Japanese: Getting Something Right Besides Quality

As a child growing up in the 1960 and early 70’s, the phrase Made in Japan was for cheap trinkets and poorly made electronics. All that changed when they discovered that America was ripe for quality products. American manufacturers had grown complacent and were cranking out nothing more than consumer goods that were designed to wear out. I remember rust being a major component of American cars back in the disco era and it is a rare site today.

Well, the Japanese have taken to emulating the Americans from the 1960 and 70’s in that they top the list of people that would not “sacrifice a convenient lifestyle to prevent global warming.” I love the Japanese now. They have taken an American view and adopted it despite a growing world infatuation with the effects of weather. Unfortunately, at the same time Americans have waded into the twilight zone of lunacy by embracing the idea that we are responsible for all things bad in the world and cannot take credit for the good things that we do.

America removed a ruthless dictator from Iraq and prevented the torture of thousands of Iraqi citizens. We also provided them the opportunity to choose the direction of their fledgling government. A good thing right? Not in the eyes of the anti-war group. Those who can, should help those who can’t but for some reason sacrifice for the betterment of all doesn't fit in the liberal lexicon. For them, it is easier to kill potential terrorists before they are born.

The Japanese need to start exporting their philosophy on global warming. It worked for creating a culture in which quality improved manufacturing all over the world. Maybe with their help, we can get back to the ideas that progress and the free market will create their own improvements and stop the backwards march of the tree hugging, loons.

Icool

Cobb

Pushing The Envelope or Currency Discrimination

I remember reading an article several months ago about a court case where an advocate for the blind was suing the US Treasury because they felt that paper money discriminated against the vision impaired. Today, a US Appeals Court agreed that the US Treasury did discriminate by not making our paper money readable for blind people. This does not appear to be a big issue as the Treasury has redesigned the money several times over the last 20 years to fight counterfeiting. But now we are faced with a small group of people suing to change something that will have little affect on the rest of the population. That bothers me.

We already have brail on the drive up ATM machines. I am very worried about that. How do blind people get a driver’s license? I can see this being carried to its natural absurdity by the “everyone needs to be equal society” (ie.. socialist / communist / democrat party). The next thing we will be legally mandated by the courts is that all purchased items will need to be identified as to what they are so the blind can buy them. Every box, can, and container will need to be identified so the blind will be able to purchase them. Let’s raise the cost of all products because we need to be able to identify them in the dark.

If we take this to the next step in absurdity, we can include all disabled classes in this arrangement. Music must be made hearable to the deaf or cinnamon rolls must be made smell able to the aromatic impaired. After all, aren’t we discriminating against those who are not able to hear and smell these things? I do not disagree that with all of the changes that have occurred in our currency in the last several years, something could have been done. What annoys me is the creeping incrementalism of the liberal / progressive agenda. Get your foot in the door with one small concession and then open the flood gates to pound out every day common sense. People are not born with equal abilities. That is the way God made us. Get over it.

Icool

Cobb

H Beam Piper

Every once in a while, you come across an author that sparks your interest. I have discovered an author from the explosive era of science fiction that not only writes a good story but also uses his stories to explain why the hand out mentality of the socialist governments creates a nation of lazy people. I started reading Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper (I know, the name sounds like a grade B adult cinema flick) and became intrigued.

The book is part of his future history. He wrote about the expansion of man across the universe and how we would handle the colonization of the planets we discovered. Little Fuzzy refers to the discovery of a creature that appears to be sentient. For all intensive purposes, it sounds like they are the creatures that George Lucas used when he created the Ewoks. The battle is between the people who discovered them and the corporation that has the rights to exploit the planet. He paints the corporation as greedy and mean spirited but he approaches it from a European colonial mentality. Exploit, use and make as obscene profit as you can. Make sure you eliminate any obstacle that gets in your way.

In the end, the good guys win and in the sequel, the corporation teams up with the good guys to take out the corrupt, mafia style organization that is preying on the Fuzzy's good nature. Piper uses his vast knowledge of history to incorporate how by ignoring the past, we are likely to repeat it. He uses that same knowledge to demonstrate how stagnation and rot settle in when the government takes too big of a role in our daily lives.

Unfortunately, H Beam Piper did not live to finish his future history. He fell in love and married a lady from France. He was in love with her but she was not in love with him. Unfortunately, she left him and created a significant amount of financial hardship that we was unable to cover. He ended up taking his own life. A sad loss for the world of science fiction. At least we have the legacy of the works he left behind.

