tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12133310723783888842012-01-28T07:24:59.120-06:00HaywardEcon Blog"The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they know about what they imagine they can design"--F.A. HayekGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.comBlogger12931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-49369322910866317912012-01-27T13:45:00.003-06:002012-01-27T13:46:48.601-06:00Point to ponder next time you fill up: How much do we spend on National Defense for each gallon of gas you pump? Yes, I figured that out...See HERE the result.I read today (I forget where it was, I was reading on my phone waiting for an appointment) that between 11% and 13% (or approx $80 Billion) of the yearly US Defense budget goes, in some form or fashion, to protect the flow of oil from the Middle East. This is ONLY the "on- budget" items. Much of the war spending is "off-budget", but that is another story.
In the US we consume approximately Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-11516559335547857772012-01-26T13:59:00.004-06:002012-01-26T19:29:30.301-06:00Nice graphic showing the change in manufacturing jobs relative to service jobs since 1960, the year of my birth. How things have changed in my lifetime.The shift from employment in the manufacturing sector to the service sector has been in the works for a long time. It might be hard to see the small graph in the upper right hand corner, but it starts in 1960.
The drop in manufacturing employment (distinct from manufacturing output) has been due in large part to globalization and the adoption of advanced technology to the manufacturing processGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-28059020836321210342012-01-26T10:48:00.007-06:002012-01-26T11:08:30.210-06:00This post is for those of you who don't quite understand (but want to!) the main technical issue surrounding compensation of Hedge Fund managers (related to Romney's "Tax Problem")...Objective analysis then my opinion on it...Let me use as simple an example as possible to illustrate the point, because I am a simple man.
I am going to start my own Hedge Fund (or Private Equity Fund). I am going to be the lead investor of funds for 100 people who each have $1,000,000 to invest with me. Because I am a GREAT investor with a GREAT track record, all these investors are confident of my ability to get them GREAT returns on Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-34592331504780522212012-01-26T08:56:00.003-06:002012-01-26T09:03:45.523-06:00I have uncovered exclusive photos of Obama's and Romney's Campaign Staffs here. Advantage ????Obama's Re-election Campaign Committee ready to go to work...
Source: HERE
Mitt Romney's New Hampshire Campaign Staff at work...
Source: HERE
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-59054061695472280342012-01-25T11:34:00.004-06:002012-01-26T06:07:54.412-06:00Stay in school and help with the Federal budget. Another great chart showing the link between education and improved social outcomes. Oh, and we spend less money on social programs as well...This post is not about the value of entitlement programs or if we spend too much or too little on them. This chart reinforces and extends my constant refrain regarding the strong connection between formal (Yes, I know I am limiting the definition) education and relative self-sufficiency. Usually it is about the link between education and income. This one connects education and the likelihood ofGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-62113423578057670642012-01-25T09:17:00.008-06:002012-01-25T11:40:13.760-06:00President proposed granting many Tax Credits to various businesses. Why not Tax Deductions instead? Brief explanation here as to why...In the State of the Union Address the President spoke of granting "Tax Credits" for various private sector investments. Why did he not say "Tax Deductions"? Many people do not completely understand the difference. Let me use a simple example to illustrate the difference.
Below is some simple data. Assume this represents a very small business operated by a single person.
Income from the Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-33741832376226390102012-01-24T08:22:00.000-06:002012-01-24T08:22:44.498-06:00Listen to the State of the Union Address tonight! As an incentive, play this parlor game at the same time. Learn and earn!!!Below is a list of common crutch phrases used by the President in various speeches he uses throughout the year. If you are going to watch the State of the Union Address tonight you might want to play this game during the many stoppages for applause and standing ovations.
There are 50 "cliches" listed. Bet $1.00 on each of them. To the left you will see the odds of this phrase being uttered. Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-48808733678907825552012-01-24T07:48:00.004-06:002012-01-24T07:53:20.541-06:00Forget about SOPA/PIPA...2012 is the year the Internet is going to steal your Consumer Surplus!! See here how your online surfing and shopping habits are conspiring against you...Price Discrimination results from a businesses ability to segment their customers on their willingness to pay for a good or service. An airline ticket is one that many/most teachers use as a prominent example. It is easy to segment customers, mostly based on time in advance for purchasing a ticket, and extract the highest price possible. If a business cannot segment their customers by Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-3671245257637753392012-01-23T10:27:00.000-06:002012-01-23T10:27:47.413-06:00No kidding this time! If you are a fan of population pyramids and what they say about society, THIS website is for you! The best I have seen...If you know of one better, PLEASE let me know. I am a big fan of population pyramids. They can tell us so much about a society. HERE is the BEST interactive website I have seen dedicated to population pyramids. Just about every country is represented.
Below is the US from the year I was born (1960) until 2010. "I see old people", to paraphrase the movie "The Sixth Sense"....
Source: Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-37175144203051806632012-01-23T10:12:00.002-06:002012-01-23T10:15:19.476-06:00MIT is offering a way for everyone to upgrade their education and skill-set for FREE! This IS part of the revolution we NEED in the US...A terrific development: Quality online classes for people who cannot attend college but want to pursue higher education---for whatever their motivation is.
MIT offers MANY FREE online classes in a wide variety of subjects, complete with all the learning resources (including tests) needed to complete a class. I have looked at the one for Microeconomics, and I gotta tell you, IT IS NOT EASY. Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-84698901696528149782012-01-23T09:34:00.001-06:002012-01-23T09:47:11.022-06:00Need your help in estimating the number of jobs either of these policies can/could create...My thought of day:
"If a private company spends "X" number of dollars to build a pipeline and the government(s) spend the the same "X" number of dollars to fix roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, should the number of jobs created by either construction project be ROUGHLY the same?" Factor out for a minute the future benefits or costs either of these two projects might have on society. Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-22531576138872935922012-01-20T07:17:00.001-06:002012-01-20T07:22:54.443-06:00Noticed the price of tires increasing lately? Wonder why? Prepare to burn some mental rubber after you read this...
Tariffs are taxes too! It is probably THE most regressive tax as well (disproportionately hurt lower income people). Because they are embedded in the price of a good we don't see them.
