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Hah-hah; I think...
that horse has already left the barn. Hmmm, maybe it isn't too late to send her to a convent? This is the last of three off to college, their macs have served them well, and converted a lot of their friends too.
KCMW
Bootz - some good news after LION was installed...
First, thanks for the link on making a DVD. I found similar instructions elsewhere, and when the dust settles, I think I'll see if I can talk people at the store to burn one for me (now that mine is installed, the files I need are gone, unless I DL myself).
The good news (so far) is, after playing with it for 45 minutes - they seem to have fixed some of the things that bugged me the most from 10.5. You can resize windows from any side (one of the few things windows had over the mac, IMO - and Ubuntu also has this). Spaces/Mission Control is much more usable now. I still like how Ubuntu does this better, but this is very good (it was unusable before, IMO - at least for the way I work). And Spotlight actually lets you select any column and sort the results (size, date modified, etc) - like it used to (10.4?)! That drove me bonkers in 10.5. Oh, and it searches the System files w/o jumping through hoops to include them (and not telling you that it ignores system files), and having to repeat that for each search. Yeah!
So hopefully, I continue to find more that I like and few "what were they (not) thinking!". But so far, so good.
My daughter is not a power user though, and she probably won't even care about all this. Oh well, she's got a shiny, cool compute to take to school that will get the job done for her.
-KCMW
Download only for LION pains me...
I'm not happy. Buying a MBP for my daughter to start college in the fall. Told her we would wait for LION release, to avoid going thru an upgrade. So I go to the store yesterday, called first to check stock and verify the new computers had LION installed ('they should, if they don't we can install it for you'). Fine.
Get there (~ 2PM), buy it, the Apple guy boots it, and sees he has to update to 10.6.8 just to be able to upgrade to LION. Hmmmm, don't they have a disk image or something - just install LION directly? I guess not.
Well, the update is going slow, just to get 10.6.8 alone (we disabled all the app updates, figuring LION would do those) is going to take over an hour! He tries to find a faster connection/server, but no luck.
I run out of time have to leave, so I ask him to call me when it's done, I'll come back. No call that night. I call today at 2PM, "Oh we are just finishing up, it'll be dome 'soon'. 4PM, and no call.
I think it stinks that we aren't getting LION install disks. If something gets hosed, and I want to re-install, I don't want to tie up my (not-so-fast) internet connection for hours and hours and hors, and tell the wife & kids, 'no netflix or streaming, I'm downloading an OS!'
I sure hope SuperDuper! is LION capable. I am going to want a clone of this right away!
I don't think Apple has thought this thru. Not everyone has super-fast connections (apparently not even the Apple store!). If you have multiple computers to update, it's a download for each computer. Not good. Oh, I did read about a 'trick' to get a copy of the installer to HD or DVD - but you need to know ahead of time - once you run the installer, it deletes the files used for a stand-alone install.
Hopefully, I'll like the new OS, seems like lots of good things added, but this DL only things sucks! But hey, congrats to all you longs who stayed the course. I'm still kicking myself for getting out at 100! :(
I wonder how they updated all the systems in the store? Maybe it was faster overnight? But they ought to have a local server for this, no?
-KCMW
Thanks!
I do poke my head in every few months. It often seems like a time warp - AAPL keeps rising, and sinclap keeps coming up with incredulously stretched 'reasons' why Apple is the stupidest company on the face of the earth! And AAPL keeps rising...
Yes, I do seem to recall the 'back to school' iPod bundles hitting in time for June grad presents. I'll watch for that.
I guess I'll just have to watch the rumor sites for 10.7 news. There are some features there I would want, so I think it's worth waiting (though they dragged the 10.6 release out so long, we had to buy anyhow).
10.7 allows for window re-sizing from any border. This is one of the few things that MS had done better, and Linux/Ubuntu does even better (hold the 'alt' key, and a drag with the right mouse button moves whatever side you are closest to - no precision mouse moves required at all; alt and left mouse moves the whole window w/o resizing it). I see there are improvement in Spaces also. Hope they did it right. This is 'Workspace Switcher' in Ubuntu, and it is fantastic, I use it constantly, but Apple's Spaces just didn't cut it for me. A big disappointment. Sure hope 10.7 got it right. I recently had to use my wife's MBP to search and destroy a hidden file on her Nook to get it to re-register. I couldn't believe how hard Apple has made this trivial task! One step forward and two steps back in too many cases.
