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Scoble, Alex Scoble
Gamer, home theater enthusiast, IT Security professional with CISSP, lover of cats, married to the always wonderful and compassionate (and passionate) Cassie.
Trying to figure out what pants to buy for cycling in the rain.
Bike pants
- Johnny
Chaps with fringe
- Joe "Looptid" Pierce
I've seen navel lint that's more helpful than yooz guyz.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I'm not trying to be funny. I've been speaking to a lot of triathletes and they wear triathlon race suits ( which is made from the same material as bike pants) cause they can transition from the swim to the bike leg and it's dry within seconds. You're going to get wet anyway... but the key it to have a quick drying and semi-waterproof solution.
- Johnny
Yes, but "bike pants" is entirely too generic. Are we talking about tights shorts? Thermal tights? Bib tights? Full leg tights? It's kind of like if someone asked me where to find J-Wo and I said "Australia".
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I'm looking at stuff from Pearl Izumi, Showers Pass, Gore, etc. and trying to find something that would fit with the rides that I'm likely to do. Bike season is about to start at work. :D
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Is it cold where you live? Buy long bike pants. Is it not? Get shorts. #ThatEasy
- Johnny
The difficult with bike rain pants is that they often don't breathe. So you get wet inside just from your own sweat pooling up against a waterproof surface.
- Spidra Webster
My $11 training pants I got from our local Walmart equivalent has vents built in.
- Johnny
If I were going to design a bike pant, I'd design one that was waterproof or water resistant on the front but breathable in the back. On an upright, the tops of your thighs are where you'll get the most rain anyway. It's important to get fenders. They'll take care of a lot of the mess.
- Spidra Webster
So, business in the front, party in the back?
- Eric
LOL, Johnny, it's rainy and coldish (45-55 deg F most of the year).
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Then you want long pants.
- Johnny
I bike wearing only a sock.
- Joe "Looptid" Pierce
PROVE IT!
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
http://yourspecialkid.com/centsor...
- Johnny
Come to Hawthorne sometime!
- Joe "Looptid" Pierce
Lol Johnny
- Joe "Looptid" Pierce
Yup, Eric. A lot like chaps.
- Spidra Webster
If you've got money to burn: http://bit.ly/wPvCgJ, http://bit.ly/xboNoZ or http://bit.ly/ykvTTR
- ronin
I would wear a car. Solves the rain problem completely :-)
- Todd Hoff
Doesn't solve the spare tire, Todd, or getting a sore butt from doing a 15 mile ride because your ass is out of shape.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
They have tires now that don't deflate so you don't need a spare :-)
- Todd Hoff
If you get really cold when riding, pee in your pants.
- Melly Botts
DeadMau5 at the Grammy's was off the hook!
Righteo old chap! Tip-tip horah!
- Johnny
was it/he (i never know the proper pronoun) groovy as well?
- holly #ravingfangirl
Uhh, no, DeadMau5 is never groovy. Groovy is when you put a chainsaw or mechanical hand on your arm where a hand should be.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
LOL, I'm such an ass.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Deadmau5 pranking Skrillex by wearing his cell # on his shirt down the red carpet at the Grammy's? Complete awesomeness.
holly #ravingfangirl, Rob Michael (Atmos Trio), DJ Stevie Steve and 2 other people liked this
CBS inappropriately showing his new LED mau5head early before a commercial break? Also awesome, lol.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Skrillex winning 3 grammies? Also excellent!
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Skrillex is meh. A public face, but very mediocre.
- Jimminy, CoG of FF
Are you sure Skrillex isn't Corey Feldman?
- DJ Stevie Steve
Skrillex is so very meh. I mean a song called "Kill Everybody" shouldn't sound like a Nintendo Wii game soundtrack.
- Adrian
You guys are whack. Skrillex is the bomb.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Alex, as usual, that is incorrect, which makes you whack. For just saying "whack" and "bomb". :P
- Adrian
Adrian, like times of old, you are mistaken, which makes you whack and not the bomb. :D
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Hey Alex, 1990 called... they want their slang back.
- Adrian
Cowabunga dudes... Cowabunga everyone!