Tariffs are generally imposed to keep the price of a good higher than it normally would be in order to "protect" a domestic producer from lower priced foreign goods. But what if there is no, or very little, Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-17000042553382332272012-01-19T21:05:00.001-06:002012-01-19T21:06:33.576-06:00Great Cartoon: Hostess HAS to be the WORST Corporation ever if they can't stay in business selling junk food to Americans...
Source: The Big Picture
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-40485708571127560062012-01-19T19:57:00.000-06:002012-01-19T19:57:12.934-06:00Nice Info-Graphic showing key Economic and Demographic characteristics between the US and China...Important stuff!!!Click HERE to go to the site to view this info-graphic in better detail. Nice summary of key economic and demographic details between the US and China. HT: David Mayer
Source: The Mint via David Mayer
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-12331949634981036352012-01-19T10:04:00.004-06:002012-01-19T15:22:32.474-06:00Healthcare costs have been the enemy of the "Middle Class" for the last decade. Nice explanation and chart here...A workers income comes in two forms: Wage and Non-Wage compensation. "Wage compensation" is what you are paid per hour or in salary (before any deductions). "Non-wage compensation" is what your employer might pay on your behalf in addition to what they pay you, such their half of the Social Security and Medicare tax, unemployment tax, retirment plans, etc.
Healthcare premiums/costs is another Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-1054755164488583362012-01-18T10:24:00.003-06:002012-01-18T10:30:36.486-06:00What should you major in to have the BEST chance of getting into the 1% of income earners? This list really surprised me. Worth a look!This is an interesting list. I am VERY surprised by some of the results and how relatively diverse it is in terms of undergraduate majors. However, it is weighted heavily on the side of the Math and Sciences. You English and Lit majors have hope!!! :) Source: Economix for more discusson...
Source: Economix
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-85389362736505533452012-01-18T09:33:00.002-06:002012-01-18T09:39:06.262-06:00Just found THE BEST interactive website where you can see who in the House and/or Senate is likely to support/oppose SOPA/PIPA. Sort by Party affiliation, state, CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, etc. MOST EXCELLENT!! Click HERE to link to it...The link is HERE. Be advised---the site is explicit when it says these are representative/senators that have either signed on as sponsors of the bill(s) or based on previous statements or voting records are likely to vote for or against these bills. It DOES NOT show all the members of the House and Senate, but it is reveals the inertia of the direction voting might go. The Senate seems to be Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-33879589830582577832012-01-18T08:44:00.005-06:002012-01-18T08:54:49.803-06:00YIKES! Google is using a Supply-Side economics (Point #2) argument to get people to sign their petition. You Keynesians out there DON'T fall for it, it is a trap!!Below is point #2 from GOOGLE's message to the world. It quite nicely summarizes a "supply-side" argument for a source of economic growth. Google is suggesting Federal Regulations create uncertainty, hurt competitives, costs jobs, stiffles R&D, and discourages investment/entrepreneurship...ALL the things we have heard lately that are NOT problems in our economy. Why is this all of a sudden Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-5367428199358230602012-01-17T20:42:00.000-06:002012-01-17T20:42:15.419-06:00Terrific Info-graphic: Everything you wanted to know about Gold but were afraid to ask (no, this has NOTHING to do with Ron Paul)...
Add caption
From: Number SleuthGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-36771720334252936722012-01-17T18:31:00.000-06:002012-01-17T18:31:22.963-06:00A nice interactive: Enter your household income and see how you rank in terms of the 1% or 99% in different parts of the country...I took a screen shot of a household (all the wage earners under one roof , technically) income of $70,000 (assuming this is Pre-Tax income, but not sure). This could be the rough income of two young, married teachers.
The green boxes show the percent ranking of this household in terms of income "class", in that geographic area. In the D/FW area you would be in the Top 41% of wage earners. In
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-60251003295580750392012-01-16T09:24:00.000-06:002012-01-16T09:24:10.029-06:00The Urban Dictionary definition of an Economist...Love the way they use it in a sentence...So true!The following is from Urban Dictionary...I love the way it is used in a sentence. I think i am going to use this from now on... :)
economist:
one who, starting from a position of over-educated and under-informed logical supposition, commences making erroneous and devastating judgements about the functioning of the world, and then formally codifies their misunderstanding in dogmatic and arrogant Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-9104882947215491062012-01-15T18:51:00.005-06:002012-01-15T21:41:06.356-06:00Nice chart showing gas taxes in various "rich" countries and an excellent graph showing the effect of these taxes on the quantity demanded for gasoline. Bet you can guess what the answer is.One of the primary reasons for the differences in the retail price of gasoline in the "rich world" is the differences in the gas/fuel tax levied on each gallon of gasoline.
This first graph shows, in US dollars, the amount of tax various countries levy on gasoline and diesel fuels. Quite a difference!
Source: Econbrowser
Here is a chart from a different source showing the pre and post tax Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-50796194093664795492012-01-14T17:13:00.001-06:002012-01-14T17:14:37.771-06:00An excellent article on the state of manufacturing and employment in that sector. Please read it to get beyond the screeches of "It's the foreigners fault! "(Righties) or "It's the greedy corporations fault!" (Lefties). Unless you want to just screech and be uninformedManufacturing in the US is not, I repeat NOT, what it used to be for many reasons. Manufacturing output for the US is higher than at any time in history, however, employment in the manufacturing sector is about at 1940's level (surprised by that? I was too). In other words, we make a lot more stuff than ever but are doing it with significantly fewer workers. I know, that seems strange. But ifGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-8157208150424843232012-01-13T15:00:00.000-06:002012-01-13T15:00:46.896-06:00Video explaining the basics of GDP...Whoa! Slow down with the enthusiasm... :)A very nice and concise video explaining the basics of GDP...(HT: Jason Welker)
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-76469838413544816132012-01-13T09:04:00.002-06:002012-01-13T09:07:47.112-06:00Would you like a little sugar with your plastic? Yes, plastic contains sugar! It also has another ingredient that is THE most important one. See what it is here...
