tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18634150314494894872011-11-27T16:22:36.268-08:00Nuggets from the Hill Country: Observations and reflections on perennial issues and contemporary topics.RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-13797426702707778092011-01-12T11:43:00.001-08:002011-01-12T11:43:30.997-08:00

Blogging will resume at this site soon. Stay tuned...

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-88207506436826927402009-12-09T10:15:00.000-08:002009-12-09T10:25:11.176-08:00

"Pundits talk about 'populist rage' as a way to trivialize the anger and fear coursing through the middle class. But they have it wrong. Families understand with crystalline clarity that the rules they have played by are not the same rules that govern Wall Street." -- Elizabeth Warren, the Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law at Harvard and the Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel.The quote is

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-9941903655762833172009-11-01T20:31:00.000-08:002009-11-02T08:29:25.426-08:00

A chain-email proclaiming that Obama has created a program to give welfare recipients free cell phones and up to 70 free minutes per month hit my inbox this evening. Whenever something which arrives by email seems unbelievable, it's best to check it out at snopes.com [http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/cellphone.asp]. Whereas there is some truth to the free phone claim, the email deliberately

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-59428881435480452102009-08-28T14:59:00.000-07:002009-09-02T19:29:10.927-07:00

There is an interesting battle taking place between the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (The Fed), and a New York District Court judge. Bloomberg LP (which owns the Bloomberg Financial News Service) has filed a lawsuit against The Fed under provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. This lawsuit, if successful, would require The Fed to release documents that contain the names of the banks

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-50192777798181475182009-05-11T16:44:00.000-07:002009-05-15T08:09:52.179-07:00

It Hurts So Much!It is becoming painfully obvious that, as I suggested in a previous post, there is a double standard in place which forces the hard-working citizens of this country to pay their taxes so that the wealthy scofflaws and indiscreet bureaucrats don't have to pay theirs.  Wall street tycoons can continue to get their high salaries and huge bonuses, and live high on the hog, by being

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-22186774343061762722009-04-27T09:23:00.000-07:002009-04-27T09:28:07.595-07:00

“I don’t think that Tim Geithner was motivated by anything other than concern to get the financial system working again. But I think that mindsets can be shaped by people you associate with, and you come to think that what’s good for Wall Street is good for America . . . [This] led to a bailout that was designed to try to get a lot of money to Wall Street, to share the largesse with other market

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-45008580570107647212009-04-24T15:22:00.000-07:002009-04-24T15:40:57.212-07:00

"Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Christianity without hell." -- Elizabeth Warren, chair of the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel.Watch Part 1 and Part 2 of an incredibly revealing, interesting, and entertaining interview of Elizabeth Warren on The Daily Show.

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-74096140185387287952009-04-24T13:31:00.000-07:002009-08-28T20:34:02.199-07:00

In the past twelve months, there have been many attempts by government officials and agencies to put just the right interpretation on events and actions such that we ignorant members of the populace will be properly influenced to hold "correct" opinions. From Paulson to Geithner to Bernanke, a common set of "rules of engagement" have been utilized to obfuscate by omission, and obscure by

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-91228628688476750862009-03-06T14:22:00.000-08:002009-03-06T15:04:58.927-08:00

Ever since 911 our sense of safety and security have been forever altered. Since then, like a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs, we have been looking for all of the ways that al Qaeda could wreak havoc on our cities, our citizens, and our lifestyle. Little did we expect our economy and perhaps even our way of life would face a far greater threat from sources within our own borders, within our

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-32722108803743884942009-03-02T13:54:00.000-08:002009-05-15T08:25:44.943-07:00

We live in Internet time and are inundated with information which comes at us from many sources at all hours of the day. So perhaps we can be excused for developing a "news bite" focus on the world.Yesterday's news is so passe. Our attention span is relegated to the current day, the current hour, the current minute. How can we be expected to maintain an awareness of something that happened

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-88859301363999595262009-03-02T07:27:00.000-08:002009-03-02T07:43:54.823-08:00

"The idea of letting AIG (AIG) go, or Citi go -- I mean, come on. Does anyone know what happens if we do that? We will simply shut down as an economy. There will be lockdowns and lockouts and mass closings and mass unemployment and no credit for cars or for schools or for homes. There will simply be an economy run by the state. That's what it is. That's all. Nothing else. Is that what we want? It