- Johnny
Yo, Adrian! Guess they forgot to tell you that I have it licensed for the next 100 years.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
And Warren Beatty has Dick Tracy... your point? ;)
- Johnny
Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy was wickedy-wickedy-whack-with-a-slack-pack, Jack!
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
... we can no longer be friends...
- Johnny
Alex, you are on a roll. In fact, your butt looks like a golf ball from the sesame seeds.
- Adrian
ROFL, Adrian, I can't top that, nor even bother trying.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Hehe it's my oldest joke. No one thinks it's funny in RL. :(
- Adrian
Congrats in finally finding someone who delights in the absurd.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
;)
- Adrian
Out with the old ugly brass lights and in with the new stylish bronze fixtures.
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Rachel Lea Fox, SteVe C, Stephen Mack and 15 other people liked this
Calm down.
- Akiva
That's Derrick's line, heh.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Boobs on the ceiling!
- Rene, Pro Button Pusher
GLAZED boobs.
- Joe The Sausage
Joe's a pervert.
- Akiva
Rene said it first.
- Melly Botts
Well now that you all said that, I guess it's fitting to admit that at first I read it as "out with the old ugly bras"
- Tamara
LOL Tamara
- WoH: Minding her Botts
Alex's ceiling needs new bras.
- John (bird whisperer)
These lights lift *and* separate
- WoH: Minding her Botts
*grinning*
- Prosey BUTTONS!
Which are the new ones?
- Cristo
The ones with style.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Hmm, I have those "ugly old brass" fixtures. LOL
- Janet-The Bottley Crue
You can have mine for spares, Janet! :D
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
The classic ones with glass are cool.
- Cristo
Y'all have no idea how relieved I am to discover that I am not alone in making the association between this light fixture design and well-formed boobage! All those years of tacit guilt! I mean, as if the glass shape wasn't enough, they go and add those perfectly erect "nipple caps"... Who are you trying to kid, lighting designers?!!
- Mark J Severely Corny
from Android
Meh, I'm unimpressed. We have the Nippledome here after all.
- Lix
Thanks for the offer to take the brass as spare, will graciously pass. ;)
- Janet-The Bottley Crue
Well, I figured I'd offer after making the offending remarks vis a vis your lights. :(
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
My wife and I call these "boob lights". Sometimes even in lighting stores...
- Brian Johns
How does it make ANY SENSE that when you do a short sale that you get taxed for the amount of your mortgage that is above the sale price of the house?
In what sick world is a LOSS of monetary value considered to be an EFFING GAIN?
Steven Perez, SteVe C, The Real sofarsoShawn and 7 other people liked this
Gotta love our convoluted tax code.
- DB Botts - Just DB Botts
Our tax code is deliberately effed up to help the few and not the many imho.
- Mathew A. Koeneker
Alex, can't you claim the loss as a deduction? If so, then it makes perfect sense. You pay tax on the original asset. When you sell, you lose that asset in exchange for liquidity, which results in a redeemable loss for an itemized deduction. In that case if it wasn't taxed, the loss would effectively be accounted for twice, once as a deduction and once not being taxed.
- Jimminy, CoG of FF
Sigh. I think what I said was right; I just don't feel like defending numeracy in this case.
- Walt Crawford
This actually does make sense. A mortgage is a secured loan for a set amount of money. In one example, Borrower X takes a mortgage for $200,000 to purchase a $250,000 house. As part of that agreement, X agrees to pay back the $200k plus interest. If the home later drops in value to $100,000 the fact that X was given $200,000 by the bank does not change - X is still required to pay back the $200,000.
- Bubba Botts
The fact that the collateral has lost value does not change this loan. Therefore, if a portion of the $200,000 is forgiven due to short sale, that money is no longer a loan but income. That's why it's taxed.
- Bubba Botts
That's right. Alex Scoble took my hard earned money and squandered it by buying bad real estate. Now he doesn't even want to pay the taxes he owes on the stolen money. Next he'll complain that the cocaine he bought was cut with baby powder, so he couldn't make a profit. Ridiculous.
- Cristo
I'll give you a 7 on that troll. Well, OK. 7.5.