BASF Will Join Venture to Make Plastics for Sugar
""Renmatix, based in King of Prussia, Pa., is one of several start-ups that have been pursuing a cost-effective replacement for fossil fuels from non-edible crops, amid mounting concerns about high oil prices and global warming over the past decade. ""I did not know sugar was used/could be used in the manufacturing of plastic. We Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-28789995289834530022012-01-12T19:29:00.002-06:002012-01-12T19:46:33.939-06:00We have a current observable case of income redistribution that promotes significant economic growth. Why don't we try this???One persons idea of an income redistribution plan is another persons idea of piracy. A new study suggests that some areas of Somalia are prospering because of the additonal "income" generated by the spending of ill-gotten ransom gains. How do you say Keynesian Multiplier in Somali?
Below are a some excerpts from a BBC article and below that are the satellite photos from the actual report (Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-66895111439203846932012-01-12T14:41:00.002-06:002012-01-12T14:49:16.587-06:00Nice graph showing how much in US dollars flows to Mexico. This HAS to be bad for "Americans", right???This chart shows the changes in "Remittances to Mexico" since the mid-90's. A remittance is the sending of money from one place to another. In this case, it would be citizens of Mexico working in the US and sending dollars back home. You can look at it as "exporting dollars". Is this a bad thing?
Source: Calculated Risk
Let me put a positive twist on this. Sure, initially those dollars Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-89411976573842024832012-01-12T11:41:00.000-06:002012-01-12T11:41:19.534-06:00Capitalism and the Environment---Friends or Foes? See this cartoon and decide for yourself...Creative Destruction is a feature, not a bug, of Capitalism. I look this simple cartoon and see Capitalism as a tool for improving the physical environment and conserving resources.
Think of all the natural resouces that are/were used to produce the techologies on the left-side "In the Old Days" that are not used on the right-side "Now". Is the net effect positive for the environment? What Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-17729442076251627652012-01-12T11:24:00.000-06:002012-01-12T11:24:53.378-06:00The mid-90's and the housing/banking crisis befuddles me. Help me understand, please...Do these graphs make sense??The first graph is from my post yesterday. It shows the growth in home ownership and the huge spike starting about 1993-94. It started the trend towards recovering previous losses in home ownership starting in 1977 (notice the decline, then leveling off) and quickly surpassed the previous high established in 1977.
The time period 1993-94 in terms of the dramatic increase in home ownership Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-68781006321889590792012-01-11T09:57:00.000-06:002012-01-11T09:57:05.263-06:00Great....Now we going to have to import our rain from China...Sounds like they have not let go of their totalitarian roots by claiming they can do pretty much anything...
Chinese Government Plans to Cause Ten Percent More Rain By 2015
""China is starting four regional programs to artificially increase precipitation across the country by 10 percent before 2015, under a newly released 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), according to the state-run China Daily. Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-6382823635204103702012-01-11T07:57:00.000-06:002012-01-11T07:57:43.271-06:00The Price of Orange Juice is set to increase dramatically...I think comedian Eddie Murphy has something to do with it! See video (and related real-life article) HERE...See video below as to how the "marketplace" responded to this news... :)
Orange juice at 34-year high on fungicide fears
""The price of orange juice futures contracts hit a 34-year high on Tuesday after the main US food safety regulator said it would block imports containing a fungicide commonly used in Brazil, the leading producer of the citrus fruit.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-65293280101251767972012-01-11T07:42:00.001-06:002012-01-11T08:26:36.645-06:00Who is responsible for the Housing Crisis that lead to the banking crisis (or vice versa)? This graph shows me it was a massive group effort. What do you think?
Source: Cafe Hayek
Look at the time span 1993-94. SOMETHING happened to cause the vertical trajectory of homeownership. This might be a rare example of "correlation IS causation". Wall Street greed? Politicians gone wild for votes? Entitled Baby-Boomers? The Federal Reserve catering to ALL these constituencies?
I kinda think it was a group effort. If you are a Occupier then you think Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-64197644625420777812012-01-09T21:51:00.002-06:002012-01-09T22:19:11.772-06:00If you buy Fair Trade products you need to read this. Not to change your mind but to point out its limitations. Information is power...A fundamental problem (or issue, to be more politically correct) with traditional, agrarian-based economies when it comes to "Fair-Trade" is that they are, well, traditional, agrarian-based economies.
The Fair Trade franchise has admirable goals---getting farmers a higher price for their commodity and making sure children are not used/abused as laborers. The latter is a requirement for a farmerGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-60246117177093298402012-01-06T11:00:00.002-06:002012-01-06T11:03:40.720-06:00Important graph for teachers and students...There are many reasons for income inequality. However, I believe THIS graph illustrates a MAJOR underlying reason for it...Think about it...It may be more helpful to just look at the numbers below the graph to see what is going on.
There is lots of talk about income inequality and where it stems from...I think most reasons cited are way off base. I believe THIS ONE is a major source of it but the least talked about.
Education (college/community college/trade school, etc) is the key to (1) a better standard of living (Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-7890104364015982382012-01-05T08:04:00.001-06:002012-01-05T08:05:23.084-06:00Nice graphic showing 50% of the worlds 1%'ers are Americans. What may surprise you is the amount of income needed to make it into this exclusive club.
Source: CNN Money
It is amazing how little income (from an Americans perspective) it takes to be a part of the vaunted 1% world-wide--this is a teachers salary! (keep in mind it notes income AFTER taxes):
""It only takes $34,000 a year, after taxes, to be among the richest 1% in the world. That's for each person living under the same roof, including children. (So a family of four, for example,Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-82607930927164688982012-01-02T10:30:00.000-06:002012-01-02T10:30:19.255-06:00Today is National Buffet Day AND Kim Jong-un has called for the people of NK to form a "human shield "around him. I think these 2 events are related..."" North Korea called on its people to rally behind new leader Kim Jong-un and protect him as "human shields" while working to solve the "burning issue" of food shortages by upholding the policies of his late father, Kim Jong-il.""North Korea calls for "human shields" to protect new leaderIs the "Human Sheild" idea just a clever way for him to keep others out of the Buffet line? Just askin'...
