Monday, April 23, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Senseless Killing of 32 Students and Teachers
I, like all people with a heart, feel sick over the senseless killing of 32 innocent students and teachers at Virginia Tech. I can not imagine the pain that the families and loved ones are experiencing. I can never fully comprehend how one person is able to cause such suffering.
My earlier thought was that How could anyone have guessed that this quite student had that much rage and such a careful put to kill all in his sights. However the more I read the clearer it becomes that not only were there warning signs, there were virtual Neon signs pointing to the danger this man represented.
It was more than a year ago that Cho Seung-Hui was accused of stalking two female students. According to the Virginia Tech Web Site,The first was Nov. 27, 2005, Cho contacted a female student through phone calls and in person. The student notified the Virginia Tech Police Department, and declined to press charges. However, Officers spoke with Cho concerning this matter, and the investigating officer referred Cho to the University disciplinary system. The second time that a stalking incident occurred was Dec. 12, 2005, Cho instant messaged a second female student. She made a complaint to Virginia Tech Police. In both instances there was never any direct threat made. Later that day police received a call from an acquaintance of Cho’s who was concerned that Cho might have been suicidal. Officers again met with Cho and talked with him at length. Virginia Tech Police Chief Flinchum said. they considered the messages "annoying," not threatening,Cho was however asked to speak to a counselor, after meeting with Cho, the counselor was so concerned that a temporary detention order was obtained and Cho was taken to, Carilion Saint Albans Behavioral Health Center. a mental health facility.
If that was not sufficient warning signs, his teachers began getting repeated complaints from others students in his classes. One of his teachers, poet Nikki Giovanni, said her students were so rattled by Cho's behavior, that some stopped coming to class altogether. Students complained of him taking pictures of them with his cell phone,and the violent nature of his writings. Ms. Giovanni called security to check on her room. She eventually threatened to quit if he wasn't removed from her class.
"I know we're talking about a youngster, but troubled youngsters get drunk and jump off buildings," she said. "There was something mean about this boy. It was the meanness - I've taught troubled youngsters and crazy people - it was the meanness that bothered me. It was a really mean streak that was intimidating,"
Lucinda Roy, a co-director of creative writing at Virginia Tech, said she tutored Cho after he was removed from class. She said she tried to get him into counseling starting in late 2005 but he always refused. She became so concerned that she went repeatedly to university officials, and when told they could do nothing, she went to the Virginia Tech Police regarding Cho and his course writing assignments.
"He was so distant and so lonely," she told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday. "It was almost like talking to a hole, as though he wasn't there most of the time. He wore sunglasses and his hat very low so it was hard to see his face."
So the question is, how was a person with such a detailed history of mental illness able to go into a gun store and in the same day buy a 9mm Glock semi-automatic and a second gun, extra clips and a large quantity of ammunition?
If there was ever a example of a person that should have been asked to wait 5 days for a background check, this is the one. Clearly the blame falls on the head of Cho Seung-Hui, he was the sick individual that carried out this way of terror. That said the system must do a better job of protecting us from this kind of bloodshed. He was a ticking bomb, a lot of people knew it, to steps to warn and get the guy the help he clearly needed, but the system let us all down. The school let him stay, the police had no power to hold him and the Virginia laws allowed a man with a track record of violent writings, stalking charges and obvious mental illness buy a stock pile of weapons.
My earlier thought was that How could anyone have guessed that this quite student had that much rage and such a careful put to kill all in his sights. However the more I read the clearer it becomes that not only were there warning signs, there were virtual Neon signs pointing to the danger this man represented.
It was more than a year ago that Cho Seung-Hui was accused of stalking two female students. According to the Virginia Tech Web Site,The first was Nov. 27, 2005, Cho contacted a female student through phone calls and in person. The student notified the Virginia Tech Police Department, and declined to press charges. However, Officers spoke with Cho concerning this matter, and the investigating officer referred Cho to the University disciplinary system. The second time that a stalking incident occurred was Dec. 12, 2005, Cho instant messaged a second female student. She made a complaint to Virginia Tech Police. In both instances there was never any direct threat made. Later that day police received a call from an acquaintance of Cho’s who was concerned that Cho might have been suicidal. Officers again met with Cho and talked with him at length. Virginia Tech Police Chief Flinchum said. they considered the messages "annoying," not threatening,Cho was however asked to speak to a counselor, after meeting with Cho, the counselor was so concerned that a temporary detention order was obtained and Cho was taken to, Carilion Saint Albans Behavioral Health Center. a mental health facility.
If that was not sufficient warning signs, his teachers began getting repeated complaints from others students in his classes. One of his teachers, poet Nikki Giovanni, said her students were so rattled by Cho's behavior, that some stopped coming to class altogether. Students complained of him taking pictures of them with his cell phone,and the violent nature of his writings. Ms. Giovanni called security to check on her room. She eventually threatened to quit if he wasn't removed from her class.
"I know we're talking about a youngster, but troubled youngsters get drunk and jump off buildings," she said. "There was something mean about this boy. It was the meanness - I've taught troubled youngsters and crazy people - it was the meanness that bothered me. It was a really mean streak that was intimidating,"
Lucinda Roy, a co-director of creative writing at Virginia Tech, said she tutored Cho after he was removed from class. She said she tried to get him into counseling starting in late 2005 but he always refused. She became so concerned that she went repeatedly to university officials, and when told they could do nothing, she went to the Virginia Tech Police regarding Cho and his course writing assignments.
"He was so distant and so lonely," she told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday. "It was almost like talking to a hole, as though he wasn't there most of the time. He wore sunglasses and his hat very low so it was hard to see his face."
So the question is, how was a person with such a detailed history of mental illness able to go into a gun store and in the same day buy a 9mm Glock semi-automatic and a second gun, extra clips and a large quantity of ammunition?
If there was ever a example of a person that should have been asked to wait 5 days for a background check, this is the one. Clearly the blame falls on the head of Cho Seung-Hui, he was the sick individual that carried out this way of terror. That said the system must do a better job of protecting us from this kind of bloodshed. He was a ticking bomb, a lot of people knew it, to steps to warn and get the guy the help he clearly needed, but the system let us all down. The school let him stay, the police had no power to hold him and the Virginia laws allowed a man with a track record of violent writings, stalking charges and obvious mental illness buy a stock pile of weapons.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Is Global Warming a Military threat?
Is Global Warming a Military threat?
For years it seemed easy to paint those people screaming about global Warming as a bunch of “liberal, tree-hugging, Latte drinking, Volvo driving, extremests. The truth be told, there are quite a few in the enviormental movement that fit that description. So it was with special interest that I read about the report being issued by a number of retired military leaders addressing Globan Warming as a major security threat.
In an article By SETH BORENSTEIN (AP) he quotes Bush's former Middle East envoy, Gen. Anthony "Tony" Zinni, as saying : "It's not hard to make the connection between climate change and instability, or climate change and terrorism."
"We will pay for this one way or another," wrote Zinni, former commander of U.S. Central Command. "We will pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today, and we'll have to take an economic hit of some kind. Or we will pay the price later in military terms. And that will involve human lives. There will be a human toll."
"Everybody needs to start paying attention to what's going on. I don't think this is a particularly hard sell in the Pentagon. ... We're paying attention to what those security implications are, stated " Gordon Sullivan the former U.S. Army chief of staff. He goes on to say that "Climate change exacerbates already unstable situations,"
The report looks at the geo-political fall-out that will likely occure when Global warming causes rivers to dry-up, resources that nations depent on, be come in short supply. Terry Root a Stanford scientist who contributed work for a report on the effects of global warming, added
"We're going to have a war over water," Root said. "There's just not going to be enough water around for us to have for us to need to live with and to provide for the natural environment."
I think it is important to point out that this report “Assumes” global Warming, rather than offering any new data to answer whether Global Warming is Fact or Fiction. It is clear that the number of reports, documents, photos and data supporting a warming global climate grows each year, as do the number of once skeptical, now on board, scientists. Even many of the once loudest voices challenging the “Green House effect” have reluctantly acquiesced, and now speak in terms of uncertainty. They say thing like “the changes will Not be as quick “ or “Not as severe”. Interestingly, this is coming at the same time that some in the scientific community are questioning some of the scientific procedures and objectivity of some of the data being used to in their world “Prop-up the theory of man-made climate change.