- Bubba Botts
Dammit. I want a 100% LOL.
- Cristo
Well, you'll have to try harder. And furthermore I'm taxing you on the 2.5 you didn't earn. Net 10 days, please.
- Bubba Botts
I think my LOL should be graded on a curve, and I'm not seeing much funny here lately.
- Cristo
Not sure I can argue with that logic. I got 64 out of 100 on my final exam for my last class and somehow still earned full credit for it. OK, I'll forgive your tax bill. But you'll have to claim it on line 73M on your tax form.
- Bubba Botts
Wasn't the Mortgage Relief Act supposed to fix this?
- Victor Ganata
Victor, only temporary amnesty was given to deficiencies.
- Bubba Botts
from BuddyFeed
It still applies through this year though, AFAICT http://www.irs.gov/individ... "The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 generally allows taxpayers to exclude income from the discharge of debt on their principal residence. Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, qualifies for the relief. This provision applies to debt forgiven in calendar years 2007 through 2012."
- Victor Ganata
Someone has to pay for everyone the tax breaks the rich get. Did you know they are allowed to protect their 2nd house from a bankruptcy?.
- Jim
The funniest part? The bank takes all the interest, mortgages the short and gets to bill the loss to their insurance company, AND take it as a loss on their returns. Everyone is overed but the citizen. This kind of shite? Really makes me want to say god f@ck America.
- RudĩϐЯaЯïan
cool, Victor. Good news for a lot of people.
- Bubba Botts
from BuddyFeed
Rudi, banks own a very small percentage of mortgages. Chase, BOA, and everyone else merely service them even if a bank created it.
- Bubba Botts
from BuddyFeed
Alex - we need tax money to help fund the USPS. You should be thankful you get to pay this tax and help out your fellow neighbor.
- Jeff (Team マクダジ )
from iPhone
Well, no, the USPS's operations are not primarily funded by taxpayer money (they get some subsidies for delivering mail to the legally blind and for mailing out absentee ballots for overseas voters), but I guess they're going to need help with those pensions….
- Victor Ganata
Alex is obviously not a True Patriot.
- Jeff (Team マクダジ )
from iPhone
I don't know, trying to extract maximum amounts of money out of people who just took a huge financial hit just doesn't seem like a very robust way to reliably generate revenue.
- Victor Ganata
I'm not the one who did a short sale. I'm able to pay on my house just fine. And seriously, in what warped world is a forgiven loan seen as "profit"? It's a complete and utter loss for the home owner. It's this sort of "accounting" that allows Hollywood to take a loss on every movie ever made and is completely unfair to regular Americans.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
The problem is that you just know that corporations would totally abuse the cancellation of debt if wasn't taxable.
- Victor Ganata
Because they don't already?
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I imagine it's part of the rationale for why IRS structured it this way.
- Victor Ganata
And we wonder why America is in the running for the race to the bottom.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Anyway, if I had completed a short sale, I would definitely look into that Mortgage Relief Act exception.
- Victor Ganata
The people in question are working with a tax attorney on the situation.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Blame Obama.
- The Real sofarsoShawn
from FFHound!
Because he was in the Senate when they passed the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 by unanimous consent? Or because he voted for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 that extended the exception to 2012? True, it's all his fault.
- Victor Ganata
Alex, I've been through this (am going through it), but I didn't do a short sale. I declared bankruptcy and the bank foreclosed. In January, I received a 1099 Acquisition or Abandonment of Secured Property from Freddie Mac stating that I'm still liable for the full outstanding balance and therefore it's taxable income. It's interesting that there's no consistency in the mortgage amount between the creditors statements for my bankruptcy, the foreclosure notices and the amount on the 1099.
- Greg Guitarbuster
Yeah, Greg, now I have two personal reasons to be pissed off about this. This situation needs to be fixed because it's absolutely stupid.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Wow, I thought bankruptcy was an already existing exception to levying tax on cancellation of debt income, even prior to the Mortgage Relief Act. Damn.