-KCMW
iPad competitors ....
For me personally, I just wish Apple would put a standard USB port and a uSD slot on there, and make it more like a 'regular computer' (full Finder capability).
I set one up that the family bought for my Mother-in-law, and was very impressed with it, but those limits would drive me nuts. The competition does not seem to be there yet though.
-KCMW
10.7 & Back-to-school timing? . . . . .
Hi, haven't posted in a long time. Not trading AAPL anymore (drat!), and my main system has been Linux/Ubuntu for the past year, so I'm a bit out of touch with current events in the Orchard, so I could use some advice from those in the know here.
Looks like we will have two MacBook purchases in the family soon, one to our college freshman, and one from our grad student who is still on his 6 YO iBook G4 (!).
I see 10.7 is expected for 'summer', and there is usually an iPod bundle during the back-to-school times. I'd kinda like to wait for these to hit before making the purchase. Any ideas when to expect these?
TIA - and WOW, I just can't believe the success and stock price and earnings we see for Apple. I'm so envious of those that held through this! Congrats! I chickened out at ~ $100/share :( , but I'm happy for Apple and the longs :)
-KCMW
So sorry to hear this.
I haven't even logged on in a while here, but I sure remember Toms great stories of the performances he saw back in 'the Village' in the 60's. IIRC, he posted quite a bit about Leonard Cohens recent tour, and posted the link to the concert audio, that was up for a week or so. He came across as a real gentleman, and I don't doubt for a second that is how he was in 'real life' (I only knew him from this forum).
RIP Tom.
-KCMW
Anyone else notice an inverse correlation...
between literacy and content versus the size of the graphics used in sigs?
With a multiplier, perhaps exponential, term for animated graphics?
I have.
-KCMW
Bootz - Jobs taking medical leave :( ...
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090114/apple_jobs.html?.v=4
Apple CEO Jobs takes medical leave
Wednesday January 14, 4:42 pm ET
Apple CEO Steve Jobs takes medical leave, says health problems "more complex" than he thought
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) -- Apple Inc.'s CEO Steve Jobs says he is taking a medical leave of absence until the end of June.
Jobs told employees in an e-mail that his health issues are more complex than he thought.
Last week, Jobs announced he had a hormone deficiency that had caused him to dramatically lose weight.
Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, will take over Jobs' responsibilities while he is on leave.
netbook/iTunes/XP...
KCMW, you could hold you're nose and get a netbook with xp to install iTunes..
I find Linux of any flavor to unpolished for my taste.
obviously, I could. That would probably be the easy route (in the short run). It just does not appeal to me. I've already learned I don't like Windows from my corporate years (although there are a few things that I sure wish OSX would emulate/copy/steal/improve upon from Windows). If I give Linux a try, and don't like it, at least I'd learn something in the process.
And since my use of Linux on the netbook would be a stable configuration - just for the music, and occasionally as a web browser, maybe a very occasional open-office doc, I would think those would be pretty decent by now. I doubt I would want to rely on it for my everyday tasks, for the reason you mention. OTOH, 90% of my 'everyday tasks' are browse, email, office.
I appreciate the feedback I've gotten. I'm guessing that he basic idea of a netbook as a music player and occasional road computer is a decent idea? I don't have any video in my main music room (stereo 'purist' I guess), so anything that requires a monitor/TV means more $ for me. Seems like any specialized HW I've come across costs almost as much, and is far more proprietary, so this netbook/player would be a lot more versatile. I'll keep pondering it.
Thanks -KCMW
OSX on an netbook, hmmmm...
as you may recall, I'm not thrilled with Apple's limited HW choices (would like a headless iMac), so I have thought about trying out the Hackintosh route, but I'm not too thrilled with the maintenance issues I might have on the machine I would rely on for day-to-day stuff.
But... for a netbook playing my music and occasional road use, rolling back if there were problems would be pretty painless. Of course, I'm kind of curious to try out Linux though.
Worth thinking about. -KCMW
baldrik - USB audio/linux...
from a little googling, it does look like some of the basic DACs are class compliant, and appear to work w/o special drivers.
http://www.linux-usb.org/USB-guide/x319.html
USB audio systems such as speakers normally comply with the USB audio class specification. If your audio device does not comply with the specification, it will not work with Linux at this time.