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-30601065797336842402012-01-01T09:19:00.001-06:002012-01-01T09:20:51.526-06:00I have planted many a golf ball in a corn field but have not planted much corn on a golf course. See here WHY Iowa farmers are doing just that. How do you say "FORE!" in corn lingo??A nice article in the NYTIMES today about farmers in Iowa using every bit of land they can to grow crops, even land that previously had been deemed not worthy of cultivation. This is an excellent example of increasing opportunity costs as it related to the Production Possibilities Frontier:
"Across much of the Midwest the sharp increase in farm earnings has driven the price of farmland to Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-74737414462391041092011-12-30T20:07:00.001-06:002011-12-31T08:51:51.685-06:00The Dow is up 6% for the year!..Wow, great!...What is "The Dow"?At the daily close of the US stock market the media reports how the stock market has done overall for the day by announcing how "The Dow", or "Dow Jones" has performed. I don't think most people know exactly what this means. The offical name is "Dow Jones Industrrial Average (DJIA)".
Below are the 30 "Blue Chip" companies that comprise the Dow. Each of these companies are supposed to be Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-38557047527424212862011-12-30T11:27:00.010-06:002011-12-30T13:38:34.152-06:00My modest proposal to help low income people save 10% today on a necessity for their children...This policy is DOABLE! Why do Dems and Reps hate poor people?Now that the Spiderman and the X-Men, along with their trade lawyers, have defeated (sort of) tariffs on their action figures (see previous post HERE) they can turn their attention to helping poor/low income people.
Tariffs (taxes) on imported shoes are VERY regressive--the lower the price of the shoe the higher the tariff.
""Footwear tariffs are simply a hidden, regressive tax on a household Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-35352725211953953862011-12-29T20:40:00.010-06:002011-12-29T20:57:20.038-06:00Spiderman and the X-Men have met their match: International Trade Lawyers have stripped them of their Humanity...Why is Marvel Inc NOT upset with this development? Two words "$$"
Radiolab
In their quest to be accepted for their humanity in light of their super-natural powers, the likes of Spiderman and the X-men have been foiled by mighty International Trade Lawyers. In this case, the Marvel brand is VERY happy for this outcome.
Imported "Dolls" have a much higher import tariff than items classified as "Toys". Marvel action figures imported from China are classifiedGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-5180337414133522622011-12-29T12:20:00.000-06:002011-12-29T12:20:06.225-06:00Why young women are better than young men during these economic hard times...
Here is what (some/many) young men are doing during economic hard times...
This from the WSJ regarding Nike's release of the new Jordan sneaker:
"Sneakerheads," as they are referred to in the industry, tend to be young, male and live from paycheck to paycheck, Mr. Hicks said. As a result, he said, many launches are scheduled for the second Friday of the month or the end of the month, when Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-56596670134238426882011-12-29T08:29:00.001-06:002011-12-29T08:32:17.957-06:00Interested in a programming or computer/ software engineering as a career? Want to work for a Start-Up firm? Nice Infographic and links here that might be helpful to you...Go HERE for the Source and perhaps a better view...For those of you already aware of this type of info, does it provide good advice? Are the suggested links legit? Thanks!
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-26836063049266854822011-12-28T13:34:00.000-06:002011-12-28T13:34:17.823-06:00"Who's on First?"---See why Big Sugar is Suing Big Corn over naming rights to Corn Syrup. How much do we subsidize these 2 industries EVERY year??I hope in the opening arguement one of the lawyers uses is a modified "Who's on First" routine...The Sugar industry is suing the Corn industry because the Corn industry wants to change the name of corn syrup to "Corn Sugar" which the Sugar s industry believes will confuse consumers into thinking Corn Sugar is comparable to "real" sugar. Got that??? Sweet....
Big Corn, Big Sugar in bitter US rowGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-35422670785513423422011-12-28T12:16:00.002-06:002011-12-28T12:47:35.002-06:00Nice (scary) Infographic on the 2011 Federal Budget. Increasing/Decreasing taxes and/or Decreasing/Increasing spending is NOT going to get us out of this hole. Only one thing will...Click HERE (The CBO) to go to original source and a better view...Massive net job creation is the ONLY thing that is going to get us out of this mess. Increasing/decreasing taxes and/or increasng/decreasing govt spending are all political distractions undertaken by political ideologues who have no idea what else to do. Losers of the high ground always look for others to blame: "Blame the Rich!!Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-50777238238784267822011-12-27T17:57:00.000-06:002011-12-27T17:57:38.191-06:00Is that a Flash Drive in your pocket...or the First IBM super computer? Nice photo showing the change over time of computer storage capability...(Via Carpe Diem) For those of us of a certain age and novice users of computers, this is a reminder of how far technology has evolved in our lifetimes. Still dont know how those little pin drives work, but I am happy they do...
‘In September 1956 IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the first ‘SUPER’ computer with a hard disk drive (HDD). The HDD weighed over a ton and stored 5 MB of data.’
- Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-21962918697452356712011-12-23T09:18:00.008-06:002011-12-23T09:35:14.192-06:00If you like back-stories on history (or Literature), this is for you--Who was the REAL Scrooge and was he as bad as Dickens portrayed him? I did not know this before. VERY interesting!!(HT: Conversable Economist)
Revealed: the Scot who inspired Dickens' Scrooge
""HIS name became an aphorism for meanness, but the base nature of Ebenezer Scrooge was inadvertently fashioned by failing light and an author whose eyesight was equally dim.
The real "Scrooge", an Edinburgh merchant, could not have been more different from his literary counterpart.
But the gloaming of an evening in Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-47182455723889498322011-12-22T17:13:00.001-06:002011-12-22T17:15:42.637-06:00Would YOU pay $5,300 for this TV to watch the Bowl Games coming up?Me either. It WAS made in the USA, but not many could buy one. We had a crappy, tiny black and white one...
Another way to look at it---the average wage in 1964 was $2.50 per hour (production and non-supervisory workers--Source HERE). At that wage, it would take someone ($749.00, the price of the first TV in 1964, divided by $2.50) 299.9 hours, or 7 1/2 weeks, to earn enough to buy this TV.