- Victor Ganata
It's not stupid, it's a contrived, rigged game. Freddie Mac made the loan, secured by the property. They have the property. Did I mention that Freddie Mac was declared insolvent before I was delinquent on my mortgage and that the American taxpapers had to bail them out. Or that I was paying PMIP to protect them in case I did default. So the original loan was covered by the insurance company (someone like AIG which was bailed out). The home builder declared bankruptcy several years ago.
- Greg Guitarbuster
Victor, you're correct. At least, I think you are based on what I've read so far. There are other IRS forms to file regarding my bankruptcy and the discharge of the mortgage obligation.
- Greg Guitarbuster
It does seem in keeping with the recent news about possible shady goings-on at Freddie Mac.
- Victor Ganata
100% LOL for my comment compared to all other comments.
- Cristo
Now We're Cooking With Gas! - http://www.flickr.com/photos...
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Brent and Stephen Mack liked this
Odd, so sometimes Flickr works and sometimes it doesn't?
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Another pic from the 01-15-2012 Thies wedding. Everyone's doing the Cha-cha Slide http://www.flickr.com/photos...
Where's a good place to go to set up a photoblog?
Kol Tregaskes, Betsy, Elena and 14 other people liked this
The Internet is popular, but a very cliche place.
- Micah
Drat on you, Micah! I meant what's a good site to use that is specifically tailored to making photoblogs?
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Posterous is all about that these days. Or I can set you up a WordPress install with a choice of themes on one of my BlueHost servers.
- Auntie Buttinsky Botts
Good to know, Mary, and thanks for the offer, but this isn't for me.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Then Posterous or Tumblr.
- Auntie Buttinsky Botts
Tumblr seems popular
- Todd Hoff
Smugmug a possibility?
- Eric
Or, really, the dead-easiest thing to do is ourdoings, which does it for you. You upload a bunch of pix to a special DropBox folder and it organizes the shots based on the metadata. Then, go back in and add whatever text you want to tell the story. http://ourdoings.com
- Auntie Buttinsky Botts
And it's our own Bruce Lewis - so it stays in the family. We ought to promote that more.
- Auntie Buttinsky Botts
THANKS!
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
FF trounced your G+ response.
- Todd Hoff
Word, Todd...big time.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
For public consumption I use Posterous (not actively, lately) http://wittman.posterous.com and Smugmug's API + a PHP app I wrote for private family photos.
- Micah
flickr
- The Real sofarsoShawn
I still like Flickr for photosharing
- WarLord
I've tried Posterous, Tumblr, Wordpress, Smugmug/Flickr/Picasa hackery, Instagram, Zenfolio and 500px for various mutations of photo posting/blogging, and for something public, I'd just just go with Tumblr these days. I think the community trumps any sort of technical whizbangery. Particularly since other tools (e.g. Instagram) will post to it natively.
- Ken Sheppardson
...or just use FriendFeed. :-)
- Bruce Lewis
Friendfeed remains a choice, if not a popular choice.
- Andy Bakun
ourdoings seems nice for telling a story, needs nicer skins though (considering calling a favor from a friend to get one done). And it links to FF like nothing else does (and g+ and more). Blipfoto is nice if you want to try to be more consistent and encouraged in taking photos. I have found blip to be easy, friendly, clean. Also, it's a scottish startup. There's also european ipernity, which feels like a clone of flickr except with better support for telling a story/blog around a set of pictures
- Iphigenie
Hi iphigenie. If you talk to that friend, ask if they'd be more likely to want to design a skin for it if it were bootstrap-based -- http://twitter.github.com/bootstr...
- Bruce Lewis
I recently ran across a nice photoblog theme built on Thesis theme for Wordpress. http://exhibit.wpblogger.com/
- NotdaBOTTurlokin4
I like Wordpress, but I'm a big dummy
- Joe "Looptid" Pierce
Bruce, Bootstrap looks cool. If you're thinking of doing skins, Bootstrap doesn't look any harder than messing with WP themes*, and that LESS business just about made me swoon. If people want custom skins, I'd be happy to design them! *I can't say I build whole themes from scratch - don't have the php chops for that. It's more like I restyle existing themes - Genesis child themes, or I also have a developer license for Elegant Themes - with client trade dress (type, colors and imagery).