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-27987996598730914032009-02-28T03:33:00.000-08:002009-02-28T03:52:28.591-08:00

The FDIC reports that two more banks failed this week - Security Savings Bank, Henderson, NV, and Heritage Community Bank, Glenwood, IL. That brings the total failures this year to 16. There were 25 bank failures in 2008. Looks like we are well on are way to surpassing that.Mistakes, scandals, and failures no longer signal catastrophe. The crucial thing is that they be made credible, and that the

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-14656357985541042862009-02-27T11:56:00.000-08:002009-02-27T12:47:39.542-08:00

The economy continues to get worse. The headlines give little cause for optimism, let alone hope. Didn't President Obama get elected because his platform was one of reform and hope? Why, then, am I not able to conjure up any enthusiasm for his pledges and programs?There is a rumbling in grass-root America and it is growing ever louder. Many American are feeling disenchanted, dispirited, and

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-43129584179808550512009-02-11T21:15:00.000-08:002009-02-11T21:22:10.455-08:00

"This too-big-to-fail problem has now become an even-bigger-to-fail problem as the current approach has lead weak banks to take over even weaker banks. Merging two zombie banks is like hav[ing] two drunks trying to help each other to stand up. " -- Nouriel Roubini in an article, It Is Time to Nationalize Insolvent Banking Systems

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-77634535178159779372009-02-07T14:55:00.000-08:002009-02-07T16:11:52.494-08:00

See if you can piece together the near-term future of the US economy based on the following recent headlines:Plastic Is Fantastic - Visa and Mastercard benefit from consumers' lack of liquid funds during the recession.Late Payments on Credit Cards Reach Record Levels - Growing signs of trouble in the credit card debt sector are documented in Fitch ratings’ latest monthly Credit Card Movers &

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-5282057761927032952009-02-03T05:19:00.000-08:002009-02-04T05:37:42.115-08:00

If you ever had any doubts about the popular claim that the US is not a democracy - rather more like an aristocracy - you have absolute proof this week. Two of Barack Obama's nominees for high-level administration positions have been caught cheating on their income taxes, and a third has withdrawn her name from consideration because she failed to pay employment taxes on household help. The two

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-9028127192855063552009-01-30T07:42:00.000-08:002009-02-03T05:54:33.849-08:00

Headlines seen since the first of the year:1/5/2009 Cigna to Cut 1,100 Jobs 1/6/2009 Alcoa to Cut 13,500 Jobs 1/6/2009 Logitech International will cut 500 of its non-manufacturing jobs and may reduce factory jobs as well1/9/2009 Union Pacific to Lay Off 2301/9/2009 Bloomberg: Employers in U.S. Cut 524,000 jobs in December1/9/2009 Boeing to Cut 4,500 Jobs1/9/2009 Schlumberger to cut 5,000 Houston

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-49870280377512283492009-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:002009-02-27T13:17:13.566-08:00

The United States of America, this very minute, has a large stable of professionals whose only job is to make America's dreams of a better future a reality. They have been entrusted with the future of national security, the protection of American liberties, the growth of America's lead in science and technology, the foundations of our heritage and our culture, and charged with restoring the

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-28678895514516218232009-01-23T10:13:00.000-08:002009-01-25T14:30:35.981-08:00

From a post by blogger Barry Ritholtz this morning comes this interesting picture (click to enlarge).Today, as in the Gilded Age, we live in a world where a morality of personal responsibility rubs shoulders with a culture of greed and of flagrant social irresponsibility. Now as then, business has shed its collective responsibility for employees - just as government has for its citizens. -Charles

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-978634131932985212009-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:002009-02-03T05:51:48.236-08:00

A blog posting at Seeking Alpha this morning listed the following retail establishments in trouble:Circuit City filed Chapter 11.Ann Taylor (ANN) 117 stores nationwide closing.Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide.Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January.Cache (CACH) will close all stores.Talbots (TLB) closing down specialty stores.J. Jill

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-36922986484323057722009-01-13T21:00:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:36:02.952-08:00

Everyone knows that the Big Three auto makers are in trouble. What is less clear is why.The common wisdom blames high costs to maintain their dealership networks, exorbitant labor contracts, and being out of touch with what Americans want in their vehicles. But a credible case can be made for ivory tower management which is not used to having to make hard choices in trimming the fat.Bob Lutz,