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-81789236139974411002011-12-22T07:27:00.000-06:002011-12-22T07:27:58.790-06:00China just surpassed the US in terms of manufacturing output. This MUST have been at our expense, right?? See this graph and you tell me, please...China just surpassed the US in terms of the dollar value of manufacturing output/finished goods, i.e. "stuff"). China is the BLUE line and the US is the RED line. The US trend line has been remarkably consistent over time. Post-recession, we are recovering and it looks like we are going to be back on that long term rend. (For my math friends out there, if you were to draw a US trend line, Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-18448254436798633572011-12-22T06:32:00.003-06:002011-12-22T06:39:39.684-06:00Excellent Interactive for adults and kids alike! See how the prices of the items in the classic song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" have changed over time. Christmas and Economics---Does it get any better? I think not...A very nice interactive HERE showing the change in prices over time of the items in the classic Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas". An entertaining holiday distraction for you and/or your kids AND you/they get to learn a little economics as well....Win!! :)
PNC---Christmas Price Index
Here is a video sample:
I bet "10 Lords a Leapin'" are relatively inexpensive to hire now-a-days.Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-86190901328289263202011-12-20T08:54:00.001-06:002011-12-20T09:26:08.857-06:00ATTN TEACHERS: This one is for you! Here is a list of "High Paying Jobs that GREW in number during the recession"...I am just the messenger...7th one down....the graph below this one shows the change in teaching jobs since 2006. How can the number of administrators INCREASE and the number of teachers DECREASE? Who are those Administrators administratin' to???
Source: EconomicModeling via Carpe Diem
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-67143475040667547322011-12-20T08:30:00.002-06:002011-12-20T08:32:17.732-06:00I am living in the Chicago area now...I need survival tips...And a job!Due to a job promotion and transfer (from Dallas/Ft Worth area) for my wife (@Verizonwireless), I am living in the Chicago area (Deer Park) now. This is quite an adjustment. I grew up in Northern New England so I know cold, but as a young person. I have resided in Texas since getting out of the Marine Corps in 1984-85. I may need some cold weather survival tips from some of you Northerners or Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-69361397830149028762011-12-19T20:43:00.002-06:002011-12-19T20:43:59.588-06:00Attention Students: You are short-changing yourself if you don't look off-shore for career potential---this graph shows you all you need to know...A stunning reversal of fortunes...Since the year 1999 the change in trade flows to "Emerging Economies, mainly Brazil, Russia, India, China has been dramatic. This graph shows imports into Developed and Emerging Markets. One countries imports is another countries exports. If you are pondering a career with growth potential, look outwardly. Incomes around the world are rising and businesses/Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-29273887769583758342011-12-19T10:32:00.037-06:002011-12-19T13:21:27.029-06:00Nice Venn diagrams showing the hazards of the relationship between the Federally Regulated and the Federal Regulators who Regulate Them...I thought this was supposed to STOP???Nice Venn diagrams showing the revolving door of regulator to regulated and vice versa. You will see people from industry appointed to Federal agencies responsible for regulating the industry that person came from, AND you will find former elected officials who now lobby for the same companies they were responsible for regulating when they were in office. Can you say "Conflict of Interest?" or Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-24306985721768592092011-12-19T08:30:00.000-06:002011-12-19T08:30:37.659-06:00Another interesting Millennial Info-Graphic---How you consume your media (fancy way of saying music/video/movies/TV)---Music is King/Queen...
Source: Adweek
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-90417688962285107712011-12-19T07:33:00.002-06:002011-12-19T08:03:26.606-06:00Here is an "Inconvenient Truth" about Kim Jong Il---One of the World's Greatest Environmentalists..If you are scraping the bottom of the barrel to find something positive to say about Kim Jong Il's legacy, then this might be it. He could be the most "Green" Dictator in history. I think one can win a Nobel Prize for that now-a-days...
One Great Thing About North Korea's Stagnant Economy
While it continues to be one of the poorest countries in the world, North Korea has at least one good Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-2105599555751948782011-12-17T09:28:00.001-06:002011-12-17T09:29:15.667-06:00The Millennials: The BEST Generation or Worse Generation Ever? Nice info-graphic showing generational characteristics...
Source: Chartporn
Created by: Online Graduate ProgramsGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-41750260805686965692011-12-17T08:39:00.003-06:002011-12-17T08:42:21.711-06:00Here is an objective view of our persistent Unemployment problem that people don't want to face because it is too difficult to address BUT is the primary problem in the Long Run...While politicians and partisans of all stripes, literally and figuratively, howl at the moon in terms of blame for our economic woes, I prefer students block that out and look at root causes.
Below is an excellent commentary on a significant part (I believe) of our labor employment problem in the US. Much of it is self induced. By that I mean through the collective actions of individuals, Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-36982374191720765042011-12-14T05:52:00.001-06:002011-12-14T05:58:33.153-06:00Nice Graphic...Jobs/Careers projected to need the most workers in the next decade...Are YOU on the right path?What is not debatable is the fact that continued education is needed to make sure you have the necessary skills to be an employable worker in the future. Do not stagnate and think you have enough knowledge to perform a job. Always look to the next step within your chosen career field and be ready/prepared to move in any career direction.
Source: Jared Bernstein
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-40757302173921800922011-12-10T13:37:00.003-06:002011-12-10T21:41:20.356-06:00Pop Quiz: "Are there more or fewer Federal Government employees today as compared to 1970?". The answer WILL surprise you...In my last post, I showed a graph of the trend in government employment since 1970. That graph showed employment at ALL levels of government---Federal, State and Local. Got me to thinking...
Has employment at the Federal level increased dramatically, as many would assume? Even if it has in the short run, what has Federal employment been historically?
The graph below shows on the Left scale: Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-18962073427358996282011-12-03T11:12:00.000-06:002011-12-03T11:12:14.533-06:00Which President in the last 40 years can claim the title of "Small Government" President, in terms of the Federal Workforce? Better look at this before you answer...Can you identify the US President(s) since 1970 who have decreased the Federal Workforce significantly during their time in office?...Regardless of your political affiliation, are you feeling a little conflicted right now?? Kinda looks like there is only ONE "small government" President, doesn't it??