You need to turn on the Sound card support kernel option, which is in the Sound section. You will then be able to turn on the USB Audio support option in the normal USB section.
I think the USB class spec supports 16 bit only, so to do 24 bit audio requires special drivers. A quick search of:
http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs/audio10.pdf
didn't come up with any ref to 24 bits. I assume much pro-audio is done is 24 bit, or at least would need to have that capability to be considered 'pro'?
But this is just from a bit of googling, I'll look into it further before buying.
Thanks, KCMW
Q: netbooks, Linux, iTunes/Banshee?...
So, I'm thinking of finally getting *all* my music digitized. It sure would be nice to have playlists, etc, and be able to backup my entire collection on a second, cheap hard drive to keep off-site.
So... I've been thinking that one of these netbooks could be nice for this. I guess Banshee is a linux equiv to iTunes? So just keep the netbook by the stereo with an external HDD, and it would double as a light-duty mobile computer. Nice to have a web browser, etc on the road. I'll have to look, but I think there are some decent USB-stereo converters, so I would not have to depend on the (probably low quality) audio circuits in the netbook. That assumes linux/Banshee could route the audio data out to the USB port, I'm assuming that is child's play these days?
Thoughts? Other options? I know you can do a wireless network thing, but I'm trying to keep this relatively simple. I don't want to make the equivalent of playing a CD end up being dependent on other computers and networks being up and running.
I am also impressed at just how much value the iPod Touch packs. If it were a little more 'open', I'd consider it - I don't think it'll take a 250GB external HDD though, right?
TIA -KCMW
Sinclap: upgrading iMac G5 to Leopard & iLife 09...
just be aware, some of the iLife apps require an Intel processor.
http://www.apple.com/ilife/systemrequirements.html
# iMovie requires an Intel-based Mac, Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0GHz or faster), or iMac G5 (1.9GHz or faster).
# GarageBand Learn to Play requires an Intel-based Mac with a dual-core processor or better.
AVCHD video requires a Mac with an Intel Core Duo processor or better.
they gotta do what they gotta do, but I just may make do with what I've got (again), until I upgrade the box to an intel (only one Intel-Mac in our family at present, but several are getting long in the tooth, and the old iMac G3 just keeps plugging along).
-KCMW
I thought that is what Epcot Center was for? ;) eom
upgrade timing...
I got stuff to mull over too. Do you use the iApps? One thing I noticed, though the Leopard/iLife/iWork bundle is priced OK, some of those apps are Intel only. So if I went for the Family pack, 3 out of 4 (or 4 out of 5 in extended Mac family) won't be able to utilize those apps. Kinda cuts into the benefit. So, I might just wait (again...) until I replace another box/laptop, so I'm into the current architecture. Not really complaining BTW, I think Apple has done a reasonable job with PPC support - they have to move forward. Heh, I still do run Classic from time-to-time for my scanner and occasionally for the old PS lite, just 'cause I know my way around it. But I've got GIMP now, so no tears will be shed when I need to replace my old, old, bought-as-a-discontinued-model scanner. But it keeps working, so I use it.
If you *can* wait, well, Snow Leopard is supposed to be performance improvements for Intel based macs, so if performance is the issue, there ya' go. But it sounds like this performance issue is dragging you down today - you just gotta consider if your time/aggravation is worth the bucks now versus later.
-KCMW
OT - photo edit seashore?...
http://seashore.sourceforge.net/
It's a GIMP lite, all prepackaged. It seemed kinda buggy/slow when I tried it a few versions ago, but since GIMP does what I need, I have not bothered to check back. Will probably suffice.
Seashore is an open source image editor for Mac OS X's Cocoa framework. It features gradients, textures and anti-aliasing for both text and brush strokes. It supports multiple layers and alpha channel editing. It is based around the GIMP's technology and uses the same native file format.
However, unlike the GIMP, Seashore only aims to serve the basic image editing needs of most computer users, not to provide a replacement for professional image editing products. Seashore was created by Mark Pazolli who, together with a handful of other developers and helpful users, still develops it to this day.
-KCMW
free photo-edit: GIMP...
I use GIMP, it's free open source Graphic Image Manipulation Program. A bit clunky, but works well for my occasional use.
