighway of links to her children and their children. I am very happy for her and glad life treated her so generously with love.

As for me, my path went a different way, never quite finding another one to share it with. It wasn't in the cards. So my picture album is smaller. The links are fewer.

Am I happy about that?  I suppose so. I have done a lot of interesting things with what I have. I have also scratched my way up mountains and fallen all the way down only to find another mountain. That is my life. And, it is certainly a different path from her life. I am content knowing she found her path, lived well, and is surrounded by love.

Thank you Facebook.

How to change the country

Clearly, something has to change. But what?

You hear the Republican drum beating all day long. You hear the Conservative message all day long. You hear Lou Dobbs pushing the Independent message. But will any of these groups really change anything?

I doubt it. Once people get elected and go "there" they change. They learn how to speak a different language other than understandable, clear, English. They fall in love with TV cameras. They look for ways to steal the spotlight and if that doesn't work, they pack good bills with bad spending and name buildings and roads after themselves to remind you how great they are.

They work their way into committee positions that they think are lifetime appointments. That's the heart of Greedyville.  Committees. That's the heart of power. It doesn't matter what party you were in back home, if you are the chairman of a powerful committee you're in. Sometimes, you're in until the eventual scandal of power is going to be too much and the rest of your "friends" will have to turn you out. (Don't expect the Attorney General to do it. He is part of the team that got you there in the first place.)

The people can't do anything about those powerful committee chairmen other than vote them out. But, if this day of the 50/50 split in the electorate, that's a tough order. Plus, powerful men generate mega pork.

So what has to be done?

How about term limiting committee positions? How about a new rule that will only permit people to serve on the same committee for no longer than two terms? That would get fresh ideas in there at the least and get corruption out of there at the most.

Let's term limit committee chairmanships. Maybe that will work while we wait for the political parties to rise to the values of the people who started this country.