In Geology class you study natural boundaries such as Rivers and mountains, in a political science class you will put out a map and discuss national boarders. Science might tell us that the amount farm land might remain level in a particular set of conditions, but a military strategist will remind us that it matters if the resource moves from one country to the next.
For years it seemed easy to paint those people screaming about global Warming as a bunch of “liberal, tree-hugging, Latte drinking, Volvo driving, extremests. The truth be told, there are quite a few in the enviormental movement that fit that description. So it was with special interest that I read about the report being issued by a number of retired military leaders addressing Globan Warming as a major security threat.
In an article By SETH BORENSTEIN (AP) he quotes Bush's former Middle East envoy, Gen. Anthony "Tony" Zinni, as saying : "It's not hard to make the connection between climate change and instability, or climate change and terrorism."
"We will pay for this one way or another," wrote Zinni, former commander of U.S. Central Command. "We will pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today, and we'll have to take an economic hit of some kind. Or we will pay the price later in military terms. And that will involve human lives. There will be a human toll."
"Everybody needs to start paying attention to what's going on. I don't think this is a particularly hard sell in the Pentagon. ... We're paying attention to what those security implications are, stated " Gordon Sullivan the former U.S. Army chief of staff. He goes on to say that "Climate change exacerbates already unstable situations,"
The report looks at the geo-political fall-out that will likely occure when Global warming causes rivers to dry-up, resources that nations depent on, be come in short supply. Terry Root a Stanford scientist who contributed work for a report on the effects of global warming, added
"We're going to have a war over water," Root said. "There's just not going to be enough water around for us to have for us to need to live with and to provide for the natural environment."
I think it is important to point out that this report “Assumes” global Warming, rather than offering any new data to answer whether Global Warming is Fact or Fiction. It is clear that the number of reports, documents, photos and data supporting a warming global climate grows each year, as do the number of once skeptical, now on board, scientists. Even many of the once loudest voices challenging the “Green House effect” have reluctantly acquiesced, and now speak in terms of uncertainty. They say thing like “the changes will Not be as quick “ or “Not as severe”. Interestingly, this is coming at the same time that some in the scientific community are questioning some of the scientific procedures and objectivity of some of the data being used to in their world “Prop-up the theory of man-made climate change.
In Geology class you study natural boundaries such as Rivers and mountains, in a political science class you will put out a map and discuss national boarders. Science might tell us that the amount farm land might remain level in a particular set of conditions, but a military strategist will remind us that it matters if the resource moves from one country to the next.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
5,000,000 “Missing” White House Emails?
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By Larry Lubell
The plot, or depending on your point of view, the smoke is thickening in the case of the firing of the eight federal prosecutors. Each day there seems to be some development that calls into question the statement made by Gonzales and the White House concerning the prosecutor’s dismissals.
I am reminded by the scene from Casablanca when Claude Reines “ states that “He is shocked, Shocked, to find gambling going on here” as he secretly pockets his gambling chips. Look, both parties play politics. Both are guilty of padding the payrolls with people they believe will be loyal, and or support their views. You would think by this time the politicians would realize that it’s usually the cover-up that does them in, not the original action.
In this case, Alberto Gonzales has great latitude in the hiring and firing of the federal prosecutors under his jurisdiction. Clinton replaced all of them in one fell swoop. The only thing is, once you hire them, you have to respect their independence. The accusation is that the administration did not, and replaced them for not aggressively enough going after democrats.
If it was me, I would feel far more comfortable explaining firing employees based vague terms like “Quality,” “Time-Management” “Administrative temperament,” than trying to explain missing emails, contradictory statements and paper trails.
Two questions come to mind over the White House’s recent statement regarding the emails requested by congress.
How do you loose over 5,000,000 email?
Do you really believe that congress or the American people are stupid enough to believe they got “lost”?
Karl Rove, who seemed “In the clear” in the Valerie Plame case, now finds him self again being called before special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, now for a 4th time before that Grand jury. Rove’s return has created great anxiety among White House officials and the Republican Party that Fitzgerald may be preparing to bring indictments against Rove and other high-ranking administration insiders.
Robert Luskin, Rove's lawyer, when asked why didn't the Rove e-mail surface earlier? said “It's because an electronic search conducted by the White House missed it because the right "search words" weren't used”. (The White House and Fitzgerald both declined to comment.)
It seems clear, at this point, that Gonzales and White House officials are just weaving their own web that will in the end ensnare them; While the spider sits and waits.
Posted in Current events and politics http://www.urbaninsuranceagency.com/ http://urbaninsuranceagency.com/quote.php
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Kurt Vonnegut Dead at Age 84
His wife, Jill Krementz confirmed that Mr. Vonnegut died as the result of irreversible brain injuries stemming from a fall several weeks ago.
Born in Indiana, yet living in Germany, Kurt Vonnegut lived through the firebombing of Dresden, Germany by the Allied forces in 1945 while he was a young prisoner of war. Many of his writings address or were clearly shaped by those events.
Vonnegut wrote, “The firebombing of Dresden, was a work of art”. “a tower of smoke and flame to commemorate the rage and heartbreak of so many who had had their lives warped or ruined by the indescribable greed and vanity and cruelty of Germany.”
As an avid reader of Vonnegut’s work, I understand him to be a man of empathy and compassion, that despised Hitler and all that the Nazi’s represented. However at the same time he watched in horror as Thousands of his neighbors were killed in the raids, many of them burned to death.
He came to understand and write about how in war it is the Innocents that pay the price for the greed and obsessions of the leaders. A lesson as relevant today in Iraq and Iran as was in the 40s in Germany.
Good by Mr. Vonnegut, You will be missed.
So it goes.
Technorati Profile
Born in Indiana, yet living in Germany, Kurt Vonnegut lived through the firebombing of Dresden, Germany by the Allied forces in 1945 while he was a young prisoner of war. Many of his writings address or were clearly shaped by those events.
Vonnegut wrote, “The firebombing of Dresden, was a work of art”. “a tower of smoke and flame to commemorate the rage and heartbreak of so many who had had their lives warped or ruined by the indescribable greed and vanity and cruelty of Germany.”
As an avid reader of Vonnegut’s work, I understand him to be a man of empathy and compassion, that despised Hitler and all that the Nazi’s represented. However at the same time he watched in horror as Thousands of his neighbors were killed in the raids, many of them burned to death.
He came to understand and write about how in war it is the Innocents that pay the price for the greed and obsessions of the leaders. A lesson as relevant today in Iraq and Iran as was in the 40s in Germany.
Good by Mr. Vonnegut, You will be missed.
So it goes.
Technorati Profile
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Charges Dropped against Duke Lacrosse Players
Today it was announced that State prosecutors will drop all charges againstthe three Duke atheletes accused of sexual assaulting a stripper at a team party.
This action of dropping all charges would end the criminal prosecution of Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann, and David Evans.
Like most people of good will, I was angered when I first heard the story of an innocent woman being brutalized and humiliated by both sexual violence as well as racial taunts, emanating from a bunch of out of control rich white kids. The fact that the "White community" in general and, Nifong,a white prosecutor,in particular took the Black woman's allegations seriously, represents a step forward. For far too long woman, particularly woman of color, were ignored, or attacked when they came forward after being raped. It is a good thing to see that society is starting "To get It". To understand that No means No.
I do not know exactly what when on in that house the night of the party. Being a "Guy" I can assume there was likely a bit too much drinking, and behavior that was less than exemplary. This was not a house full of young men, playing chess and discussing Franz Kafka. It seems clear that they were acting in an unbecoming manor, but equally clearly the accuser's story was a cruel lie.
It was a lie that turned the lives of three men up-side-down, hurt the entire Lacrosse team and Duke University, and most damaging of all, made it more difficult for woman who were actually victims of assault to be taken seriously in the future.
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This action of dropping all charges would end the criminal prosecution of Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann, and David Evans.
