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High Tech Market Jitters
I think that some people focusing on Apple are concerned about sales of iPods being cannabilized by Dell and others. The iTunes Jukebox and store is a lost leader for iPod sales, so alot is at stake for Apple. The IBM 970 has put APPLE in the cost effective performance lead in the High End of the PC market .... that something to crow about. In general, I think the recent Gartner report showing little growth in IT spending as a bellwether for weaker than expected growth in tech stocks. I'm thinking about buying back into Corning now that the Bells want to rollout Optical Fibre to the home.
Win, I stand corrected.eom
OT: American Idealism
Rich, its clear that biblical teachings influenced both the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. Our founding fathers most especially Jefferson, Adams and Franklin, all brilliant men, where idealists that could not live up to many of the lofty edicts they espoused. In the Declaration of independence it states "All men are created equal" yet black slavery was deemed both socially acceptable and justified as an economic necessity. If we are to maintain a society that espouses equal rights - for all - we must keep the seperation of Church and State.
How many different christian and religious denominations exist in America today ?
All claim to be the one true faith.
Who would decide the one true faith ?
We are a country of immigrants by and large and I would venture to guess that its the lofty idealism of the Declaration of Independence and our Bill of Rights that binds us together, not religious fervor.
Kurt and Linda ... ditto.eom
OT: Hillary Who ?
In my humble opinion the current political landscape has absolutely nothing to do with the Clintons. they are part of the Old democratic leadership. A new Democratic Party is emerging and Dean is leading the way.
OT: Ok .... Kevin i'll start it off.
I appreciated George Bush's positive statement about Arab American's after 911.
He looks good on a Segway.
He should be forgiven for Trading Sammy Sosa and be made Baseball Commissioner.
Blue, My wife calls Kucinich a deranged Leprechaun.
OT: Kurt, My wife wants to know ....
if Dean is too liberal ? or too conservative ? because the pundits on CNN and Fox use both in a single breath. Its awfully confusing ?
OT: Kevin, Tell us more ....
Can you be more specfic about what you like about Bush ?
Inquiring minds want to know.
OT: John Kerry
WIN,I could not in good conscience vote for Kerry -- As a Vietnam Vet he new better than to abdicate his responsibility to give the Shrub the authority to go into iraq without bilateral support.
OT: Dean unelectable, Yeah Right ?
The two large labor endorsements for Dean today will give Howard an ever bigger lead in some of the Democratic Primaries. The People are going to take their country back from all this madness. The Pundits are in for some big surpizes.
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20031112_988.html
Power Mac G5 in Popular Science's Best of What's New Poll.
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown/2003/article/0,18881,536718,00.html
OT- Clean Technology for Fun or Profit.eom
Tom, If I had the money I would.eom
OT: The EU understands the Problem
The dynamics of free trade are to explain why some jobs move offshore - plain and simple. IMO, it has nothing to do with any politician's allegiance to America.
No, it has alot to do with there allegiance to Big Business.
Well, Kurt with EU Tariffs their goes our remarketing of Cheap Asian goods for that market ? What kind of impact will that have on the US economy ? Still don't think we should be negotiating with the Asian markets to open up for our products and services. I guess the White House is to busy with its middle eastern foreign adventures to care.
BR
OT: Some Solutions
Well, if we can give incentives to move American Businesses offshore we could give incentives for American Businesses to stay here.
Set a national goal for energy independence by further developing Hydrogen Fuel Cells and other alternatives.
Use the Public Airwaves for Political Debates, Forums and National Town Meetings.
Vigorously negotiate trade agreements to open up new markets.
Reignite our Space program.
FWIW
OT: Lets Agree to Disagree
So let's take it as a given that there is all kinds of mismanagement, and outright padding of contracts (fraudulent in your eyes and mine), and all kinds of other nasty stuff done by "rich people." Set that aside and deal straight up with my claim about fraud and abuse generated by the middle-class and lower-middle class.
Is it a problem, or is it o.k. because "the working poor" have been oppressed and ripped off by "the rich" and therefore it's o.k. for them to break the law and try to get back what they're "entitled to"? Will you somehow find a way to rationalize it away or pretend it's o.k. because "the rich cheat too"?