You need x11 installed. You might have to search to find one bundled, ready to just install. Start here:
http://www.gimp.org/macintosh/
Easiest way I've found to do what you want is to do a rough copy of the face, including some background, and paste into a new doc or layer. Then go in with progressively smaller erasers to erase the stuff you don't want. If you got lucky, some of it will be a solid color, and you can use some of those tools to auto-select an area and delete it, but hair usually breaks those up into little disconnected pieces.
-KCMW
Cloud cover in N IL also :( but...
I did see the two planets bright in the sky a few nights ago.
In Australia, they form a smiley face!
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24736610-421,00.html
-KCMW
For $50 - not a bad solution...
considering that thing is a battery and a USB and a wall charger. And not really much different than carrying a spare battery/charger with you.
Maybe this is why I have not noticed lot of complaints, the heavy users just buy these?
-KCMW
Swappable batteries...
I gotta admit, I thought there would be more groaning about the non-swappable batteries in the iPhone. I haven't heard it much. No one *wants* to swap batteries, cradles are much nicer, cables less so, but if you have a device like the iPhone that may last less than a day w/o charging, and the battery is dead and you are on the go, a spare battery may be the only real alternative.
Too bad Apple didn't partner up with one of those "lay it on the pad" charger companies. There were a couple that were trying to get some traction. One was inductive I think, the other had a matrix of contacts in the pad, and when you lay the device on it, it would sense the connections and was smart enough to handshake what voltage to use. If they incorporated that into pods and phones, they probably could have sold oodles of them. Just have one at work, and one on the counter at home and the whole family could us it.
I suppose a lot of the on-the-go, high usage iPhone types have access to a USB port throughout the day, and charge there if they need to.
But this is all coming from the perspective of an Old Phart, so keep that in mind.
Happy Thanksgiving all - KCMW
OT: GM/C...
in this vision, how does the UAW fare? Not saying you or your source are right/wrong, but I just can't see the people in charge letting the UAW get hung out to dry. And I can't see how they can be saved with GM and C being gone - unless gone means merged.
Pelosi said:
http://tinyurl.com/5wat5a
Pelosi also rejected Chapter 11 bankruptcy as an alternative for the Big Three.
"I just think that would be digging a hole far too deep," she said, adding that such a scenario would prove devastating for workers, the economy and the U.S. manufacturing base.
She is entitled to her view, but I just don't see how throwing taxpayer's money at an unsustainable business model won't also prove 'devastating for workers, the economy and the U.S. manufacturing base'.
Tough times call for tough actions, but I don't think we are going to get them (tough actions that is). JMO.
-KCMW
OT: Singing Happy Days? - Oh No!...
http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/songs/Happy_Days_Are_Here_Again.html
"Happy Days Are Here Again" was composed by Milton Ager (1893-1979) & Jack Yellen (1892-1991) in 1929, and introduced in October, just prior to the stock market crash which heralded the start of the Great Depression.
That's what you people want to sing??!! Yikes!!!!
Seems it would be more appropriate at the peaks, like Sept 2000, or Oct 2007? If this is a peak, we are in worse trouble than we thought!
Don't worry.... be happy.....
Hmmm, market isn't really responding to the Auto deal speculation. I guess they want some facts?
-KCMW
Agreed - very nice...
re http://blog.laptopmag.com/first-look-olpc-xo-generation-20
With an iPod Touch selling for $229 today - these should be do-able in the near future.
I really like the dual touch screen layout. A full size touch screen keyboard that doubles as a screen would pack a lot of punch in a small package.
Does Intel have some dual core cpu on the horizon that is suitable for an iPhone/touch? Makes sense that Snow Leopard being optimized for multi cores would really help if there were low powered multi-core chips for mobile devices. I hope this Snow Leopard optimization is significant - that could really give Apple an advantage. I doubt that Windows is nimble enough for these kind of under-the-hood changes (assuming they come to light).
-KCMW
Jim_is_Jim: no problem, it's a valid point <em>
like it or not - politics/economics...
are tied together. Not unreasonable for some of it to get mixed up in a board like this. Considering all that is going on on that front, elections bail-outs, I think the board has been pretty restrained.
Esp when we are talking about people's choices to buy one product or another - discussions on free markets seem pretty relevant. Whether it is gasoline or computers, there are a lot of parallels and opportunities to learn.
And c'mon, *my* statements are never partisan nonsense - I declare it to be so! ;)
But I'll be glad to tone it down. I just have a hard time leaving an unsolicited comment like $20 gas go untested.
-KCMW
OT: $9/month - you're killing me...