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-5290683068406049222011-12-03T10:23:00.001-06:002011-12-03T10:28:07.025-06:00Snapshot of where jobs were gained and lost in the lastest Employment Report...Read it and weep...Here are the major categories of industries and the change in jobs in each of those industries. Under "Nov 2011" are the number of jobs created (or if a negatice, jobs lost) in those industries in the month of November (add 3 zeroes to the number you see to get the correct number in thousands). It also shows a comparison to Oct and Sept 2011 AND compares to a year ago (Nov 2010).
The Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-23247560255131502702011-12-03T09:52:00.005-06:002011-12-03T10:01:27.884-06:00US becomes a Net Exporter of Petroleum products for the first time in 62 years!! Is this a good thing? Nice new graphic showing the cause...This caught me by surprise. The US, for the first time in 62 years, has become a net EXPORTER of petroleum and petroleum based products. Gasoline and diesel fuels (for cars and trucks) lead the way.
The following graph may help explain some of the reason. It shows a leveling-off of gasoline supplied in the US starting in about 2005 and then declined in 2007-08 (recession started).
Source:Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-70055205591424997482011-12-01T18:39:00.001-06:002011-12-01T18:42:43.780-06:00"Green Energy is People!!"**I did not make this up, but wish I did. To get it, you will have to be familiar with the theme of the movie "Soylent Green"...
Crematorium May Generate Electricity
""A CREMATORIUM wants to install turbines in two of its burners to generate electricity.
The burners at Durham Crematorium would use the heat generated during the cremation process to provide the same amount of electricity as would Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-64439055039425632432011-12-01T06:34:00.003-06:002011-12-01T06:43:57.841-06:00Those of you in college struggling with finals preparation, here is some motivation for you (see Chart)---Education PAYS in terms of earning potential and likely-hood of being unemployed...
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-49654432076794287762011-11-26T09:03:00.001-06:002011-11-26T09:47:07.501-06:00Want to know how close (or far) you are from being a "1%-er" in terms of income? You may be closer then you think. Enter your income and press the button...EASY!Want to know where YOU fit in as far as percentile of income relative to everyone else? Below is an example. If your yearly income is (based on tax return filings) $10,000 then you are in the 11th percentile---89% of other income earners earn more than you do. Go HERE to enter your income and see where you rank...
Source: Wall Street Journal
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-77227205563803378982011-11-23T08:03:00.002-06:002011-11-23T08:05:18.890-06:00Two nice graphics showing energy consumption by source. We are failing...Reality Check. As much as I would like the us to move to a cleaner and less political (by political I mean we dont have to go to war or maintain a military presence to get it) source of energy, this is the real world.
The first graphic shows the sources of fuel for electricity. The second one shows what we need for everyting else. Look how Oil "pops" from the first to the second. Oil is not Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-54610651243531723812011-11-21T05:20:00.004-06:002011-11-21T06:20:40.470-06:00Science Friction: Read this "Tariff-ic" posting on the issue of "Tomato Paste/Sauce as a Veggie--Congressional Edition". Read, Cuss and Discuss...The hottest debate in Congress these days is how much tomato paste (derived from a fruit) is required on a slice of pizza to classify said tomato paste as a vegetable (which is NOT a fruit). Ha! And you thought it was the Super-Committees failure to arrive at a budget solution.
We have all heard the timeless debate as to whether tomatoes are a fruit or vegetable. I think the botanical scienceGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-78620648591201593892011-11-18T18:46:00.000-06:002011-11-18T18:46:48.196-06:00Lesson in Productivity...More food with fewer workers...Should we be OUTRAGED that employment in agriculture has declined so much??Productivity (Output per worker) down on the farm is amazing. The first graph shows the yield per acre of various agricultural commodities relative to the growth of the US population. Food production per capita has increased dramatically post-Depression Era.
Source: Coyote Blog
This second graph shows productivity in agriculture has been achieved with fewer workers. Notice in both graphs Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-21192810223703669622011-11-16T14:39:00.001-06:002011-11-16T14:39:09.851-06:00Nice chart showing the difference in gasoline prices between the US and Europe...Why the big difference???Here is a chart showing the differences in the price of gasoline between the US and Europe at-large. Why is there such a large disparity between the two continents?
Source: Business Insider
Much of the difference comes from the level of taxation on gasoline. Here are a few examples of countries shown above and the dollar amount in taxes levied on a gallon of gasoline.
Belgium Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-85828547117421320542011-11-16T12:47:00.000-06:002011-11-16T12:47:17.082-06:00Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-88906893256643629412011-11-13T21:02:00.000-06:002011-11-13T21:02:50.314-06:00"So, how did you make your millions? I invented the "OBOL". REALLY? YOU are THAT guy!!"The above is a conversation I WISH I was able to have. How many times have you had a great idea? What is the difference between me and the inventor of the Obol? Follow-through....
From Brookstone:
Hate soggy cereal? Problem solved! Obol® has two sections--an upper area for your cereal, and a lower reservoir for milk. Scoop a spoonful of your cereal into your spoon, then swoop into the milk Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-47858416476192186532011-11-11T09:40:00.000-06:002011-11-11T09:40:49.425-06:00New energy pipeline and the thousands of jobs private sector jobs it would create has been shelved for environmental reasons. Look at this map and tell me if this action is justified...Below is a map of existing oil,natural gas, and gasoline pipelines that criss-cross the US. The building of a new pipeline, called the KeystoneXL, has been shelved by the Administration on evironmental grounds. This pipeline would provide 1,000's (10's of thougsands??) private sector jobs relatively quickly and meet some/alot of your domestic energy needs more efficiently...Not going to happen, Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-85828554297476094972011-11-08T20:09:00.001-06:002011-11-08T20:10:14.544-06:00Be prepared to pay a new Federal Tax on Christmas trees. The money will be used to promote the Christmas Tree Industry. This is NOT an Onion story...Obama Couldn’t Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax
""President Obama’s Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees—the Christmas Tree Tax—to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.