I have never tried to justify fraud or Moral Entitlement. I didn't even bring up Moral Entitlement, you did, as a way of inferring that the plight of the middle class is deserved. With all due respect, you are no moderate. The vast majority in this country, cut across all socio-economic spheres are good and honest people. You need to get a better perspective.
We have a percentage of morally bankrupt leaders in both major parties that have sold out to special interest groups and greed for their own personal gain. They have no true allegiance to this country if it does not serve their interests. How else do you explain the lopsided trade agreements and the incentives for American businesses to move off shore.
We know what the problems are now lets work towards solving them.
Best Regards,
OT: Who's Fault is it Any Way ?
I hate to speak for Lango, but I don't think he is a member of the "Right". And, even if he was, summarily blaming the right (or the left!) for any of this Nation's ails would be baseless.
Kurt, The S & L bailout happened (Under a Republican Administration) and my comment on Haliburton and Becktel's no bid contract is true as well.
These social and labor inequities did not appear in the past 3 years because of a Republican administration.
No, but the problem has accelerated under the current Republican administration which has given incentives for Businesses to move offshore.
The incumbent Congressman and Senators on both sides of the aisles are equally responsible for this economic debacle.
You see Moral Decay, Cheating, Stealing and a Sense of Entitlement ..... is not exclusive to any one class or income range.
or Party Affiliation.
Feel Better Kurt ..... Equal Opportunity Moral Decay !!!
BR
OT: Moral Decay, Is that what you call it ?
Lang, your talking about a very tiny minority which when compared to White Collar criminals who steal enough to match the GDP of some third world nations is absurd.
The differences are that White Collar criminals tend to bend our laws for their ill gotten gains.
Do you remember the S&L bailout in which we the tax payers paid for the mismanagement of loans .... That was highway robbery on a grand scale.
How about no bid contracts conveyed on Haliburton and Becktel when the iraqi people could rebuild their country for a fraction of what will be spent. What is that - but a raid on our US Treasury which every taxpayer will end up footing the the bill for plus interest.
You see Moral Decay, Cheating, Stealing and a Sense of Entitlement ..... is not exclusive to any one class or income range.
If you don't think there's a destructive entitlement problem and moral decay in some parts of the lower-middle class in this country, though, you're in denial.
OT: Cotton, Lang just doesn't get it.
Its this kind of diviseness in which the victims of Socio-Economic problems get blamed which exemplifies what the Right has wrought upon our country.
This is not the America I grew up in. America is better than this.
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/home11102003.htm
Fact is that an $8.00 hour job does not allow you to pay the mortgage on a $40K shack. And around here, living closer to city central is not a convienience measure; It means living one paycheck away from poverty.
OT: Entitlements ?1!!##@X
Lang, I spent sometime in South Korea while enlisted in the United States Air Force in the late 70's and saw what poverty is really about. Are you saying that the American working stiff should be reduced to that kind of poverty ?
I certainly hope that some of your statements are those of a "Devils Advocate" because most of those who consider themselves entitled in this country do the least for productivity and generally do not work for a living. Those people who feel they are entitled are usually first in line for a handout, while most working class Americans are usually too proud to accept such assistance.
All the working class American Joe or Jane needs is a good opportunity and a level playing field.
OT: American Nightmare
By doing nothing we are saying that some working class Americans should accept a lower standard of living. I don't know what the Chinese worker has to contend with to survive and flourish in China, but I do know that many out of work Americans are on the edge of bankruptcy. Many will lose their homes and families because low paying service jobs will not cover the taxes, mortgages and day to day living expenses.
What happened to the American dream ?
OT: Lang - Point Taken
Lang your right there is no free lunch if the trade inbalance with China continues we as tax payers will end up paying for the economic repercussions I outlined in my post below.
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=1717702
A renegotiated Trade agreement with China is the better solution, but barring that some kind of Trade Sanctions are warranted. This is complex issue and their are no easy answers to this problem.
Isn't "incentives" just another word for subsidy? There can't be a subsidy without a subsidizer, no? There is no free lunch. What you're really doing is artifically jacking up the price of goods and services and asking the customers to pay that "tax".
Kstar - Fair Trade
Kurt, I would first focus on negotiating the opening of closed markets first with Tariffs or trade sanctions (restricting the quantities of products imported) from nations like China that resist opening up their markets to American products and services.