Like most people of good will, I was angered when I first heard the story of an innocent woman being brutalized and humiliated by both sexual violence as well as racial taunts, emanating from a bunch of out of control rich white kids. The fact that the "White community" in general and, Nifong,a white prosecutor,in particular took the Black woman's allegations seriously, represents a step forward. For far too long woman, particularly woman of color, were ignored, or attacked when they came forward after being raped. It is a good thing to see that society is starting "To get It". To understand that No means No.
I do not know exactly what when on in that house the night of the party. Being a "Guy" I can assume there was likely a bit too much drinking, and behavior that was less than exemplary. This was not a house full of young men, playing chess and discussing Franz Kafka. It seems clear that they were acting in an unbecoming manor, but equally clearly the accuser's story was a cruel lie.
It was a lie that turned the lives of three men up-side-down, hurt the entire Lacrosse team and Duke University, and most damaging of all, made it more difficult for woman who were actually victims of assault to be taken seriously in the future.
Call 1-800-680-0707 for a Free quote
or Fill out the request form for and we will provide you with a quote
to get your insurance started. Get a free quote.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Poll Finds Approval Up for Congress
As the Democrats mark their first 100 days in power, a new AP poll polls show public approval for Congress is at its highest level in a year. It appears that a they step up their confrontation with President Bush over his handling of the Iraq War , Congress’s popularity increases. The polling clearly shows the American voters wants Congress to push for an end to US involvement in the Iraq war that has to- date claimed the lives of more than 3,200 U.S. troops
While Overall approval for Congress is 40 percent Bush's approval ratings remain in the low to mid-30 percent range. These numbers for Congress clearly weak by most objective standards, are up dramatically from 25 percent approval registered for the Republican majority in the weeks leading to last fall's elections.
It is evident that Iraq is the driving force in the poling data but increasingly questions regarding Valery Plame and Alberto Gonzales are pushing down the nations confidence in the administration and reminding voters of the value of Congressional over-site.
A new Zogby International telephone poll shows.
A majority of likely voting Americans – 55% – said they believe Congress should be able to force President Bush’s top aides to testify under oath before Congressional panels that are investigating the firings late last year of eight U.S. attorneys,
The former CIA operative Valerie Plame, was the star witness at the House hearing investigating who “Leaked” her name outing her as an agent and effectively ending her career. Plame testified that senior officials at the White House and State Department had "carelessly and recklessly" blown her cover to discredit her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, over his questioning of the Bush administrations claim that Iraq sought to buy uranium from Niger, to the Iraq War. Ambassador Wilson stated in a July 2003 New York Times editorial, that he found no evidence to support the administration claims, which became a part of the justification for the war.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is another force driving public opinion. The former House Speaker, and likely 08 presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich said Sunday that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should consider resigning. Newt said “The botched firing of U.S. attorneys has destroyed Gonzales' credibility as the nation's top law enforcer”.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who is helping lead the investigation into the firing of eight federal prosecutors, said Gingrich's comments pointed to building bipartisan support for a new attorney general. "This is another important voice who believes that the attorney general should step down for the good of the country and the good of the department," Schumer said in a statement. "We hope both the attorney general and the president heed Speaker Gingrich's message."
Congress is also in a fight with the president to compel the testimony of White House officials including Karl Rove and former White house counsel Harriet Miers to determine the extent of White House involvement in the firing of the eight federal prosecutors.
One must keep in mind how quickly these numbers can change. If Democrats are looking at these polls and “Ordering new drapes” they better watch-out. 2008 is still a long time away, far too long to “Coast.” It will not be enough to for the Democrats to “Just not be Bush”, they are going to have to be seen as solving problems or they will be seen as irrelevant.
While Overall approval for Congress is 40 percent Bush's approval ratings remain in the low to mid-30 percent range. These numbers for Congress clearly weak by most objective standards, are up dramatically from 25 percent approval registered for the Republican majority in the weeks leading to last fall's elections.
It is evident that Iraq is the driving force in the poling data but increasingly questions regarding Valery Plame and Alberto Gonzales are pushing down the nations confidence in the administration and reminding voters of the value of Congressional over-site.
A new Zogby International telephone poll shows.
A majority of likely voting Americans – 55% – said they believe Congress should be able to force President Bush’s top aides to testify under oath before Congressional panels that are investigating the firings late last year of eight U.S. attorneys,
The former CIA operative Valerie Plame, was the star witness at the House hearing investigating who “Leaked” her name outing her as an agent and effectively ending her career. Plame testified that senior officials at the White House and State Department had "carelessly and recklessly" blown her cover to discredit her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, over his questioning of the Bush administrations claim that Iraq sought to buy uranium from Niger, to the Iraq War. Ambassador Wilson stated in a July 2003 New York Times editorial, that he found no evidence to support the administration claims, which became a part of the justification for the war.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is another force driving public opinion. The former House Speaker, and likely 08 presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich said Sunday that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should consider resigning. Newt said “The botched firing of U.S. attorneys has destroyed Gonzales' credibility as the nation's top law enforcer”.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who is helping lead the investigation into the firing of eight federal prosecutors, said Gingrich's comments pointed to building bipartisan support for a new attorney general. "This is another important voice who believes that the attorney general should step down for the good of the country and the good of the department," Schumer said in a statement. "We hope both the attorney general and the president heed Speaker Gingrich's message."
Congress is also in a fight with the president to compel the testimony of White House officials including Karl Rove and former White house counsel Harriet Miers to determine the extent of White House involvement in the firing of the eight federal prosecutors.
One must keep in mind how quickly these numbers can change. If Democrats are looking at these polls and “Ordering new drapes” they better watch-out. 2008 is still a long time away, far too long to “Coast.” It will not be enough to for the Democrats to “Just not be Bush”, they are going to have to be seen as solving problems or they will be seen as irrelevant.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Circuit City layoffs set a scary precedent for workers
April 9th, 2007
By Larry Lubell
Posted Mar 29th 2007 2:45PM by Peter Cohan In an article posted on bloggingstocks Peter Cohan reports that“Circuit City Stores Inc. is replacing its experienced workers with cheaper models”. He then goes on to ask “What does Circuit City’s replacing of its retail workers mean for workers and their salaries across the board”? He continues by spelling out “The plan” which consisted of “Circuit City’s decision to fire 3,400 of its highest-paid sales staff and replace them with lower-paid workers is a risky strategy to cut costs that goes beyond the traditional layoffs, buyouts and hiring freezes used by struggling companies”.
“I think this is a risky move because the quality of service to customers will almost certainly decline since the higher paid people who were fired will take with them product expertise that consumers found helpful. Circuit City is gambling that the sales it loses as a result of the less experienced staff will be more than offset by the lower pay the new rookies receive”. The interesting question that Peter Cohan raises is how does a business decide between whether to trade on price or service?
Most companies, when asked, will tell you that they offer both the “Lowest price” as well as the “Highest level of service”. Privately, they will admit to each other that often there are choices and trade offs that need to be made. Ultimately the best companies and the smartest consumers search for “VALUE”.“Value” is inherently about compromise and is therefore quite subjective. The Ferrari Enzo with the ability to reach 0-62 mph in just 3.65 seconds and a top speed of 225 mph, no one could deny that it is a first class sports car, but with a million dollar price tag one could claim that it is not a great value.
In a service business the compromise comes in the form the amount of knowledge, Experience and Time (KET) that representatives can offer the customer. The greater the amount of KET the greater cost to the company. In these days of the Internet and price search engines it is easier than ever to search based on price, but increasingly more difficult to shop based on value.
At Urban Insurance Agency, we have always worked hard to provide the highest quality of service why still maintaining very competitive prices. We have employees that have been with Urban Auto for more than 10, 20, 30 even 45+ years. We do not have any seven figure employees, or marble floors. We have selected to place our offices in convenient, yet lower rent locations, all in an effort to keep our costs as low as possible without sacrificing the quality of our customer service. Often people only care about price, until they have a problem; at Urban Insurance Agency we refuse to “Farm-out” our customer service to a third-party call center, or outsource service to India. It can be a more difficult sell, but It is my belief that people will return to those companies that “Solve their problems,” that requires a knowledgeable staff that are empowered to make decisions.