In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-45840310828422880902011-11-08T18:35:00.000-06:002011-11-08T18:35:47.201-06:00Teachers: Something to reinforce what you tell students EVERYDAY. Students: PLEASE read this and don't take it for granted. You WILL hurt yourself if you don't!Teachers: Something to share with your students.
Students: BEING ON TIME IS IMPORTANT! However, this is something you will have to learn on your own. I have seen people who make $50,000 per year lose their jobs because they cannot get to work on time...Sad...
Small Business: A Good Worker Is Hard to Find
""Much has been made of the failure of the U.S. educational system to produce highly Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-91613822211402726162011-11-07T20:15:00.001-06:002011-11-07T20:16:10.747-06:00Follow up to my College major/earning power posting--See these visuals on Unemployment Rates and Salary potential for a wide variety of majors...Good stuff...As a follow up to my previous post on college majors, here are some screen shots from the Wall Street Journal that show a pretty comprehensive list of majors, there approx unemployment rates and rough estimates of earning power in the market place. This might encourage or discourage you. I just provide the info...
From College Major to Career
Choosing the right college major can make a big Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-32936858759968230822011-11-07T19:19:00.003-06:002011-11-07T19:23:14.972-06:00My short commentary on a graph that all students in college (or going to go) should see and think about...Below is a selective grouping of college majors to illustrate the point that since 1985 there has been a rapid increase in the number of students getting degrees in majors, that, well, for the lack of a better term---don't have much earning power in the marketplace. (Go HERE for the original source for this and a more extensive discussion)
The number of students that get degrees in majors that Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-71820654463416583622011-11-06T20:35:00.002-06:002011-11-06T20:40:55.952-06:00And The Survey Says: Chili's is going to do me wrong!I completed an online survey after visiting my local Chilis. It says I am eligible to win a cash prize. Notice the amounts under "Eligible Prize(s)". It quotes the prize in US Dollars, Canadian Dollars, British Pounds and Euros. I wonder if I have a choice of currency to receive my prize?
Here are the currency conversions at the latest exchange rates:
$1,000US = $1,000US
$1,000 Canadian Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-43558541995091281512011-11-06T09:56:00.001-06:002011-11-06T10:00:13.934-06:00New and improved US Debt charts with China---always stunning to see how it has changed in just 10 years...Don't know why I like debt graphs/charts as they relate to China. I suppose it is because of the shocking rise of it such a short period of time.
The first one (smaller one with yellow bars) shows the dollar amount of US Treasury's owned by China ( I assume by the Govt and/or its citizens). The second part of the graph shows the total US PUBLIC debt of $10 Trillion. This excludes the portion Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-63312184748447665702011-11-05T17:05:00.000-05:002011-11-05T17:05:18.826-05:00Early map of the way the Electoral College vote may go...Like it or not, this is how we elect a President...USA Today has nice interactive graphic displaying some key variables that are in play for the next Presidential election. I know it is early in the process, but I wanted to remind you of the impact the Electoral College has in selecting the President.
The chart below shows the safe states for each partys candidates and the ones, that while not in their pockets, trend toward one party over theGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-72531884065616387082011-11-04T06:46:00.083-05:002011-11-05T14:34:19.007-05:00GDP vs EMPLOYMENT...This is THE graph people FOR and AGAINST the OWS protesters need to see and think about...In AP Macroeconomics we teach students there is a direct relationship between changes in Real GDP and Employment (or an inverse relationship between Real GDP and UN-employment).
In the graph below this relationship holds nicely, whether Real GDP (Blue Line) is increasing or decreasing. Employment (RED Line) follows, albeit to different degrees but the relationship is relatively tight. It Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-54572223971934212312011-11-02T17:52:00.001-05:002011-11-02T17:54:01.856-05:00Nice graphic showing US Military bases around the world...The reach is far and wide. How much is this costing us???Go HERE for the original source and prehaps a more clear image..
Source: HERE
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-2898675232551223902011-11-01T16:37:00.001-05:002011-11-01T16:37:46.124-05:00How many $100 bills does it take to finance the Federal Budget this year? See it neatly stacked in this graphic here...This graphic represents the spending side of the Federal Budget in 2011. What you see here are stacked pallets of $100 bills. Not $1.00 bills but $100 bills...The stack on the left represents the amount of money we actually have from tax revunes. The stack on the right represents the amount we have to borrow THIS year to fully fund the budget. Go HERE to see more of this particular graphic..
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-76816749874991977312011-11-01T13:22:00.000-05:002011-11-01T13:22:40.655-05:00It is a MYTH: Sugar and Candy do NOT make kids hyper...This one can be filed away with the razor blade in the fruit myth..Sugar, and candy, do not make kids hyper (Click HERE for the razor blade story)
Since it’s now the day after Halloween, I thought I’d protect your children from this myth. It’s also one of my favorites.
Let’s cut to the chase: sugar doesn’t make kids hyper. There have been at least twelve trials of various diets investigating different levels of sugar in children’s diets. That’s more studies Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-79641479178205372902011-11-01T09:54:00.001-05:002011-11-01T09:56:35.114-05:00Nice interactive showing you where you rank in terms of the global population...Kinda Cool!Click HERE to go to the BBC website and enter your own date of birth to see where you fit in the population of the world. Mine is below...
Source: BBC
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-56635172088411988042011-10-31T21:24:00.003-05:002011-11-01T09:42:57.948-05:00Real life effects of Xenophobia (the fear of foreigners) and how ill advised it is to use it as the basis for economic policy...So much for the thought that "Americans" will fill the jobs that migrant/illegal/ the undocumented so willingly do year after year.
Here real life examples of the "unseen" effect of policies that are misguided and are enacted to please certain constituencies that should have been plainly "seen". This is bad economic and social policy.
The following links and blurbs are from Carpe Diem...
1Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-72772579226489983552011-10-30T21:46:00.001-05:002011-10-30T21:48:35.540-05:00Nice graphic showing the situation with Social Security...A concern for the young and old...Go HERE for the source of this graphic in the Washington Post (Via: Jared Bernstein blog).
A concern should be the cross-over point between surplus and shortfall. There are lots of divergent viewpoints as to whether this constitutes a crisis or not.