Free Trade is always a better alternative to Tariffs but we cannot allow these trade imbalances to continue.
I think a Patriots Trade Act giving American Businesses incentives to produce goods in the US with 100 % American labor would be a good thing.
OT: Making a difference
Blue, its great to know that we have both reached the same conclusions about the current administration. Like you .... donating to the Dean campaign was a first for me as well. We desperately need to get our national priorities straight.
No other candidate has the credibility that Howard Dean has. Kerry, Gephardt and Lieberman abdicated their responsibilities by giving GeeDubbya Carte Blanche on iraq. Kucinich is way to liberal for what the country needs. Both Sharpton and Moseley-Braun talk the good talk, but both have some serious credibility problems. Edwards as a freshman Senator has very little experience in the political arena. Its hard to take him seriously as a presidential candidate. General Clark lacks credibility because of his past support of the GOP and the Bush administration. That leaves Dean out front with a growing grassroots movement. FWIW
Thanks Joabe. Its good that civil discourse is alive and well on ihub.
There are no easy answers to any of these issues but we must understand that Corporate interests aren't always in the best interest of the American people. We need to get back to a Win Win situation for both American Businesses and the American worker. We need leaders that understand this.
OT: True Costs of lost Jobs in America
What do you think the solution is ?
Since high paying manufacturing jobs in America are being replaced with lower paying manufacturing jobs in other countries, should the US place tariffs on goods manufactured overseas to match what these goods would cost to manufacture in the US?
IMHO, the above would be a disaster. These costs (tariffs) would be passed on to the consumer. The folks who now choose to buy foreign made goods over US made goods (most of the posters here I might assume!) would be forced to pay an artificially high price for goods that in reality have much lower costs . . . all for the sake of providing higher paying US manufacturing jobs.
Kurt, before we can determine the answer to that question we need to determine what the true cost of having such a large displaced work force is and compare it to the cost of Tariffs or fairer trade agreements. These costs are for both White and Blue collar jobs.
Tangible Costs
1.) Unemployment benefits for those temporarily out of work.
2.) Under employment for college graduates who must work minimum wage jobs because no other qualified jobs exists.
3.) Lost consumer spending
4.) Re-education or training costs to get them back to work.
5.) Additional Subsidizes for affordable housing.
6.) Higher Health care costs.
7.) Higher Taxes, Fees or a national debt.
8.) Increase in SDI and Welfare payments for those who will spend down and sell all their assets (A small percentage of workers will never settle for lower waged jobs and will end up on public assistance)
Social Costs
1.) Hopelessness and despair.
2.) Higher Crime Rate: Increases in Blue and White collar theft and assaults.
3.) Increases in Homeless and displaced families.
4.) A widening gap between the impoverished and the affluent.
If you add all of these costs and the price of the war effort to a shrinking tax base then you begin to see the scope of the problem.
America, can ill afford to head down this path any longer.
- FWIW
OT: Great Societies
Oh and Nickel Two of those great societies was the Roman and British empires.
My point is that all great societies are consumer societies that exploit others.
Just my Two cents for what its worth.
OT: NAFTA and Clinton
Does 6.0 percent unemployment sound like job growth. That 6.0 percent does not include those that have run out of unemployment benefits and every month the number of jobless claims gets revised up because the figure is low balled.
I was against NAFTA when the Clinton signed the agreement. But, Clinton negotiated to approve NAFTA as a compromise for other incentives which helped to mitigate the job losses. Eight years of unprecedented economic expansion under the Clinton administration made NAFTA palatable at the time. In hindsight I was right in my original assumption about NAFTA but it wasn't until after the Dot.com economic bust that the economic damage of NAFTA became a reality. Now that corporations are reaping profits from cheaper manufacturing overseas they want to cut more by outsourcing support Jobs.
What we don't need ... especially now .... is more job losses. Businesses need to look towards long term growth. Apple is one of the few companies that looks beyond quarterly results and maps out a long term strategy to grow its business and its starting to payoff.
This is not about Democrats or Republicans this is about whats good for American workers and what is good for American businesses in the long run not quarterly spreadsheets.
OT: Bootz
How many of the components from the Toyota plant are American made ?