- Auntie Buttinsky Botts
I've played with Posterous (http://mobilephoto.co) and Tumblr (http://twiddle.me) but mainly for iPhone photos.
- I like big Botts
Bruce, I will ask. Strangely enough Bootstrap was exactly what I was using messing with my skin for my old tired site (wish I'd enjoy that kind of design more, but i dont). I don't know if bootstrap would make a huge difference but I think having a well structured and documented (or self explanatory) template would help, and bootstrap or some other framework would help you in creating...
more...
- Iphigenie
Happy birthday, Kristin and Rodfather!
ANJELINABANANA, imabonehead, Brent and 18 other people liked this
Happy birthday, Kristin/Rodfather!
- AJ Batac :)
Happy birthday x2!
- Stephen Mack
Happy happy birthday birthday!
- Lo the Baker
from Android
Happy Birthday, Rodfather! And thank you, Alex. :)
- Kristin
I was called a troll for saying that the last thing America needs is yet another old white man for president...so saying something true is trolling now?
Xabaras (G.O.) and SteVe C liked this
I don't know the context. But I'd say that what this country needs is someone who can get us out of this depression and do so in a way that lifts primarily the poor, working class and middle class. I don't care what gender or color that person is. I care that they can do the job and that they care about the average American rather than only who contributes to the campaign or has the most $ to lobby.
- Spidra Webster
There was no context. And considering the track record of old white men in that regard, I'm willing to give the job to anyone else that has the qualifications.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Was it here or on G+?
- Eric
Facebook. :)
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
It's funny how people take my statement to equal discrimination. Yes, because 200 years of old white men in the position wasn't discriminatory at all.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
LOL, one person responded that Obama's presidency proves that We have progressed in regards to racism...now THAT'S trolling.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
To make that statement meaningful, Johnny, first you'd have to find an old white man with the right answers capable of winning the election.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I like old white guys. They always have hard candy.
- Eric
If only I had that kind of power.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Actually, Obama's presidency does prove progress of a sort: It's now possible for a not-completely-white not-very-old male can beat *some* candidates. That might not have been true, say, 30 years ago. Doesn't mean racism has gone away, though.
- Walt Crawford
In my opinion, bigotry is saying "sorry, we only allow white men in this club" and it is not saying "sorry, but our quota of white men has been met for the club, you'll have to wait until we get more diverse membership that mirrors the makeup of our society."
Yes, let's grow only one kind of crop everywhere, because apparently it's perfectly fine to have just one thing in an environment.
SteVe C, John (bird whisperer), <3Heather<3 and 3 other people liked this
works for bananas. </sarcasm>
- tiffany
Monoculture is the right culture! *gags a little*
- <3Heather<3
Which shot do you like better?
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Halil, The Real sofarsoShawn, Kol Tregaskes and 5 other people liked this
First one.
- ronin
First
- Kristin
Of those two, I like the first better.
- John (bird whisperer)
1
- SteVe C
1
- Adam
1
- Lix
3
- Mike Nencetti
from iPhone
#1
- vicster
sharp in front backround blurred
- WarLord
1
- baskerville
1
- imabonehead
1
- Nathalie
1st one.
- KeshaB623
1
- Kelli H.
1
- <3Heather<3
(a)
- chaz2b
Thumbnail 1 looks better. Fullsize 2 looks better.
- Bruce Lewis
one.
- Anna Lynn M.
#1
- .LAG liked that
1
- AJ Batac :)
First one, the pink is too distracting in the second.
- Kol Tregaskes
What's up with the pink hate, Kol?!
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
how all y'all all pick the first one with its uneven horizon is beyond me. ;) except Bruce, he gets a pass. COS HE IS RIGHT! (and this may be on of those times when the jesting tone i'm going for is lost in pixel-land)
- Lnorigb
I'd actually like 1 better if backround was totally blurred out. napkins even blurred are distraction to ,me
- WarLord
Heh, Lnorigb, sounds like you like number 2 because it's cropped perhaps?