What do you suggest, we triple that and only the upper third pay that too? We should submit a 1040 with our phone bill?
And unlike a lot of people in that lower 50%, I don't even have cable/satellite. I suppose I should just pay the taxes for them anyway?
There are people in need that should get help. But there also seems to be a pretty big group looking for a low-cost ride.
-KCMW
WLD: deficits/taxes...
As long as the country is being run with massive deficits, nobody can rightly claim they pay "too much" in taxes.
Sure they can, as long as they feel that the "spending" part of the equation is the part that is out-of-whack.
BTW, I personally don't think I'm paying "too much" in taxes. But it concerns me that roughly 50% barely pay anything, and they all get a vote. And 51% can elect a majority Congress to support that distribution.
I'm in favor of progressive taxation, even when I am in the "progressively taxed" group - I think it makes sense. But something about 50% paying almost nothing in a democracy is troubling to me.
-KCMW
OT: Careful there BD, it is documented -
http://www.midwestdemocracynetwork.org/templates/media/MDNPresidentialQuestionnaire.pdf
Released on November 27, 2007
Question I-B: If you are nominated for President in 2008 and your major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign, will you participate in the presidential public financing system? Yes ___ No ___
OBAMA: Yes. I have been a long-time advocate for public financing of campaigns combined with free television and radio time as a way to reduce the influence of moneyed special interests. I introduced public financing legislation in the Illinois State Senate, and am the only 2008 candidate to have sponsored Senator Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) bill to reform the presidential public financing system. In February 2007, I proposed a novel way to preserve the strength of the public financing system in the 2008 election. My plan requires both major party candidates to agree on a fundraising truce, return excess money from donors, and stay within the public financing system for the general election. My proposal followed announcements by some presidential candidates that they would forgo public financing so they could raise unlimited funds in the general election. The Federal Election Commission ruled the proposal legal, and Senator John McCain (r-AZ) has already pledged to accept this fundraising pledge. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.
.....................
So, as I understand it, Obama did nothing illegal, but he did go back on a promise, and that worked to his advantage by a huge margin.
Subjective here, but it my observation is that the Dems have a tendency to "whine" about how things turn out, even when they were involved in the issue. Case in point - the Florida Butterfly Ballot that *they* approved before the election.
If the shoe were on the other foot, and McCain raised that money after making that promise, I think the Dems would claim that McCain "stole" the election.
-KCMW
OT: buy/sell votes...
they may as well allow the open buying and selling of votes.
open your eyes. In addition to the $650 million, when it comes to income tax, the lower 50% of those filling a federal form pay a mere 3% of the fed income tax. And the Dems claim we must "tax the rich". I take that as they want to lock in a few more votes.
What I would support, before we play with marginal rates, is to simplify taxes so as to eliminate loopholes. It would help if we actually *knew* that someone in a 35% marginal bracket was *actually* paying 35%. Until we know that, raising rates has little meaning.
...imagine the hue and outcry if it had been the Pubs...
remember all the outcry over voting machine "errors", that magically all supposedly favored the R's? Didn't hear much about that this year, did we?
BTW, none of this is sour grapes - my 3rd party candidate lost as I expected.
_KCMW
Put in a buy SPY @ 88.90...
not so much of a stink bid, more of a "it's been bouncing around here maybe I can do a short term trade" bid. But too late in the day to catch it.
Since I don't have much money available to invest, and the amount of thought that I put in a trade is correlated to how much I'm investing, that's all the thought I put into it. ;)
Good luck with the Apple Put - I still hold some, so I hope you just collect premiums. I keep selling calls on my positions, and try to console myself with the VIX-driven premiums while watching the portfolio drop.
-KCMW
RE: Monopoly power, coreguy...
Monopoly power ... Also with regard to the oil industry, if they chose to keep $4+ gas prices with oil prices more than halved, they might have had a bit of a political as well as a PR problem, don't you think?
Using the phrase "if they chose to keep $4+ gas prices" assumes that they have pricing power to begin with. You can't "prove" something by including the conclusion in the "proof".
But I guess I'm losing just what we can learn here and what it is you are trying to prove or debate?
This started a while back with BD's assertion that oil companies *could* charge what they wanted. I asserted that they did not have price control power. If I read you right with the Microsoft example, you are agreeing that XOM does not have pricing power, but that you still think XOM is a monopoly.