Toyota only builds plants here to escape the import duty and transportation costs. Not a bad trade-off for them but I don't see how that will help us much in the current Jobless recovery.
Since NAFTA we have lost the vast majority of manufacturing jobs. Not everybody in our society is lucky enough to have both the intellect and resources to complete a college education. So, are we creating a permanent underclass that can only qualify for low wage service jobs ?
OT: How many items are truly made and produced in the U.S. ?
Outsourcing Jobs might help some american companies improve their balance sheet in the short term but long term it will erode an economy that is sustained by consumer spending.
"Buying American" is more than a great thought; there are many folks, especially the ones who remember WWII for example, who still refuse to buy any foreign made goods. My Grandpa is one of these folks. He believes that buying foreign goods hurts American laborers and causes the US to lose manufacturing jobs. He's probably right.
FWIW.
Sincerely, Altaire4
OT: Buy American
Simply "Buy American" is a great thought .... if the American consumer wasn't looking for the best price. What needs to be negotiated is free and open trade between the US and China. If that cannot be negotiated then incentives should be put in place to make American goods competitive, even if that means an import Tarriff. Just as Federal incentives could be placed on American Corporations to not export Jobs.
None of this would happen under the current leadership even though it would be in the best interest of the American people. A Democrat or Republican that puts corporate interest ahead of the the common good of its citizens are all the same in my book.
We need to put all of our people ahead of profits and then the profits will flow, thats what the Clinton administration understood.
OT: Z, Stop with the personal barbs. It serves no good purpose.
OT: Kurt, that is what the current leadership in washington has led us too.eom
OT: Can we just get along ?
When we focus our attention on these barbs between Z and Ace we end up getting completely off topic.
OT: Kurt, A Wartime Economy is not a growth engine.
China needs to open its markets to all American goods and services.
The refinancing of Real Estate debt and consumer spending have been the major stimulus for growth in this country since 2001 and with interest rates moving up that will slow down. With boomers retiring the tax base will get smaller.
If more and more American jobs are outsourced to foreign lands that translates into less consumer dollars that can be spent on foreign goods.
What will be the economic engine to sustain us. Deficeit spending on defense isn't going to do it. New industries, new technologies and new markets are needed for any real growth to happen. In the meantime the current federal government led by GeeDubbya is just racking up IOU's which will have to be paid back by the working class in the form of taxes or fees.
The 87 Billion dollars for Iraq is only a down payment on a very expensive foreign adventure that has ended the lives of some 350 American citizens as well as alienated us from many of our staunchest allies.
It doesn't take much to figure out that this all spells trouble for the current economic picture.
AAPL and Economic Prospects ?
Any predictions on where AAPL stock price will be at the end of the next Quarter. I'm standing by my 24.00 - 25.00 price range.
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=1562496
I believe that concerns over defecit spending, boomers retiring and the lack of sustainable job growth will continue to dampen the prospects for a strong American economic recovery. Inevitably, higher interest rates will be needed to keep inflation in check. How much of this will influence the market is anybodys guess. Since many of us rely on mutual funds for our retirement it might even spur a US stock market rally. I think we have two very big economic problems, jobs being outsourced to other nations and cheap goods flooding in from China. The outcome of the next presedential election could very well determine our economic situation for along time to come.
Firewire 800 Driver Issue with Panther
The world's biggest FireWire-bridge maker Oxford Semiconductor has released a second statement with regard to the FireWire 800 bug.
The bug can destroy data held on external FireWire 800 drives, and is related to software driver versions 1.03 and earlier, which shipped with products equipped with Oxford Semi's 922 bridge.
The UK-based manufacturer said: "After extensive testing we have identified that the issue related to data loss on FireWire drives under some Mac OS platforms occurs with 922-based products running software version 1.03."
Oxford released new software that solved this problem in early September, but it appears the new version code was not included in Panther or with software provided by drive manufacturers.
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=7213
Looks like its time to upgrade to the new Black Cat.
Z, bad directory or hard disk sounds very plausible. eom
G5 Processor impresses Redmond
Microsoft looking to IBM for a risc processor for XBOX sounds like a strong endorsement of Power PC Technology.
Gee whats next .... Windows on a Power PC. Win NT 3.51 had a Power PC version.