My personal experiences with Circuit City has left me with the impression that few of the employees there have more than just a superficial level of knowledge about the electronics the store sells. The idea that circuit city is going to eliminate the only employees that “Have a clue,” strikes me as a self-defeating proposition.In this age of HD, where today’s cutting-edge technology will be hopelessly obsolete in 2 years, consumers are looking for information. They want companies that can solve problems
I buy all of my Home Audio and HD equipment for a small independent guy. He does not stock much, but he will order what ever you want and at a price at times lower than Circuit City or Best Buy. The important thing is he knows how to take the equipment apart and put it back together. When I came into buy a new DVD player, he remembered which HD TV I had in which room hooked up to which receiver; so he gave me the correct inter connects.
More and more, Circuit City is becoming a display case for small shops to send customers to look and compare, then come back to them to buy. The reason for that is because many consumers just have little confidence in the information or advice they get at these “Big-Box Stores.” Therefore they can only sell on price and the margins are too small to be profitable.
I understand why they feel compelled to cut costs, but by getting rid of their most skilled employees and replacing them with minimum wage clerks is just going to guarantee the company’s downward slide. There is a reason new car dealers don’t replace their sales people with $7.00/ hour people. It is my belief that people will return to those companies that “Solve their problems,” answer their questions, that requires a knowledgeable staff that are empowered to make decisions not minimum wage untrained workers. Circuit City’s days are numbered.
Larry Lubell
UrbanBlogPosted at 6:08PM on Mar 29th 2007 by Larry Lubell
By Larry Lubell
Posted Mar 29th 2007 2:45PM by Peter Cohan In an article posted on bloggingstocks Peter Cohan reports that“Circuit City Stores Inc. is replacing its experienced workers with cheaper models”. He then goes on to ask “What does Circuit City’s replacing of its retail workers mean for workers and their salaries across the board”? He continues by spelling out “The plan” which consisted of “Circuit City’s decision to fire 3,400 of its highest-paid sales staff and replace them with lower-paid workers is a risky strategy to cut costs that goes beyond the traditional layoffs, buyouts and hiring freezes used by struggling companies”.
“I think this is a risky move because the quality of service to customers will almost certainly decline since the higher paid people who were fired will take with them product expertise that consumers found helpful. Circuit City is gambling that the sales it loses as a result of the less experienced staff will be more than offset by the lower pay the new rookies receive”. The interesting question that Peter Cohan raises is how does a business decide between whether to trade on price or service?
Most companies, when asked, will tell you that they offer both the “Lowest price” as well as the “Highest level of service”. Privately, they will admit to each other that often there are choices and trade offs that need to be made. Ultimately the best companies and the smartest consumers search for “VALUE”.“Value” is inherently about compromise and is therefore quite subjective. The Ferrari Enzo with the ability to reach 0-62 mph in just 3.65 seconds and a top speed of 225 mph, no one could deny that it is a first class sports car, but with a million dollar price tag one could claim that it is not a great value.
In a service business the compromise comes in the form the amount of knowledge, Experience and Time (KET) that representatives can offer the customer. The greater the amount of KET the greater cost to the company. In these days of the Internet and price search engines it is easier than ever to search based on price, but increasingly more difficult to shop based on value.
At Urban Insurance Agency, we have always worked hard to provide the highest quality of service why still maintaining very competitive prices. We have employees that have been with Urban Auto for more than 10, 20, 30 even 45+ years. We do not have any seven figure employees, or marble floors. We have selected to place our offices in convenient, yet lower rent locations, all in an effort to keep our costs as low as possible without sacrificing the quality of our customer service. Often people only care about price, until they have a problem; at Urban Insurance Agency we refuse to “Farm-out” our customer service to a third-party call center, or outsource service to India. It can be a more difficult sell, but It is my belief that people will return to those companies that “Solve their problems,” that requires a knowledgeable staff that are empowered to make decisions.
My personal experiences with Circuit City has left me with the impression that few of the employees there have more than just a superficial level of knowledge about the electronics the store sells. The idea that circuit city is going to eliminate the only employees that “Have a clue,” strikes me as a self-defeating proposition.In this age of HD, where today’s cutting-edge technology will be hopelessly obsolete in 2 years, consumers are looking for information. They want companies that can solve problems
I buy all of my Home Audio and HD equipment for a small independent guy. He does not stock much, but he will order what ever you want and at a price at times lower than Circuit City or Best Buy. The important thing is he knows how to take the equipment apart and put it back together. When I came into buy a new DVD player, he remembered which HD TV I had in which room hooked up to which receiver; so he gave me the correct inter connects.
More and more, Circuit City is becoming a display case for small shops to send customers to look and compare, then come back to them to buy. The reason for that is because many consumers just have little confidence in the information or advice they get at these “Big-Box Stores.” Therefore they can only sell on price and the margins are too small to be profitable.
I understand why they feel compelled to cut costs, but by getting rid of their most skilled employees and replacing them with minimum wage clerks is just going to guarantee the company’s downward slide. There is a reason new car dealers don’t replace their sales people with $7.00/ hour people. It is my belief that people will return to those companies that “Solve their problems,” answer their questions, that requires a knowledgeable staff that are empowered to make decisions not minimum wage untrained workers. Circuit City’s days are numbered.
Larry Lubell
UrbanBlogPosted at 6:08PM on Mar 29th 2007 by Larry Lubell
Instant Online Car Insurance Quotes
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007
Urban Insurance Agency Is proud to announce
YourAutoQuotes.Com
This new technology allows you to receive accurate real-time quotes On Line. But unlike Geico, State Farm or Progressive, at Urban Insurance you are able to compare 16 companies at once.
For a short video about YourAutoQuotes.Com Click Here
Urban Insurance Agency Is proud to announce
YourAutoQuotes.Com
This new technology allows you to receive accurate real-time quotes On Line. But unlike Geico, State Farm or Progressive, at Urban Insurance you are able to compare 16 companies at once.
For a short video about YourAutoQuotes.Com Click Here
Israel and Violence
Posted on Jan 30, 2007 9:15am PST -
Author:
Larry Lubell
News Source:
Urban Insurance Blog
Publish Date: Jan 29, 2007
Description
Six Years of Palestinian-Israeli Violence
January 29th, 2007
A Palestinian suicide bomber attacked a bakery in the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat, on Monday, killing three people and himself.A spokesman for Hamas, that controls the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet, praised the bombing as a “natural response” to Israeli policies.The mother of Muhammed Faisal Saksak, the 21-year-old suicide bomber who carried out Monday’s attack in Eilat, said she was aware of her son’s plan to blow himself up and that she had wished him “good luck.”The mother of nine said she was proud of her son for carrying out the suicide attack. “I pray to Allah that Muhammed will be accepted as a shaheed [martyr],” she said shortly after hearing about the Eilat bombing.Muhammed’s wife, Nadia, said she shared the family’s sense of “pride” for what her husband did. “When I heard that he was martyred, I felt very proud of him,” she said.Israeli defense minister, Amir Peretz, said, “This is a grave incident, it’s an escalation and we shall treat it as such,”Two Palestinian militant groups, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, claimed joint responsibility for the attack. Both groups said “The operation has a clear message to the Palestinian rivals. It is necessary to end the infighting and point the guns toward the occupation that has hurt the Palestinian people,” a posting on the Islamic Jihad Web site said.
More than 60 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since December as the result of infighting between the Hamas led Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades linked to Fatah.
The Fatah organization who had ruled Palestinians for years till the last election, had officially been trying to get Hamas to agree to Recognize Israel’s right to exists in order end a crippling aid boycott imposed by the international community. The Palestinian’s have virtually no economy save for international aid. Being connected to an other suicide bombing is likely to complicate the group’s efforts to say the least.
However, Fatah spokesman Ahmad Abdul Rahman condemned the violence, saying, “We are against any operation that targets civilians, Israelis or Palestinians.”