If that is the case, then how are they abusing that alleged monopoly power? You just said is was not with pricing. So, is the gas that XOM sells inferior to other gasoline that other companies sell around the world? Is their customer service so much worse? I see no eveidence of that.
Are they using their alleged monopoly power to keep other products off the market? Lots of room here for conspiracy theorists, and probably some basis of truth to it (but I blame Congress for that). I'd love to have an all electric car powered by solar panels on the roof of my house. The technology is there, but solar panels and batteries cost too much, and I don't see how we can blame XOM for that. Unless you have evidence that they have sabotaged solar panel and battery development.
There are plenty of other reasons that the DOJ decided that MS should be declared a monopoly. Or they would not have done it.
-KCMW
XOM monopoly/stats....
If you think XOM, et al, do not have a monopoly, we just don't agree.
Oil companies hold us hostage, Apple does not.
....and numbers/statistics can be manipulated creatively, as you know.
The beauty of this is - we don't need to delve into statistics, reports, SEC filings, etc to try to figure out who owns what to determine if XOM has a monopoly or not. We have EVIDENCE:
Gas is @2.31/Gallon. It used to be $4/G. No real monopoly would lower it's price like that.
Look up Occom's Razor.
-KCMW
iwink2, thanks, but...
your logic does not flow.
If it were true that XOM had something that people could not do w/o (and could not get from others), XOM would raise the price, and make a profit higher than their 10.5%.
While we do need oil - there is competition in the market, and the american public has proven they can get by with a little less if they so choose.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Oil_companies_of_the_United_States
Pages in category "Oil companies of the United States"
The following 128 pages are in this category, out of 128 total.
XOM does not have a monopoly on delivering gasoline to the US public. Any monopoly that only makes 10.5% profit is run by idiots ;)
-KCMW
OT: straw men everywhere (I'm also bowing out)...
time to move on.
I'll close with this - your first "straw man" comment towards me mentioned "the past 8 years", something that I made no reference to. Now you've morphed it into (the more relevant at least) argument of rational versus emotional solutions.
And I don't view it as rational to think that gas companies can "jack up prices". And I don't view it as rational to think that a company should lower it's prices to intentionally reduce it's profit, esp one making a 10.5% profit margin. And I don't view it as rational to expect people who promote irrational ideas to develop rational solutions.
I actually think Obama is much smarter than all that. Whether he can (or has the will to) overcome the politics of emotional reaction over substance remains to be seen. I hope he does.
Back to Apple - AAPL down .71 as we speak :(
-KCMW
OT spitsong: OK, post #80740 is not a strawman.
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=33377773
I re-read it. It is not a straw man argument. From wiki:
A straw man argument is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position.
I fail to see where I misrepresented anyone's (I don't consider any of you "opponents", just people with a different viewpoint) position.
What I said was (editing slightly to flow better in this context):
solutions based on emotion, rather than facts, evidence, and common sense can lead to counter-productive actions. That won't lead to "Happy Days".
And I added :
We need real solutions (and no.... I'm not claiming the R's had them).
So I'm not holding the R's up as some model of greatness. I voted for ZERO Rs this election, BTW. One D and some 3rd party candidates.
Sure, emotion plays a part in legislation. People have to get excite about something to draw the lawmaker's attention to it to act. But the solution needs to be rational. Is that really so hard to understand? Is it really controversial?
Is there anything in my previous posts that are not accurate?
If you want to state that "the dark days of the Bush admin are behind us", I have no problem if that is your view on the matter. But to say that "Happy Days are here", well, I look forward to PROOF of that. I think it's a bit premature at this point. That's my view. And Lango's background on Rahm Emanuel isn't a very good sign.
-KCMW
Blue :( Corp profits, emotional/rational response...
Lango covered some of this, but I do want to respond directly to your response to me.
Going forward, I am going to try to drop descriptive labels like left/right, D/R - I am just going to focus on what I see as the root issue: "emotional reaction" versus "rational analysis". You provide some prime examples:
Exxon just posted, what, a $83 quadrillion profit? They certainly could have lowered their prices to some degree while still making an absolutely obscene amount of money.
This is a common "howl" among the "emotional reaction" crowd. Let's "blame" and "punish" the big bad corps for making sooooo much money, and not sharing it with us. It will make us "feel" better. Trouble is, it is based on silliness, and it will not help at all. You can't base "solutions" on silliness, you need to base them on rational thoughts.