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Two looks technically better then one. more level. more centered. if thats cos it's cropped so be it. but when your shooting multiples of things all lined up you had best triple make sure your horizon is level (or so outta whack I know it's a style thing) cos UGH it.is.so.distracting. *steps off soapbox* =)
- Lnorigb
Or you can fix it with the straighten tool in Photoshop in like 3 seconds. :D
- Lix
yup.
- Lnorigb
I don't see what you are talking about, unfortunately.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Tequila.
- Melly Botts
1
- Betsy
@Scoble, Alex Scoble: you don't see the left side of photo is higher then the right? And yr lens is shooting into the corner of the wall instead of straight down the scene? The last sentence could be style but I think it's hand in hand with your uneven horizon and I'll guess it's cos your pawing your camera w those big strong sexay man hands!
- Lnorigb
from FFHound!
No, I think the unevenness you are seeing is because the glasses in the background as well as the plates weren't stacked perfectly straight. The two shots were taken from the same angle in that regards, no angle correction was made on either, the shot with the blurred foreground was just taken by pulling the monopod and camera backward a bit to change the point of focus.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
The shot to the back of the head of the person walking slowly in front of me.
- Benny Bucko <Team Melly>
from iPhone
Lnor, I bet you're a J in Myers-Briggs lingo. We better not ever share an office - I'll P all over your files!
- Auntie Buttinsky Botts
2012-01-15-ThiesWedding0135 - http://www.flickr.com/photos...
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Wondering how long it takes for Flickr to post on Facebook that I've uploaded a pic.
Cropped version of one of my favorite photos that I took during the 2010 Portland Auto Show http://www.flickr.com/photos...
nice, alex :)
- holly #ravingfangirl
Thanks, Holly. :)
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
So far I have yet to find a need to bust out Photoshop to process photos. The Canon Digital Photo Pro tool is pretty good for the simple edits that I need to do, adjust white balance, crop, etc. I'm sure I'm missing stuff by not using Photoshop, then again, considering that my version of Photoshop is CS2, perhaps not.
vicster liked this
Heh, earlier tonight, I was thinking of using PS to make a vacation pic of me look less icky
- MiniMage, enterRUPPted
I finally picked up Lightroom. Now I need a NAS.
- Eric
If I'm going to spend $300+ for an app, I'm going to get the full blown thing, Johnny. Actually, your comment makes me want to use Gimp now.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I don't think Lightroom is included in my employer's site license ;)
- MiniMage, enterRUPPted
It doesn't sit very well with me that because most Americans now understand the importance of work/life balance that we are going to get our economic clock cleaned by countries like China.
☆彡Jazzy-B, Morton Fox, Iphigenie and 4 other people liked this
Depends on how far ahead you're projecting. As oil gets scarcer and more expensive, globalization becomes less economically feasible. Sending raw materials half way across the globe, then to another place 1000 miles away, then another for finishing, then sending back across the globe again for sale uses a lot of fuel. I think things will have to be manufactured and sold closer to home....
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- Spidra Webster
Only until Oil reachs $250 a barrel - When the cost to ship the big red box equals the cost of the contents of said shipping containr FoxConn et al cease to be profitable even as close to free their labor is priced. And if the stresses and strains of maintaing a dictatorship in a country of stunning income inequality and even more stunning excess by the wealty oligarchs then sooner of course
- WarLord
It doesn't sit well with me, Johnny, that corporations are moving their manufacturing to a country that allows it to be cheap by allowing the abuse and exploitation of the workers there. Yes.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Do US customers determine where goods are made? No. Is it reasonable to expect consumers to not buy goods because of where they are made? No, I don't think it is. Do they share some of the blame? Yes, but corporations still determine where stuff is made, not their customers.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Do they determine? No always. Can they? Yes. It's not enough just to blame the boogey man that is corporations. If you curse the lack of jobs in the US yet buy 6 socks for $1 at Walmart, you're at least involved in that choice. Buy locally is a powerful thing too often overlooked. It involves a whole-of-population approach. I guess it just easier to blame the scary monster
- Johnny
from iPhone
I have in the past, bought only US made products, it has become very difficult and in many cases impossible. Entire classes of products are only made in places that can only honestly be called sweatshops
- WarLord
That's great, except that I have no choice when it comes to many things anymore. If I need socks, whether I get them from Target, Macy's or Costco, they are likely all going to be made from the same place.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
It's even worse if you buy online. Amazon and most other places do not give country of origin information.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
And again, "Made in America" doesn't mean that every single part is made in America, so you can still be supporting bad labor practices and not even know it.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Sorry Alex, but that's just a load of bullshit excuses. I'm sorry it's difficult but the solution is in the local market. You can spend hours telling me how many roadblocks there are... or you could get busy removing them. Either way, if it it doesn't sit well, change the chairs around.