During more than six years of Palestinian-Israeli violence, 540 people have been killed in 130 Palestinian suicide bombings.How desperate does one have to be in order to strap on explosives and “Blow your self up?”How can any mother find joy in her son’s death or be proud that her son blew up a bakery or a Pizza parlor.As an American, as a moderate, it is impossible for me to truly comprehend the mindset of a terrorist or suicide bomber. I can’t fathom coming to a point where I could justify entering a Disco, standing in a crowd of teenagers and pushing a button to kill them and myself. I don’t understand the lessons being taught around the dinner table that leads one to conclude flying a passenger plane into a building is a reasonable, rational response to a perceived injustice. How can a parent not do everything in their power to protect their children from harm, but instead “Take Pride” in their child’s demise? However foreign these actions are to us, it has become clear that we live in a world where a growing percentage of people embrace these extremist views. And while we should never slip to their level, we would be well advised to try to understand the conditions that have given rise to their hatred and desperation. I am not saying that as a means of justifying terrorism, but as a method to better protect our selves from those that would do us harm.Israel, in attempt to protect it’s citizens, has become an occupier of over 2,000,000 Palestinians and turned tens of millions around the world against them. The conditions that the average Palestinian find them self is deplorable by any object measure, and after decades, Israel finds it’s population still in harms way. America is engaged in a war against terrorism; in an attempt to protect it’s citizens the US. Is often echoing the path Israel has taken. My fear is that we will not be any more successful than they have been. Absolutely, we must capture or kill those who seek to kill us. We must search and destroy the terrorist’s infrastructure; we must follow the money trail. But we have to be smart enough not to swell their ranks in our attempt to eliminate them. I must admit, I find it much easier to raise questions than to present answers. If the ultimate goal is peace and prosperity throughout the Middle East, it is clear all sides are failing miserably.
Author:
Larry Lubell
News Source:
Urban Insurance Blog
Publish Date: Jan 29, 2007
Description
Six Years of Palestinian-Israeli Violence
January 29th, 2007
A Palestinian suicide bomber attacked a bakery in the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat, on Monday, killing three people and himself.A spokesman for Hamas, that controls the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet, praised the bombing as a “natural response” to Israeli policies.The mother of Muhammed Faisal Saksak, the 21-year-old suicide bomber who carried out Monday’s attack in Eilat, said she was aware of her son’s plan to blow himself up and that she had wished him “good luck.”The mother of nine said she was proud of her son for carrying out the suicide attack. “I pray to Allah that Muhammed will be accepted as a shaheed [martyr],” she said shortly after hearing about the Eilat bombing.Muhammed’s wife, Nadia, said she shared the family’s sense of “pride” for what her husband did. “When I heard that he was martyred, I felt very proud of him,” she said.Israeli defense minister, Amir Peretz, said, “This is a grave incident, it’s an escalation and we shall treat it as such,”Two Palestinian militant groups, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, claimed joint responsibility for the attack. Both groups said “The operation has a clear message to the Palestinian rivals. It is necessary to end the infighting and point the guns toward the occupation that has hurt the Palestinian people,” a posting on the Islamic Jihad Web site said.
More than 60 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since December as the result of infighting between the Hamas led Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades linked to Fatah.
The Fatah organization who had ruled Palestinians for years till the last election, had officially been trying to get Hamas to agree to Recognize Israel’s right to exists in order end a crippling aid boycott imposed by the international community. The Palestinian’s have virtually no economy save for international aid. Being connected to an other suicide bombing is likely to complicate the group’s efforts to say the least.
However, Fatah spokesman Ahmad Abdul Rahman condemned the violence, saying, “We are against any operation that targets civilians, Israelis or Palestinians.”
During more than six years of Palestinian-Israeli violence, 540 people have been killed in 130 Palestinian suicide bombings.How desperate does one have to be in order to strap on explosives and “Blow your self up?”How can any mother find joy in her son’s death or be proud that her son blew up a bakery or a Pizza parlor.As an American, as a moderate, it is impossible for me to truly comprehend the mindset of a terrorist or suicide bomber. I can’t fathom coming to a point where I could justify entering a Disco, standing in a crowd of teenagers and pushing a button to kill them and myself. I don’t understand the lessons being taught around the dinner table that leads one to conclude flying a passenger plane into a building is a reasonable, rational response to a perceived injustice. How can a parent not do everything in their power to protect their children from harm, but instead “Take Pride” in their child’s demise? However foreign these actions are to us, it has become clear that we live in a world where a growing percentage of people embrace these extremist views. And while we should never slip to their level, we would be well advised to try to understand the conditions that have given rise to their hatred and desperation. I am not saying that as a means of justifying terrorism, but as a method to better protect our selves from those that would do us harm.Israel, in attempt to protect it’s citizens, has become an occupier of over 2,000,000 Palestinians and turned tens of millions around the world against them. The conditions that the average Palestinian find them self is deplorable by any object measure, and after decades, Israel finds it’s population still in harms way. America is engaged in a war against terrorism; in an attempt to protect it’s citizens the US. Is often echoing the path Israel has taken. My fear is that we will not be any more successful than they have been. Absolutely, we must capture or kill those who seek to kill us. We must search and destroy the terrorist’s infrastructure; we must follow the money trail. But we have to be smart enough not to swell their ranks in our attempt to eliminate them. I must admit, I find it much easier to raise questions than to present answers. If the ultimate goal is peace and prosperity throughout the Middle East, it is clear all sides are failing miserably.
Halliburton to move Headquarters to Dubai
http://base.google.com/base/search?authorid=1314161&hl=en&gl=US -
News Source:
Urban Insurance Blog
Publish Date:
Mar 15, 2007
Description
Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
Halliburton, which was led by Vice President Dick Cheney from 1995-2000, has announced plans to move it’s headquarters to the United Arab Emirates. Halliburton officials skipped some of the corporate courtesies that would usually attend such an announcement, failing to notify Houston Mayor Bill White and other community leaders in advance.
News Source:
Urban Insurance Blog
Publish Date:
Mar 15, 2007
Description
Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
Halliburton, which was led by Vice President Dick Cheney from 1995-2000, has announced plans to move it’s headquarters to the United Arab Emirates. Halliburton officials skipped some of the corporate courtesies that would usually attend such an announcement, failing to notify Houston Mayor Bill White and other community leaders in advance.
“My office will be in Dubai, and I will run our entire worldwide operations from that office,” Chief Executive David Lesar said at an energy conference in Bahrain on Sunday. “Dubai is a great business center.” As a purely business decision, it seems logical to move your headquarters to a location where many of the deals for your industry are being done. But Halliburton is not just another company. They are a corporation that got rich on US. Government contracts, with close ties to this administration. Halliburton is the Pentagon’s largest private contractor operating in Iraq. Under a logistics contract with the Army valued at more than $25 billion, KBR serves up meals, builds bases and provides other support services for U.S. troops. Prescott Bush was a director of Dresser Industries, which is now part of Halliburton. Former United States president George H. W. Bush worked for Dresser Industries in several positions from 1948-1951, before he founded Zapata Corporation.A list of some of the recent contracts awarded to Halliburton include:1. A $100 million contract in 2002 to build a new U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan 2. 15 LOGCAP task orders worth more than $216 million for work under Operation Enduring Freedom3. A $200 million contract to provide housing for 100,000 soldiers in Iraq.4. $28.2 million to build prisoner-of-war camps.5. $40.8 million to house the Iraqi Survey Group, which was deployed to find weapons of mass destruction.6. KBR division of Halliburton has been paid for $1.6 billion for work in Iraq alone. Much of that on a “No Bid” basis . This makes Halliburton, one of the nations largest defense contractors.
UAE New home of Halliburton“This is an insult to the U.S. soldiers and taxpayers who paid the tab for their no-bid contracts and endured their overcharges for all these years,” said judiciary committee chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat. “This is a surprising development,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said in a statement Sunday. “I want to understand the ramifications for the U.S. taxpayer and national security.” The question is does a company have an obbligation to stay in the US while it is receiving billions of dollars/ year in contracts from American’s pockets? And will moving to the United Arab Emirates free them from paying taxes in the US?