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-52420637617312013782008-12-28T03:41:00.000-08:002008-12-28T05:55:09.653-08:00

Thomas Friedman shared an opinion in the NY Times today. In his OpEd piece he advocates, strongly and convincingly, for a high federal gasoline tax. Whereas I agree with him, I understand why it will never happen.The American consumer has a very short attention span, and our political leaders have very little backbone. We, as a nation, go from frugality when the price of gas is high, to

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-39570889170929974492008-12-15T11:28:00.000-08:002008-12-15T12:29:30.259-08:00

When evaluating current events and the public's reaction to them, I seldom take the "common wisdom" as doctrine. The general public has a herd mentality which succumbs to the first reasonable analysis and goes no further to examine the nuances of the issues. The public is not stupid, just overly informed. No one has the time to redo or rethink the analysis that has already been spoon-fed to them

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-32018578991387642342008-12-10T17:56:00.000-08:002008-12-10T20:32:01.655-08:00

I am having a little bit of difficulty following the Auto Bailout rationale. Why do we want to give the poorly managed, obscenely paid, wasteful, and arrogant companies billions of taxpayer money without any clue as to how it will help them in any meaningful way? Why is it that we shouldn't let them go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a program which was designed to help struggling companies relieve

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-63046950754591113142008-12-09T10:27:00.000-08:002008-12-09T11:21:43.402-08:00

A correspondent on a financial blog this morning wrote, “Last Friday’s equity market trading reminded us of this old Wall Street saying, 'The market bottom is defined when it stops going down on bad news.'”Hmmm... the old Wall Street saying I remember is,"The market bottom is defined when it fails to rally on good news."The logic is that when even good news can't raise buying interest, we have

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-49285089571496690252008-12-08T06:13:00.000-08:002008-12-27T15:13:01.155-08:00

It is, indeed, interesting that the market is showing signs of life. But don't put too much faith in any proclamation that the market has bottomed. It seems very likely to me that the DJIA will close out the year below 8000, and probably below 7400.There is a popular notion that the market is ruled by greed and fear. As greed increases, the bulls gain control and the market rises. As fear

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-25958919192368730112008-11-28T19:41:00.000-08:002008-11-28T20:24:23.417-08:00

The Associated Press published an article this morning stating that we are about to enter a new round of the economic crisis:"Analysts said the next economic crisis might involve malls, hotels and other businesses affected by the mortgage crunch.Malls from Michigan to Georgia are entering foreclosure, victims of the same crisis that's affected the housing market. Hotels in Tucson, Ariz., and

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-4335694332281466732008-11-28T11:17:00.000-08:002008-12-27T15:20:53.254-08:00

In my simple way of looking at the economic crisis, it is easy for me to get lost in all of the machinations the government is undertaking to stop the bleeding. I do not have a degree in economics and so my simple way of looking at things keeps me from comprehending the true enormity of the crisis, and the cosmic complexity of the bailouts. But when the NY Times proclaims that the current total

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-64003074958425690342008-11-13T19:11:00.000-08:002008-11-13T19:15:43.121-08:00

"For those that may not know, Hank Paulson made all of his hundreds of millions while running Goldman Sachs (GS). That was his job before being anointed as Treasury Secretary; the next brain from Goldman that would save us all.What people should know - what everyone should know - is that Goldman was one of the major players in the creation of most of the derivatives being blamed for our debt

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-73946576229945651902008-11-11T16:42:00.000-08:002008-11-11T17:31:04.734-08:00

As noted in a previous post, the worsening economic conditions pose a very real risk to the green movement. Now, this article from the Austin Business Journal seems to validate my concern:"Companies are demanding green buildings but are less willing to pay for environmentally friendly office space compared to last year, according to a new survey from CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle.Despite

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-90822248383724985192008-11-11T13:08:00.001-08:002008-11-11T17:33:29.153-08:00

“We do not believe it is likely that these adverse economic conditions, and their effect on the automotive industry, will improve significantly in the near term, notwithstanding the unprecedented intervention by the U.S. and other governments in the global banking and financial systems.” --from the General Motors 10-Q filing, November 10, 2008

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-6417929260463321792008-11-10T08:34:00.000-08:002008-11-10T08:38:09.734-08:00