- Johnny
from iPhone
Johnny, that is bullshit. Me not buying a TV because there are none built locally won't change anything. Me not buying a computer or an iPad because there are none made in the US won't change anything. And I'm sorry, but I'm not going to buy low quality crap made in the US to make a point as it wouldn't change anything except to screw me. It's just not realistic nor credible to expect the consumer to fix what is a manufacturing problem.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
But there is no way that the corporations are going to change their manufacturing practices if consumers are still buying their goods no matter where they are made.
- Melly Botts
Like I said "whole-of-population" response. If you want change, inspire it. I'm not trying to be difficult. You can claim the solutions I put forward are pie-in-the-sky and naive but THEY ARE THE SOLUTIONS REQUIRED. Money talks. Corporations will follow market trends. The trick is to move those trends.
- Johnny
from iPhone
Corporations didn't move manufacturing elsewhere because of market trends. They did it to make more money. It had little of anything to do with what the consumer was asking for. Given that, there's no reason to believe that any actions taken by consumers will move those jobs back to the states. None. And I can't even get people to stop buying Bose or Sony. It most certainly is not MY job to get people to stop buying Chinese.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
where were you when Nixon and Kissinger were "opening" China? when GATT was being signed? when China was let into the WTO? When US corporations were being given tax breaks to move factories to China? why weren't you complaining then? this situation didn't happen overnight. It bothers me when people imply like this situation just suddenly happened.. It's been at 35-40 years in the...
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- .LAG liked that
I was walking a picket line protesting but welcome to the party
- WarLord
LAG, I'm only 40. So for most of my life while this was happening I was too busy learning to see that this was going on.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
No worries, the chinese will discover that one too soon enough too
- Iphigenie
If a country like Canada will ban chemicals like Bisphenol-A, not because of credible scientific evidence but rather consumer pressure, then it stands to reason that the same consumer pressure can change the way corporations approach manufacturing.
- Benny Bucko <Team Melly>
With that said I don't consider the employ of a citizen in my country as anymore valuable than that of a citizen in another. We are all human, we all need to make money to survive, and we are all of equal worth. What I do have a problem is when working conditions are inhumane. With that said I often ponder what's better out of imhuman working conditions and starvation. It's too easy for us western folk to make that call from within our 1st world wealth.
- Benny Bucko <Team Melly>
I was listening to a commentary on NPR this evening that basically said American companies are beginning to learn that the labor costs in manufacturing are actually a very small percentage of the total manufacturing costs; and that in the long run, it's actually cheaper to manufacture things domestically with much higher-paid workers. The problem is, the skilled-labor workforce has diminished significantly, so it's difficult to find qualified workers anymore.
- Curdy G
Here are some translated comments from Chinese readers on the iEconomy, for instance, which I found interesting. They themselves don't appear to think, overall, that boycotting companies like Apple is the answer, but rather worker's rights reform. A few comments reiterated my earlier thought that life, while not good, would be even worse without jobs at Foxconn and the like. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012...
- Benny Bucko <Team Melly>
While I agree that consumers bear some responsibility, I think it's undue faith in the free market to think that individual consumers will have a significant effect. The people with power bear the brunt of the responsibility, and nothing I do by myself is likely to change the minds of executives who have no problem employing people in slave-like conditions. I don't believe in laissez...
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- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
I'm inclined to think so. I'm pretty sure the price of cotton went up when they started emancipating everyone. And while there were plenty of poor people to work the fields, there was no way their labor would ever be as cheap as free. People will deal with it somehow. There's no right to supercheap socks.
- Victor Ganata
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