Revenues will still come into the fund from current workers payroll taxes (6.20% from workers and 6.20% from employers). Until now that has been Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-40185333924900228252011-10-30T11:09:00.016-05:002011-10-30T19:53:40.236-05:00Nice graphic showing Americans are driving fewer miles... In general this is good, but maybe it is for the wrong reasons..Number of the Week: Cutting Back On Driving
4.6 Billion: How many fewer miles traveled by drivers on U.S. roads in August than a year earlier:
Source: WSJ
These two graphs/charts don't synch up exactly, but you can see the direct relationship between the demand for gasoline and the miles driven over time. The independent variable of course is the price of gasoline.
It is generally accepted Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-46516920241615807142011-10-30T10:27:00.002-05:002011-10-30T10:28:12.795-05:00Nice podcast from NPR on the pitfalls of measuring GDP. Good stuff!Measuring Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a daunting task, especially in an economy like the US which so large and has many moving parts.
This is a short primer on some of the shortcomings of measuring GDP and how it is not an accurate measure of "social welfare". Like all statistics on the economy, you have to drill down deeper into the data to really get a sense of what is happening in the Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-90993748561985623872011-10-18T19:16:00.000-05:002011-10-18T19:16:39.368-05:00This is probably THE BEST protest sign from "OWS". It sums up the "investment" vehicle that brought down the financial/banking system. Wonder how many people ACTUALLY know this???For a further explanation of this toxic "investment" go HERE...
Source: Chris Blattman
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-6090127473692055182011-10-18T19:00:00.000-05:002011-10-18T19:00:02.107-05:00"Don't Cry for Dallas/Ft Worth, Argentina"---See how US cities stack up in production of goods and services relative to whole countries...The US economy is STILL a GDP producing monster, even in the midst of a recession/near-recession. Below is a comparison of US cities dollar value of production of goods and services with a country that has a similar dollar value of production (GDP).
Dallas/Ft Worth is ranked number 6 in the US. If it was its own separate country it would have the GDP of Argentina. Argentina is the 28th Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-3452720058170807632011-10-17T15:28:00.003-05:002011-10-17T15:31:45.943-05:00OWS protesters really smoked all the grass in the park...No, really they did. Read about it here...Not literally, but it has been obliterated..."OWS" protesters have killed newly sodded grassy areas that were funded with Federal stimulus dollars...
I wonder if any of them are going to volunteer to pay for their damage or organize to help clean up and restore the park...Rhetorical question---no answer required...
'Occupiers' killing stimulus-funded sod in D.C.
""The Occupy D.C. protests, as Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-80960272295618506712011-10-17T15:11:00.001-05:002011-10-17T15:13:50.372-05:003 men arrested for terrorizing the Amish community in Ohio...I KNEW they looked familiar!!Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-34373250832286637342011-10-16T10:40:00.000-05:002011-10-16T10:40:24.936-05:00Steve Jobs career in numbers---Nice one-stop graphic for Everything Steve Jobs...
Source: The Big Picture
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-27690294632958078542011-10-15T14:21:00.001-05:002011-10-15T14:21:56.022-05:00A young child has trouble navigating a magazine---thinks it is an I-Pad...What are the social implications of this, if any?Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-81389957805116418082011-10-15T13:56:00.001-05:002011-10-15T13:58:59.469-05:00Nice population pyramid charts to remind us of the ticking fiscal timebomb awaiting the next generation. THIS is what the OWC's SHOULD be protesting...Go South protesters-- towards Capitol Hill...Click on the video below to see the age-demographic change occurring in the US. This is ground zero for a potential busted national budget in the coming decades. Notice the shape of the pyramid in 1981, specifically the proportion of young working age adults to the retired population (65 and older). It is a distinct triangle with a wide base and narrow top. There are far more younger workers Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-65392099754516076372011-10-11T18:01:00.002-05:002011-10-12T19:55:19.076-05:00Nice article on "Rent-Seeking"---"The Rest of the Story" behind why Banks are now charging YOU fees for using your Debit Card...I linked the article/opinion piece below in my previous post with the Venn diagram showing the over-arching common bond that the TEA party and the Wall Street protest movement have in common. I am linking it again because it reveals "the rest of the story" behind the recent imposition of bank fees on debit card use. I was not aware of this backstory, but probably should have known there was Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-39388648748363763172011-10-11T09:58:00.001-05:002011-10-11T17:33:13.927-05:00Venn diagram showing what Wall Street Protesters and TEA Party Protesters have in common...
Source:KPC
Below is an opinion piece that captures the fears of both sides of the political spectrum---Corporate influence on politics and the politicians (and their former aides) who use their position/power to cater to those corporate interests. Read it and see how the system REALLY works...
Thank Wal-Mart for your new bank card fee
When Bank of America announced last week that it would Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-63429960567165064902011-10-03T20:04:00.003-05:002011-10-03T20:20:45.503-05:00Nice graphic on how much we spend educating each student in the US. My conclusion: We either spend too much, not enough, or it is just right. Confused? See why here...Fact is, we know how much we SPEND on each student, but do we know how much is actually COSTS to educate each student? Fundamentally different questions.
According to the graph below, in 1995 spending per student was approx $8,600 and in 2010 it was approx. $11,600 per student. That is an increase of 35% ($11,600 minus $8,600 = $3,000. $3,000/$8,600 X 100 = 35%) in 15 years.
Source: Carpe Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-73101655198744168892011-10-02T17:45:00.001-05:002011-10-02T19:36:38.723-05:00Graphic showing Female leaders of countries around the world...Should be MORE!
Source: The Knowledge Effect via ChartPorn
Gene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1213331072378388884.post-21407153641262575982011-09-29T22:21:00.000-05:002011-09-29T22:21:34.330-05:00See this graphic video of an American Bald Eagle being killed by a GREEDY energy company...This is different.The "greedy" energy company is own that owns and operates wind farms. Wind farms are very dangerous for the bird population (HT: Carpe Diem):
""The graphic video above shows a magnificent eagle getting killed by a wind turbine. According to a 2009 estimate from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (reported on the American Bird Conservancy website here), those bird fatalities happen more thanGene Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08848814178464097668noreply@blogger.com1