"Bailing out Wall Street or the auto industry or the insurance industry or the housing industry may at most help satisfy creditors for a time and put off the day of reckoning, but industry bailouts won't reverse the downward cycle of job losses.The real problem is on the demand side of the economy.Consumers won't or can't borrow because they're at the end of their ropes. Their incomes are

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-56286896840835413942008-11-05T10:51:00.000-08:002008-11-05T10:53:36.761-08:00

"I remain of the view that the current recession, which was initially dismissed by the many, will have a shelf life unlike prior recessions in both scope and duration. It seems very unlikely to this observer that third-quarter economic statistics are a template for future growth and economic conditions." -- Doug Kass, Market Analyst at The Street.com

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-21628087901587290132008-11-04T11:43:00.000-08:002008-11-04T11:46:22.532-08:00

''My forecast is I don't see any economic growth through 2009. The credit crisis reached up and grabbed the throat of the global economy and choked off economic growth.'' -- Richard Fisher, Dallas Fed President

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-16599684321806269702008-11-03T10:26:00.000-08:002008-11-11T19:21:37.281-08:00

The stock market looks very tempting right now. You can hardly look at any of the financial press without finding someone declaring that the market has hit bottom; or that we are in a bear market rally and you should take advantage of the buying opportunities which can be found everywhere.Stocks are cheap! Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime buying opportunity!Yes, it is very tempting... if

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-40925251838379545252008-10-27T12:45:00.001-07:002008-10-27T12:45:40.744-07:00

Joseph Stiglitz on the collapse of structured finance:"Securitization was based on the premise that a fool was born every minute. Globalization meant that there was a global landscape on which they could search for those fools - and they found them everywhere."

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-16331260316805578562008-10-27T11:46:00.001-07:002008-10-27T11:55:32.233-07:00

The impending recession, perhaps depression, has Americans scared, and rightly so. However, I'm afraid that as their focus shifts more acutely toward survival, other worthy causes like environmentalism will be relegated to a back seat. How will greenness garner public interest when unemployment is rising and 401ks are disappearing?"To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-73514773098645593232008-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:002008-10-27T11:34:34.537-07:00

The conventional "wisdom" has been, for years, to buy stocks and hold them for the long term, i.e. until retirement. That advice has caused untold millions of American retirement accounts to evaporate. The latest incarnation of this advice has manifested itself in parroting "don't let this downturn spook you into selling" by many in the mainstream Media.One recent example of this mantra born of

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-26794540286853912972008-10-22T04:29:00.000-07:002008-10-24T04:30:25.510-07:00

"As long as the pundits keep declaring that the market has hit bottom, it hasn't." -- RCA

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-64814052825532293592008-10-15T12:36:00.000-07:002008-10-15T14:28:24.941-07:00

Many pundits are saying that we have already seen the capitulation that signals the bottoming of the market. I believe we will not only see capitulation, but a series of capitulations due to the perfect storm of a slowing economy, a lack of public confidence, the credit crunch and liquidity crisis, real estate values plummeting, poor retail sales figures, foreclosures, fear, and government

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-8132887860191622622008-10-15T12:11:00.000-07:002008-10-15T12:13:06.339-07:00

"A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away” – Barry Goldwater

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-82743419231268036282008-10-14T11:23:00.001-07:002008-10-14T20:53:09.665-07:00

Here are a few exquisitely penned quotes from the financial blogs this morning regarding the government's latest bailout chapter:-------------------------------------------------"This is still, at the core, very much like having a burst water pipe in the basement and the government's solution is to keep buying more paper towels to soak up the water. The water keeps coming and the government keeps

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-8778302140706981342008-09-29T14:39:00.000-07:002008-09-29T16:26:32.024-07:00

I have been reading a lot of commentary about the economic bailout plan over the last few days. I have seen some well-reasoned analysis and some good suggestions to make for a better proposal. But mostly I have seen a lot of negativism and anger about the perpetrators of this crisis.We can whine and lament 'till we are blue in the face. We can curse the thieves and liars and play the blame game (

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-23753858535065540352008-09-25T05:32:00.000-07:002008-09-29T18:04:25.324-07:00

Perhaps your mother told you (as my mother told me) that you should be honest and always tell the truth. Perhaps, also, she admonished you that if you lied, it would eventually be found out and you would have to reap the consequences (and you'd best believe that those consequences would not be pleasant). Mothers everywhere over the years have been dispensing such simple wisdom, but apparently few