UAE New home of Halliburton“This is an insult to the U.S. soldiers and taxpayers who paid the tab for their no-bid contracts and endured their overcharges for all these years,” said judiciary committee chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat. “This is a surprising development,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said in a statement Sunday. “I want to understand the ramifications for the U.S. taxpayer and national security.” The question is does a company have an obbligation to stay in the US while it is receiving billions of dollars/ year in contracts from American’s pockets? And will moving to the United Arab Emirates free them from paying taxes in the US?
Larry Lubell Urban Insurance Blog
Eddie Griffin crashes Enzo
Posted on Mar 27, 2007 2:32pm PDT - Contact the poster - All items by larry@urbaninsuranceagency.com -
Author:
March 27th, 2007
Please, not again!!!!!
No one was laughing when Comedian Eddie Griffin crashed a rare Ferrari Enzo worth nearly $1.5 million into a concrete barrier. He was practicing Monday for a charity race to promote his upcoming movie, “Redline”, when he entered a curve to fast at the Irwindale Speedway. Griffin lost control of the Enzo and crashed it directly into a cement barrier.The car received heavy front end damage to its front., destroying the car.Griffin excaped uninjured except for his pride. The Enzo is owned by “Redline” executive producer Daniel Sadek, it is his exotic car collection that is featured in the movie. (Don’t expect Eddie Griffin to appear in any of Sadek’s movies any time soon)
Sadek said the Enzo was damaged beyond repair.
“I’m glad Eddie came out of the crash OK, but my dream car got destroyed,” Sadek said. “I went to my trailer for about 15 minutes and I thought,`There’s people dying every day. A lot of worse things are happening in the world.” This is the not the first time one of these limited eddition Ferrari’s bit the dust in the hands of an unqulified driver. The car is simply the closest any car company has ever come to putting a Formula 1 racecar onto city streets. The car is powered by a V12 660 bhp engine set into a 3,000 pound car, which is capable of 0-62 mph in just 3.65 seconds and a top speed of 225 miles per hour. The fact is this car is just too much car for an untrained driver to handle. Archive for the ‘Dream cars’ Category
Urban Insurance Agency again proves to have the lowest rates.
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We at Urban, understand how hard you work for your money; that is why we search more than 15 different companies in order to find you the lowest rates. Our rates can save you hundreds of dollars per year on your car insurance. We average savings of over 45% over Geico.
In a resent article, titled *Insurance.com’s 2006 Auto Insurance Pricing Report. They state that the average price their customers paid for insurance in the state of Illinois in 2006 was $1,496. This “Average” was based on best price offered by any of the following companies ,Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Hartford, MetLife, Safeco, Geico and Progressive. Urban Insurance Agency’s average yearly price in Illinois for 2006 was just $806.
That is an amazing average savings of over 44% The more you compare auto insurance rates, the more you will love the rates offered at Urban Insurance Agency. That is why when we ask, “Do you think you’re paying too much for car insurance? ” We know the answer is YES, unless you are insured with Urban Insurance.
*Insurance.com’s 2006 Auto Insurance Pricing Report highlights the lowest average auto insurance rates viewed by over 1.1 million car insurance consumers on the Insurance.com platform in 2006*. The information comes from actual auto insurance quotes consumers received from over a dozen of the nation’s leading auto insurance companies who participate on Insurance.com’s comparative auto insurance platform.
In a resent article, titled *Insurance.com’s 2006 Auto Insurance Pricing Report. They state that the average price their customers paid for insurance in the state of Illinois in 2006 was $1,496. This “Average” was based on best price offered by any of the following companies ,Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Hartford, MetLife, Safeco, Geico and Progressive. Urban Insurance Agency’s average yearly price in Illinois for 2006 was just $806.
That is an amazing average savings of over 44% The more you compare auto insurance rates, the more you will love the rates offered at Urban Insurance Agency. That is why when we ask, “Do you think you’re paying too much for car insurance? ” We know the answer is YES, unless you are insured with Urban Insurance.
*Insurance.com’s 2006 Auto Insurance Pricing Report highlights the lowest average auto insurance rates viewed by over 1.1 million car insurance consumers on the Insurance.com platform in 2006*. The information comes from actual auto insurance quotes consumers received from over a dozen of the nation’s leading auto insurance companies who participate on Insurance.com’s comparative auto insurance platform.
“Scientific consensus?”
In response to My posting on Global Warming Robert Rosenberg wrote the following reply. I must say that there is a great deal of Validity to his informed comments.
I am more convinced than ever that no trumpeting of “scientific consensus,” no UN press release and no press conference can obscure the fact that the theories on anthropogenic (human caused) climatic forcing are far from proved. Neither is the opposing case proved, however. The documentary to which you linked does a good job, not necessary illustrating a scientific case against global warming, but showing the case for uncertainty. The best analogy is a medical one. Hippocrates first dictum was to do no harm. The climate is so vastly complex, so little understood that, to me, the effect of any human intervention is unknowable. Thus we have roughly equal chances of doing harm or good (and probably vanishing little of either). And we’ll spend close to a half quadrillion dollars doing it (latest estimates $450,000,000,000,000) over the next 50-75 years. The law of unintended consequences is already beginning to rear its ugly head. Corn-based ethanol is all the rage in the US now. A perfect storm of nefarious political influence (corn state politicians, ConAgra, Archer Daniels Midland, etc) and environmental activism has generated huge interest from industry is making more ethanol and converting more automotive energy generation to this source. At first glance this appears wonderful. The net carbon effect on the environment of ethanol use appears to be zero. The carbon emitted from the exhaust pipe into the atmosphere came from the atmosphere just a season or two earlier. Let’s, for a moment, ignore that we may have to use more petroleum energy to cultivate, harvest and refine the ethanol than we obtain from it use. Good arguments have been made for and against this proposition. (No “scientific consensus” here). Even assuming massive subsidies from the government to bring the price of ethanol down to where it’s competitive with petroleum, it seems that the worst case is that we’re only hurting ourselves. A few more billion for ethanol subsidies, a couple less billion for the war in Iraq, or for Medicare, or for other corporate subsidies. Fine with me so far. Here’s the problem: all the ethanol generation has increased competition for corn supplies. The price of corn has more than doubled in the last year. This is not a huge factor in American food prices (little corn is actually eaten here; it is mostly used as animal feed, and constitutes a relatively small, but not inconsiderable factor in the cost of raising livestock). The price of corn meal throughout Latin America has skyrocketed, however. Corn meal is a staple food from Mexico south. People are starving right now as a consequence of our concern with carbon budgeting. I’ve read estimates that as many as 5,000 – 15,000 additional people will starve this year alone in Latin America as a consequence of increased corn prices. And for what? So we can feel self-righteous and pure? I call this the Prius effect.
The Prius is a neat car and a brilliant idea. It gets tremendous mileage using a very clever technological fix that holds great promise for the future of automotive transport. If someone would have the balls to manufacture a plug-in version, its effective mileage would approach 100 mpg. It also has a total energy footprint many times greater than that of a Hummer H1 due to the difficulty and cost of manufacturing its batteries. But I’d bet that each driver behind the wheel of one feels like an environmental saint. It’s hypocritical, but harmless. At least the cost of that particular sainthood isn’t the starvation of a few thousand poor brown people. The problem is that each particular energy trade-off we make, while inconvenient for us rich Americans, will be devastating to the world’s poor. This harkens back to a criticism made of the environmental movement in general and the anthropogenic global warming advocates in particular, by Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace. He accuses the movement of being, at its core, anti-human. Scratch a radical environmentalist and under the surface you’ll find someone who believes that the world would be better off with 90% of its human cargo dead. Of course the 90% doesn’t include any of his friends or family or any of the “right” people. In this regard the philosophy closely resembles the eugenics movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’ve personally encountered this mindset and explicit ideology at dinner parties. When I’ve explained that massive famines will be the inevitable result of the energy cutbacks contemplated by warming advocates, my friends have responded stoically that such a price must be paid. Just not paid by them or anyone they know. Black, yellow and brown people, preferably poor, would suit the bill just fine.
Robert info@arrelle.com
______________________________________________________
By Larry Lubell
I can’t help but come away with the idea that we are having an impact on our environment.