AAPL 14.9% Profit Margin 19.3% Operating Margin; $25B cash-debt
XOM 10.5% Profit Margin 16.8% Operating Margin; $30B cash-debt
I guess I should also be upset that Apple makes more money that the Shoe Repair guy in my town, right? Hey, it's $, not percent that count, right? And if you put $1,000 in a saving account for your kid's education, and I put in $100, the bank should give me just as much money as they give you? Is *that* gonna work? But *that* is exactly what you are saying.
Now, let's "rationally analyze" what would happen if we followed your "emotional reaction". XOM makes "too much", tax most of it away:
A) Companies have to pass their costs on to consumers to maintain their business.
B) If supply/demand can support that increased price, consumers will be paying more for fuel. In effect, the tax on the "big, bad corp" was a tax on the little guy. I thought the emotional crowd didn't like taxes on the little guy? What are they (or are they NOT) thinking?
C) If supply/demand can NOT support that increased price, XOM goes out of business (or more realistically, starts divesting themselves of this business and starts investing elsewhere). Either way, this would mean LESS competition in the fuel business, leading to INCREASED prices for consumers. ALL consumers, even the "little guy". Once again, I thought the "emotional reaction" crowd was FOR the little guy?
See how "emotional reaction" can do more harm that (well intentioned) good?
Remember, there are many other industries making a better profit margin than 10.5% - so if XOM, at 10.5% is going to be a target of the govt, because a bunch of "emotional reactionists" demand that govt "do something", they will invest elsewhere. That is another basic economic law.
Now, I tend to agree that we should be looking for alternatives to oil, for MANY reasons. And I think a floor on the price of gas is probably the best way to do that, along with eliminating any subsidies to the oil industry (and I would love a source for these, I have yet to see them identified). I think a floor price would help bring an orderly process of conservation and conversion to renewables.
I am *against* Obama's call for "spending $15B a year" on renewables. That means govt will be picking/choosing technology - and the last time they did that we got ethanol, which is just wrong. So, raise the floor, and let the free market fill the gap.
Is there anything that does not make perfect sense in what I said? I'm not saying that to "be right", I'm just trying to rationally analyze the situation. If there are errors or misguided comments, please point them out to me. I want to learn, and I don't want to repeat anything that does not stand up to scrutiny. But none of that is rocket science, I'm pretty sure it all holds water. It all seems pretty clear, if you just calm down.
Thanks - KCMW
spitsong - it is you bringing up strawmen...
I didn't mention how good/bad/indifferent the last 8 years were or were not. All Im talking about is whether Obama will bring about positive change or not. We have to see it before we can believe it.
And, I've been talking about how people need to look at the rational reasons behind problems, not just shoot off emotional responses. That is an absolute issue, not a relative one.
To the degree that many feel the past 8 years have been so bad (Bush's approval rating one measure, Congress another), "positive change" ought to be a walk in the park. So I should be expecting big things, no?
-KCMW
OT: Blue, please let me clarify...
I know you are more centrist in many ways. My "self-proclaimed "lefties" " comment was directed more to the general (or more vocal?) crowd that seems so enamored with "change". And your idea that the oil companies could control the price at the pump is the kind of theme that seems to be common among them. They want someone to blame, and they want govt to "fix" (change) a problem that doesn't even exist. And they skip over the facts on their way to the "solution". That is dangerous.
We need change, and I hope Obama and a Dem Congress can bring about change. I know you are active on politics. So I hope you spread the word that change has to consider the realities, not just be some feel-good reaction.
Not unreasonable, is it?
-KCMW
Jim is Jim: re - price slash in gasoline...
in my earlier post to Blue, I didn't mean to infer that anyone should be happy or sad over $2.31 gas - I was just using that to reinforce that the big oil companies don't have price control, like so may conspiracy theorists like to think (and write their Congress reps to "do something about").
I agree with you on some price floor for oil/gas. As much as I dislike govt involvement in things, I think a (gradually rising) price floor would help the average joe to realize that this will be a long term issue; start planning now. As you mention, lower gas prices have already driven up consumption. And investment in alternatives is shaky, when those investors are now competing with $2.xx gas. In a free market, we could easily say "so what - if they can't compete, they can't compete", but there are bigger issues at hand - environmental, dependancy on a single source, etc. I can accept some modest govt intervention here as "in the common good".
-KCMW