Icool

Cobb

Avoidance

I realize that I have not been as faithful to posting as I was when I first started this blog. It is not for want of trying but rather a change in the pace of both work and life. If you have read any of the last few posts, you know how my work schedule has been going. As far as life, any middle aged parent knows how the curve balls keep right on coming. Whether it is kids or parents or other unexpected family situations, I have been constantly running to keep up.

The one place I have almost completely ignored is the on going circus that has become our 2008 Presidential campaign. I know that we have three major candidates still in the race and it looks like it will end up being Obama vs McCain. I must say that I lack enthusiasm for either and am completely apathetic about the entire election process. From talking to others, I am certainly not alone in these feelings.

We have a one term black Senator who has become the poster child for JFK wanna bees. As Lloyd Bensen said to Dan Quayle in one of the 1988 Vice Presidential debates, "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Jack Kennedy had a conservative financial streak that is entirely lacking in Senator Obama. Kennedy was also not a member of the African American branch of the KKK. If I heard that kind of hate-speak in church, I would certainly not attend there. 20 years is a long time.

We also have a multi-term Senator from Arizona who looks like he was there for the founding of the state back in 1912. Senator McCain, a decorated Vietnam war veteran and POW, has assumed the mantle for the Republican party. As Lurch (not John Kerry) would say, "Uhhhhhhhhhh." His political makeup is very close to that of Obama. It might be better if they teamed up on one ticket to save us the pain of having to elect one of them. But that would be bad for the circus. After all, you pays your money and you makes your choice. Slim pickings any way you look at it.

Icool

Cobb

Last Train To Mandalay

When even the United Nations has reservations about continuing to assist Myanmar (formally Siam for those Yul Brynner fans), it becomes an issue. The corrupt, ultra anti-American governmental organization (The United Nations for those who are not following the exploits of money for oil and Kofi Annan) that spends more time bashing its biggest patron (that would be the US government) than assisting those in need has pulled the white flag on the military government of this devastated nation. But what is a poor, totalitarian regime to do if it wants to stay in power. We must keep concepts of world government out of the minds of our citizens. If only Congress would pass similar laws.

The Myanmar government has confiscated the shipments of food that are being flown in to help those people that were affected by the cyclone. It has no issues with the donations but it does not want the outside influence of those UN workers corrupting their citizens with ideas that they would be better off under the domination of a world government. After all, a world government would want to make everyone equal throughout the world at the expense of those who have already succeeded. Sounds a little too much like communism to me. The United States succeeded and became a world power due to the hard work and dedication of it's citizens. It is nothing short of jealousy that appears to be driving their desire to create a society of equals. It would be like inviting the Vandals into Washington for tea and scones.

I am a supporter of humanitarian aid. As the most prosperous nation in the world, the United States has an obligation to help those in need. It is an obligation that we live up to. We are the largest contributor to the U.N. food programs. Americans are known for their generosity toward those in need whether it be due to a hurricane and New Orleans or a tsunami and the Indian Ocean community of countries. What we do not need it a group of super power wanna bees telling us how we should be supporting the rest of the world. I don't remember any mention of them in our Constitution. I did not see them doing anything more than avoiding paying their parking tickets in New York. You've heard the phrase, "Diplomatic Immunity." If only we could get the same reaction for the hoard crossing our southern border.

Icool

Cobb

It's Crude After All

I am spending the weekend in Oklahoma. I have an aunt who has had a stroke and is probably not long for this world and I wanted to say goodbye before the opportunity passed me by. After all, as you get older, the things that really matter are much different than those you chased as a teen or twenty year old. Ah, youth. As my drill sergeants at Fort Sill used to say, "To be young and dumb and full of ... " We will leave off the last of that for family reasons.

What I have found in traveling almost half way across the United States is that our country has a considerable wealth of petroleum. There are oil pumps running round the clock to put that most precious of resources in the hands of refineries to produce gasoline. When I was out here 20 years ago, most of the pumps were not running. What that tells me is that $120 per barrel oil is much more appealing to the producers than $30 per barrel oil. The owners of the mineral rights are making sure they get their fair share instead of giving it all to the foreign producers.

I wrote an entry last year that gave the statistic that 50% of America's petroleum requirements were provided domestically. That means that half of the wealth generated by the meteoric rise in gas prices is kept right here at home. We are so willing to point the finger at how rich the Saudis are getting that we forget that we ourselves are providing a path to wealth to the owners of these oil wells. In the area of Oklahoma I am in, the Indians own the mineral rights to everything below top soil level. Maybe this is pay back for how our forefathers mistreated them. It could also be serendipity.

Icool

Cobb