Has man changed the entire global climate, that has not been proven, but I still think the odds are better than 50/50 that we have impacted the Earth. But I absolutely agree that the computer models needed to attempt to to answer the question for sure, are beyond our present technology.I will also concur that politics are playing a role and at times are pushing the science.
The question is what steps can we take that will help our environment, reduce greenhouse gases without causing economic hardship. Is there technology that we can build in the US. that creates jobs and wealth and reduces our dependency on fossil fuels?
I refuse to apologize for being human! I always found it comical when people talk about “Saving The Planet” As far as I’m concerned- Man comes first. My concern for the planet is tied to what is best for us. But I will add, what is best for us includes what is best for future generations. ( at least as far in the future as my child and my child’s children). I don’t like the idea of animals being hurt in the name of research, and I will go out of my way to buy shampoo that is not tested on animals, but if testing on animals is necessary to find a cure that could save my child- Test away.
People come first.
I must say I was upset the way Present Bush handled the Kyoto Accord. Not because he did not sign it ( I recognized it was a flawed proposal) but because he rejected it with out presenting an alterative. I always felt Kyoto was in part a “Game of Chicken”, by the US saying no, it safely let most of Europe say yes for free.
The question is what should we do. By ”We” I mean the average consumer, as well as The US. and UN lawmakers and policy makers? Do we do nothing till we have super computers capable of creating valid models. Do we just cross our fingers and wait? Does complexity mandate inaction?
Is there anything we can or should do that fits with my concept that people come first?
Boy, it sure is easier to ask questions, or to find fault with other peoples answers, then to come up with answers your self. I must admit, I have far more questions than answers.
Larry Lubell
I am more convinced than ever that no trumpeting of “scientific consensus,” no UN press release and no press conference can obscure the fact that the theories on anthropogenic (human caused) climatic forcing are far from proved. Neither is the opposing case proved, however. The documentary to which you linked does a good job, not necessary illustrating a scientific case against global warming, but showing the case for uncertainty. The best analogy is a medical one. Hippocrates first dictum was to do no harm. The climate is so vastly complex, so little understood that, to me, the effect of any human intervention is unknowable. Thus we have roughly equal chances of doing harm or good (and probably vanishing little of either). And we’ll spend close to a half quadrillion dollars doing it (latest estimates $450,000,000,000,000) over the next 50-75 years. The law of unintended consequences is already beginning to rear its ugly head. Corn-based ethanol is all the rage in the US now. A perfect storm of nefarious political influence (corn state politicians, ConAgra, Archer Daniels Midland, etc) and environmental activism has generated huge interest from industry is making more ethanol and converting more automotive energy generation to this source. At first glance this appears wonderful. The net carbon effect on the environment of ethanol use appears to be zero. The carbon emitted from the exhaust pipe into the atmosphere came from the atmosphere just a season or two earlier. Let’s, for a moment, ignore that we may have to use more petroleum energy to cultivate, harvest and refine the ethanol than we obtain from it use. Good arguments have been made for and against this proposition. (No “scientific consensus” here). Even assuming massive subsidies from the government to bring the price of ethanol down to where it’s competitive with petroleum, it seems that the worst case is that we’re only hurting ourselves. A few more billion for ethanol subsidies, a couple less billion for the war in Iraq, or for Medicare, or for other corporate subsidies. Fine with me so far. Here’s the problem: all the ethanol generation has increased competition for corn supplies. The price of corn has more than doubled in the last year. This is not a huge factor in American food prices (little corn is actually eaten here; it is mostly used as animal feed, and constitutes a relatively small, but not inconsiderable factor in the cost of raising livestock). The price of corn meal throughout Latin America has skyrocketed, however. Corn meal is a staple food from Mexico south. People are starving right now as a consequence of our concern with carbon budgeting. I’ve read estimates that as many as 5,000 – 15,000 additional people will starve this year alone in Latin America as a consequence of increased corn prices. And for what? So we can feel self-righteous and pure? I call this the Prius effect.
The Prius is a neat car and a brilliant idea. It gets tremendous mileage using a very clever technological fix that holds great promise for the future of automotive transport. If someone would have the balls to manufacture a plug-in version, its effective mileage would approach 100 mpg. It also has a total energy footprint many times greater than that of a Hummer H1 due to the difficulty and cost of manufacturing its batteries. But I’d bet that each driver behind the wheel of one feels like an environmental saint. It’s hypocritical, but harmless. At least the cost of that particular sainthood isn’t the starvation of a few thousand poor brown people. The problem is that each particular energy trade-off we make, while inconvenient for us rich Americans, will be devastating to the world’s poor. This harkens back to a criticism made of the environmental movement in general and the anthropogenic global warming advocates in particular, by Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace. He accuses the movement of being, at its core, anti-human. Scratch a radical environmentalist and under the surface you’ll find someone who believes that the world would be better off with 90% of its human cargo dead. Of course the 90% doesn’t include any of his friends or family or any of the “right” people. In this regard the philosophy closely resembles the eugenics movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’ve personally encountered this mindset and explicit ideology at dinner parties. When I’ve explained that massive famines will be the inevitable result of the energy cutbacks contemplated by warming advocates, my friends have responded stoically that such a price must be paid. Just not paid by them or anyone they know. Black, yellow and brown people, preferably poor, would suit the bill just fine.
Robert info@arrelle.com
______________________________________________________
By Larry Lubell
I can’t help but come away with the idea that we are having an impact on our environment.
Has man changed the entire global climate, that has not been proven, but I still think the odds are better than 50/50 that we have impacted the Earth. But I absolutely agree that the computer models needed to attempt to to answer the question for sure, are beyond our present technology.I will also concur that politics are playing a role and at times are pushing the science.
The question is what steps can we take that will help our environment, reduce greenhouse gases without causing economic hardship. Is there technology that we can build in the US. that creates jobs and wealth and reduces our dependency on fossil fuels?
I refuse to apologize for being human! I always found it comical when people talk about “Saving The Planet” As far as I’m concerned- Man comes first. My concern for the planet is tied to what is best for us. But I will add, what is best for us includes what is best for future generations. ( at least as far in the future as my child and my child’s children). I don’t like the idea of animals being hurt in the name of research, and I will go out of my way to buy shampoo that is not tested on animals, but if testing on animals is necessary to find a cure that could save my child- Test away.
People come first.
I must say I was upset the way Present Bush handled the Kyoto Accord. Not because he did not sign it ( I recognized it was a flawed proposal) but because he rejected it with out presenting an alterative. I always felt Kyoto was in part a “Game of Chicken”, by the US saying no, it safely let most of Europe say yes for free.
The question is what should we do. By ”We” I mean the average consumer, as well as The US. and UN lawmakers and policy makers? Do we do nothing till we have super computers capable of creating valid models. Do we just cross our fingers and wait? Does complexity mandate inaction?
Is there anything we can or should do that fits with my concept that people come first?
Boy, it sure is easier to ask questions, or to find fault with other peoples answers, then to come up with answers your self. I must admit, I have far more questions than answers.
Larry Lubell
Senate Panel Approves Iraq Pullout timetable
By Larry Lubell
While most people in the United States now believe that the war in Iraq is not going well, It seems as if many are reluctant to set a “Time certent” for their departure.Bill O’Reiilly recently stated that he believed “Most Americans have turned against the war because of the high cost of the conflict in both blood and treasure”. He spoke of there being three basic groups of opinion when it came to the war. “The first group believes, as President Bush does, that the war is absolutely necessary and must be fought to the bitter end.“The second group is the one I’m in. We believe the war was a noble effort to remove a homicidal dictator, who violated the first Gulf War cease-fire 17 times, but that the Iraqi people have not stepped up enough to make democracy possible there. I am deeply disappointed that many Iraqis are corrupt and put revenge over the good of their nation. — America has given Iraq a chance at freedom and prosperity. The Kurds in the north took that opportunity and are prospering, but many Sunni and Shia are mired in murder”.“The Third group he explains are “usually far left fanatics and believes the USA is immoral and the war in Iraq evil.”I was not in favor of going into Iraq, even though I saw not a single redeeming character trait possessed by Saddam. Sure I loved the idea of getting him out of power and brought to justice, but I just saw a great potential for a long bloody standoff. This is one of those I would rather have been proven wrong than right. In fact when I see the poor way the administration handled the war, I’m not sure how much of the reason we are in such a bad place in due to the whole idea of entering Iraq being a mistake, and how much is just a product of poor execution and second rate leadership. I still trust that the Bush administration meant well, and did truly did believe that they were doing the right thing. In this case I do agree with O’Reilly when he concludes.The Iraq conflict has been painful and is still in doubt after four years. If we had to do it all over again, we would not. We’d find another way to get Saddam.
