Comments by ZaneRokklyn
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Posted on October 29 at 8:40 a.m.
Wait, isn't a Constitutional amendment "the government telling us what's good for us"?
If we don't want the govt telling us what's good for us, surely maximum choice (i.e. a public option) would be preferable to less choice.
Posted on October 21 at 9:52 a.m.
Great post, Gary!
The trouble with outsourcing manufacturing is that although the manufacturing costs go down, the retail price often does not go down nearly as much -- the manufacturer gets to keep the profit.
I was recently in Italy, where most of the retail goods are still stamped "Italia" instead of "China," and yet their retail prices were pretty much identical to what we're paying for goods made by people with crippling work hours, no living wage, no health insurance, no civil rights -- and we lost our own manufacturing jobs into the bargain! It's like we sold our soul for nothing.
But outsourcing services, that makes sense, because there's no need for a middle man. No shipping, wholesale, or retail to stand between the low-paid worker and the low-paying customer. My own industry, Web site development, is in the process of outsourcing to India, and you know what? I'm happy for them. There's no reason my job can't be done just as well by somebody in India for a fraction of the price, assuming he's fluent in the necessary languages. I'll find a new job.
Gary has hit the nail on the head by identifying insurance as an industry that doesn't need to be in the US to serve US customers. The only downside is that foreign companies are harder to regulate... but hey, the Republicans don't want any regulation anyway!
Posted on September 23 at 10:14 a.m.
It would be helpful to know how much the shots cost.
Posted on August 8 at 10:25 a.m.
Amy, you forgot to mention that one of the best ways to make pesticides most effective is to reduce the need for them in the first place. Infestations can be reduced by mixing crops up together (polyculture) and by including plants with insecticidal properties (such as nightshade, a common weed which cabbage worms prefer over cabbage, even though it kills them) and insectory properties (such as dill and cilantro, which attract helpful wasps that sting caterpillars, not people). Nonwoven fabric row covers can also keep the insects, birds, and rabbits off without the need for pesticides. I have had zero insect problems in my garden this year, with some 15 varieties of vegetables and no spraying.
Posted on June 18 at 10:16 a.m.
Um, did you guys miss the part of the article about how tickets can be purchased by 800 number? That means you don't even need a phone, if you can find a pay phone. All you need is a card to pay for the ticket.
Posted on May 19 at 8:38 a.m.
I wouldn't deliver a package from Colorado to Arkansas for $4.90, on time or otherwise. Would you? I'm as frustrated as anyone by the frequent rate increases -- I wish they would just sell "forever" stamps all the time: any economist will tell you that money now is worth more than money later, so they should be glad to get it now -- but the fact is, their service is absurdly cheap and always has been. Nobody else will do it for the same price. If you want it there faster, pay somebody else more.
Posted on April 30 at 9:15 a.m.
You didn't mention trans fat... the FDA has ruled that there is *no safe level* of trans fat, so it follows that any food that contains it should be regarded as unsafe for anyone, but especially children.
Posted on April 29 at 9:06 a.m.
"STOP means Skid Tires On Pavement — STOP"
Look *that* one up in a dictionary, Mr. Borst. Losing traction is dangerous with any vehicle, but particularly with a two-wheeler. If your car has been built anytime in the last 20 years, it is designed to be incapable of skidding its tires unless you can turn off the anti-lock brake feature, which is there for everyone's protection. Why there is still a requirement in many states (including Kansas -- see http://www.ksdot.org/burrail/bike/biking...) for a bicycle to be able to lose traction is beyond me -- might as well require it to be able to flip over the front wheel if it hits a curb.
So yes, it is a rule of the road, but as a practical matter it is usually safer to not skid.
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Posted on November 21 at 9:42 a.m.
For a lot less money you can get a Kill-A-Watt meter that will test any plug-in appliance. I don't know about you, but I don't need a meter to tell me how much power a 10 watt bulb uses!
On Energy-saving gadgets