Remembering A Simpler Time

Age has its advantages. You can call us grumpy, but the truth is, there was greater civility twenty, thirty, forty years ago.

If you need statistical proof, you can look at this article, by Wm. Briggs.

Or you can simply watch this, with a hat-tip to Sippican.

Is It Time To Send Herman Cain A Check?

Your opinion?

Minimum Wage

As I've written before, I recently hired two young men to work for me.

I was asked today, why I didn't give them more hours.

The reason is, they work for my convenience.

n.

1. The quality of being suitable to one's comfort, purposes, or needs: the convenience of living near shops, schools, and libraries.
2. Personal comfort or advantage: services that promote the customer's convenience.
3. Something that increases comfort or saves work: household conveniences such as a washing machine, an electric can opener, and disposable diapers. See synonyms at amenity.
4. A suitable or agreeable time: Fill out the form at your earliest convenience.
5. Chiefly British. A lavatory

I need them for a brainless task, for a few hours a day. Simply "being" is an adequate job skill. During those hours, they are being taught usable work skills, and the question was asked, "Since I'm learning how to be more effective, why can't I work more hours?"

Good question. The answer is, because, you're not worth enough to me now, for me to give you more hours. I know that I'm "destroying" your entire day with my request for three hours. I know that I could spend more time with you, teaching you more, making you more valuable, more quickly.

The problem is, the state has decided that my improving your work skills is less important than that I treat you with respect; pay you an inflated, state mandated minimum wage, that neither conveniences me, nor you. If you missed it, I'm posting this because at least one member of your state's legislature wrote about it earlier:

"A cursory look a the state's excessive minimum wage, top tax rate and regulatory creep all reveal these factors to be significant forces affecting Oregon's economic future. (Ted Feriolli, The Oregonian, "Countering economic pessimism: Oregon has the resources to rebuild prosperity" September 27, 2011.)

I don't run a nursery here. I've dedicated some time, each day, in the attempt to teach two men enough to make them employable. I would offer them more time, and increase their value more quickly, but the state has decided to put a limit on the time I can afford to have them in my employ. And remember, they are willing to work for free. But changes in federal law regarding interns means that they can't intern here, without constant supervision. Which is again, not convenient for me.

I don't know if you've looked at the "demands" of the "occupiers" of Wall Street. I have two young men who want to spend more time with me learning. Changes in the law, both federally and in this state, makes my time with them, if I don't pay them for that time, illegal.

This was the change we'd been hoping for, isn't it?

Too Good Not To Share

Meghan Fleming, 26 years of age, was walking out of the Petsmart store at 2925 Lancaster Dr NE about 4:00 yesterday afternoon when she was approached by a male asking for money. She and (sic) him a five dollar bill and proceeded to her vehicle where her nephew 19 year old Timothy Fleming and her twin two year olds were waiting. Fleming apparently changed her mind about the donation, drove up to him in her car, pulled back the slide on what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol and demanded her money back. Timothy Fleming demanded the money as well and threatened to take the man's bicycle. The victim, 23 year old Nicholas Gutierrez-Didlot, handed the five dollar bill back.

The victim walked into the store saying he had just been robbed and provided a description. The store was familiar with Meghan and provided police dispatch with her name. Police records showed that Meghan lived in the 4000 block of Beck Av SE. Officers responded to Petsmart, as well as to the Beck Av. address.

Approximately 20 minutes later, Meghan drove up to her residence where she was taken into custody without incident. The pistol turned out to be a BB gun. Her two twins were turned over to her relatives for care. Timothy Fleming was not in the vehicle when it arrived on Beck. He surrendered at the Turner Police Department at about 6:00 this morning.

Both have been lodged in the Marion County Correctional Facility charged with robbery. "Meghan certainly could have asked for her money back, but that was not the case. She crossed the line when she pointed what looked like a firearm at him and demanded he hand over the money," said Lt. Steve Birr.

Organizing A Protest Here, Boss

I’m going to organize an anti-hippie protest tomorrow. We will all go to work and contribute to society. Who’s with me?!

SondraK.

Academically Adrift

"Missing from the conversation is the quality of what’s being taught." (Kathleen Parker.)

●Gains in critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing skills are either “exceedingly small or nonexistent for a larger proportion of students.”

●Thirty-six percent of students experience no significant improvement in learning (as measured by the Collegiate Learning Assessment) over four years of higher education.

'That group adds that "Academically Adrift" confirms their own findings, and that when combined with our 47 million high school dropouts and the fact that 40% of entering college students cannot read, write, or compute at a college-ready level makes our overall education outputs even dimmer - despite world-leading per-pupil expenditure levels." (From comments.)

"Students in education, communications, and business had the lowest measurable gains." (Richard Arum Letter, .pdf.)

Hey, it's not just me.

CNN Makes Scheduling Mistake

Erin Burnett begins her new show on CNN tomorrow. They had a chance to put together a show that would make definite in-roads on the viewership numbers of FOX's "The O-Reilly Factor." Instead, they put her into a slot that competes against her old network's show, "The Kudlow Report."

I am a fan of Ms. Burnett. I was disappointed when I heard she had left CNBC, a network that where I find myself spending a lot of time.

I'm tired of Mr. O'Reilly's bloviating. His absolute disregard for markets, especially the markets for energy, has been addressed by many, including FOX's own, Neal Cavuto. Under a banner of populism, or "looking out for the people," O'Reilly expresses fears of Big Oil that are mimicked in  nature only by rabid dogs when faced with a bowl of water. Attempts to introduce elasticity in the determination of price falls on deaf ears.

I'm very happy to see that Ms. Burnett will be returning to cable news. But, Kudlow will be number one in the time slot. For a lot of us.

Sorry.