It was Colin Powell who advised Bush 41 against going into Baghdad by saying“You break it- you own it!”The danger of setting a date for leaving is it almost guarantees defeat, on the other hand at what point do you say the price paid has reached a limit. I will conclude as I did on this topic before. What do you do when all options are bad? When all doors seem to lead to disaster?I have to say that I feel sorry for our president, and I’m glad I don’t have to make these calls.
If you have any answers or coments Contact us @ Send your comments
Posted in Uncategorized, Current events and politics
While most people in the United States now believe that the war in Iraq is not going well, It seems as if many are reluctant to set a “Time certent” for their departure.Bill O’Reiilly recently stated that he believed “Most Americans have turned against the war because of the high cost of the conflict in both blood and treasure”. He spoke of there being three basic groups of opinion when it came to the war. “The first group believes, as President Bush does, that the war is absolutely necessary and must be fought to the bitter end.“The second group is the one I’m in. We believe the war was a noble effort to remove a homicidal dictator, who violated the first Gulf War cease-fire 17 times, but that the Iraqi people have not stepped up enough to make democracy possible there. I am deeply disappointed that many Iraqis are corrupt and put revenge over the good of their nation. — America has given Iraq a chance at freedom and prosperity. The Kurds in the north took that opportunity and are prospering, but many Sunni and Shia are mired in murder”.“The Third group he explains are “usually far left fanatics and believes the USA is immoral and the war in Iraq evil.”I was not in favor of going into Iraq, even though I saw not a single redeeming character trait possessed by Saddam. Sure I loved the idea of getting him out of power and brought to justice, but I just saw a great potential for a long bloody standoff. This is one of those I would rather have been proven wrong than right. In fact when I see the poor way the administration handled the war, I’m not sure how much of the reason we are in such a bad place in due to the whole idea of entering Iraq being a mistake, and how much is just a product of poor execution and second rate leadership. I still trust that the Bush administration meant well, and did truly did believe that they were doing the right thing. In this case I do agree with O’Reilly when he concludes.The Iraq conflict has been painful and is still in doubt after four years. If we had to do it all over again, we would not. We’d find another way to get Saddam.
It was Colin Powell who advised Bush 41 against going into Baghdad by saying“You break it- you own it!”The danger of setting a date for leaving is it almost guarantees defeat, on the other hand at what point do you say the price paid has reached a limit. I will conclude as I did on this topic before. What do you do when all options are bad? When all doors seem to lead to disaster?I have to say that I feel sorry for our president, and I’m glad I don’t have to make these calls.
If you have any answers or coments Contact us @ Send your comments
Posted in Uncategorized, Current events and politics
Circuit City layoffs set a scary precedent for workers
April 9th, 2007
By Larry Lubell
By Larry Lubell
In an article posted on bloggingstocks Peter Cohan reports that“Circuit City Stores Inc. is replacing its experienced workers with cheaper models”. He then goes on to ask “What does Circuit City’s replacing of its retail workers mean for workers and their salaries across the board”? He continues by spelling out “The plan” which consisted of “Circuit City’s decision to fire 3,400 of its highest-paid sales staff and replace them with lower-paid workers is a risky strategy to cut costs that goes beyond the traditional layoffs, buyouts and hiring freezes used by struggling companies”. “I think this is a risky move because the quality of service to customers will almost certainly decline since the higher paid people who were fired will take with them product expertise that consumers found helpful. Circuit City is gambling that the sales it loses as a result of the less experienced staff will be more than offset by the lower pay the new rookies receive”. The interesting question that Peter Cohan raises is how does a business decide between whether to trade on price or service?Most companies, when asked, will tell you that they offer both the “Lowest price” as well as the “Highest level of service”. Privately, they will admit to each other that often there are choices and trade offs that need to be made. Ultimately the best companies and the smartest consumers search for “VALUE”.“Value” is inherently about compromise and is therefore quite subjective. The Ferrari Enzo with the ability to reach 0-62 mph in just 3.65 seconds and a top speed of 225 mph, no one could deny that it is a first class sports car, but with a million dollar price tag one could claim that it is not a great value. In a service business the compromise comes in the form the amount of knowledge, Experience and Time (KET) that representatives can offer the customer. The greater the amount of KET the greater cost to the company. In these days of the Internet and price search engines it is easier than ever to search based on price, but increasingly more difficult to shop based on value. At Urban Insurance Agency, we have always worked hard to provide the highest quality of service why still maintaining very competitive prices. We have employees that have been with Urban Auto for more than 10, 20, 30 even 45+ years. We do not have any seven figure employees, or marble floors. We have selected to place our offices in convenient, yet lower rent locations, all in an effort to keep our costs as low as possible without sacrificing the quality of our customer service. Often people only care about price, until they have a problem; at Urban Insurance Agency we refuse to “Farm-out” our customer service to a third-party call center, or outsource service to India. It can be a more difficult sell, but It is my belief that people will return to those companies that “Solve their problems,” that requires a knowledgeable staff that are empowered to make decisions. My personal experiences with Circuit City has left me with the impression that few of the employees there have more than just a superficial level of knowledge about the electronics the store sells. The idea that circuit city is going to eliminate the only employees that “Have a clue,” strikes me as a self-defeating proposition.In this age of HD, where today’s cutting-edge technology will be hopelessly obsolete in 2 years, consumers are looking for information. They want companies that can solve problems
I buy all of my Home Audio and HD equipment for a small independent guy. He does not stock much, but he will order what ever you want and at a price at times lower than Circuit City or Best Buy. The important thing is he knows how to take the equipment apart and put it back together. When I came into buy a new DVD player, he remembered which HD TV I had in which room hooked up to which receiver; so he gave me the correct inter connects.
More and more, Circuit City is becoming a display case for small shops to send customers to look and compare, then come back to them to buy. The reason for that is because many consumers just have little confidence in the information or advice they get at these “Big-Box Stores.” Therefore they can only sell on price and the margins are too small to be profitable.
I understand why they feel compelled to cut costs, but by getting rid of their most skilled employees and replacing them with minimum wage clerks is just going to guarantee the company’s downward slide. There is a reason new car dealers don’t replace their sales people with $7.00/ hour people. It is my belief that people will return to those companies that “Solve their problems,” answer their questions, that requires a knowledgeable staff that are empowered to make decisions not minimum wage untrained workers. Circuit City’s days are numbered.
I buy all of my Home Audio and HD equipment for a small independent guy. He does not stock much, but he will order what ever you want and at a price at times lower than Circuit City or Best Buy. The important thing is he knows how to take the equipment apart and put it back together. When I came into buy a new DVD player, he remembered which HD TV I had in which room hooked up to which receiver; so he gave me the correct inter connects.
More and more, Circuit City is becoming a display case for small shops to send customers to look and compare, then come back to them to buy. The reason for that is because many consumers just have little confidence in the information or advice they get at these “Big-Box Stores.” Therefore they can only sell on price and the margins are too small to be profitable.
I understand why they feel compelled to cut costs, but by getting rid of their most skilled employees and replacing them with minimum wage clerks is just going to guarantee the company’s downward slide. There is a reason new car dealers don’t replace their sales people with $7.00/ hour people. It is my belief that people will return to those companies that “Solve their problems,” answer their questions, that requires a knowledgeable staff that are empowered to make decisions not minimum wage untrained workers. Circuit City’s days are numbered.
Larry Lubell
UrbanBlogPosted at 6:08PM
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