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-51153931878468773462008-09-22T05:48:00.000-07:002008-09-22T07:39:26.054-07:00

I am seldom given to hyperbole of this sort, but this time it's different.We are at a watershed moment. Future historians will no doubt consider the events that unfold this week to be the defining events of the twenty-first century (and perhaps of capitalism).Already we have seen the financial system deteriorate into the worst shape it has been in since the 1927 stock market crash and the Great

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-21236429911772323762008-09-18T19:57:00.000-07:002009-12-08T14:33:50.646-08:00

I have noticed, lately, a polarization over environmental issues. There seems to be a sharp divide between those who understand how important it is to change our way of life and embrace environmentally responsible practices, and those who either don't believe it is necessary, or don't believe that they can make a difference.This is the greatest challenge that environmentalists face today -

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-22967658121553299172008-09-05T08:05:00.000-07:002008-09-27T20:14:11.897-07:00

I have to point out that junk mail marketing is particularly egregious because it is so devastating to the environment - millions of trees harvested simply to fill the landfill with unwanted mail. A response rate on mail campaigns is considered good if it is 2% - 3%. When you think about that, it leads to the undeniable conclusion that about 97% of all mail marketing pieces are pure junk, in the

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-29780265716714914932008-09-05T07:29:00.000-07:002008-09-27T20:21:55.703-07:00

Perhaps you have noticed (as I have) a recent increase in the number of marketing solicitations that are coming into the house via the telephone jack. My original speculation about why this might be so was that perhaps my federal do-not-call registration had expired. A quick perusal of the registration web site, however, produced this notice: Your registration will not expire. Telephone numbers

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-62174458733882842702008-08-15T13:15:00.000-07:002008-09-17T16:18:54.108-07:00

It has often been said that statistics can be made to prove any hypothesis. It all depends on how they are presented. It also depends on which set of statistics you look at. Every complex issue is multidimensional and if you focus on only one of those dimensions, you can get a view that is diametrically opposed to what you would see if you focused on a different dimension.Small Businesses Don't

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-87849639719775289302008-07-31T10:47:00.000-07:002008-07-31T12:28:01.342-07:00

I have long suspected that the only way to accomplish environmental goals was to compromise with business interests rather than fight them. A previous post, Compromise and Win, explored this hypothesis.Now in an article in the July 29, 2008 edition of USA Today, Environmentalists, businesses reach compromise, there is evidence that some significant progress is being made in that direction. The

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-18958171135013906422008-07-31T10:33:00.000-07:002008-07-31T12:27:41.690-07:00

The USA Today had an interesting article about sorghum being used as a feedstock for a new ethanol plant in Florida in the July 30, 2008 edition. This bodes well for the environment. Although ethanol is not a panacea for eliminating the usage of fossil fuels, it does help remediate the situation.Ethanol from any source still has issues with water consumption and a very low energy payback (it

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-74685706176998253182008-07-18T13:31:00.000-07:002008-09-17T16:21:51.222-07:00

From the Kiplinger Letter, July 18,2008...Greenhouse gas tombs will open by 2015, courtesy of new EPA rules due out next year. Likely candidate locations: W.Va., Colo., Utah and Wyo.Burying carbon dioxide thousands of feet underground will help power companies, steelmakers and heavy industry meet coming CO2 limits. By 2025...200 repositories. Burying CO2 will be less costly than having to buy

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-34362732991961617582008-07-16T21:28:00.001-07:002008-07-31T12:33:30.556-07:00

If you are following the crowd and going green, good for you... but you might want to utilize your grey matter before proceeding blindly toward the light. Yes we want to replace bad environmental habits with ecologically sensitive ones. But this can be accomplished without needless sacrifice.One of the things that makes it hard to overcome our non-green inertia is the sacrifices that must be made

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-52281982301600124362008-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:002008-07-23T05:44:23.659-07:00

Have you noticed how, when there is a crisis (social, economic, political) that congress goes looking for the bogeyman responsible? When trying to understand something that has profound implications, but over which we have little or no control, many of us are lured into believing a conspiracy theory - and congress is quick to oblige that tendency. It's a ploy that sadly works all too often.

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-91400798850353238922008-06-26T13:40:00.000-07:002008-07-16T19:04:00.732-07:00

A recent article in the Austin Business Journal caught my eye. Real estate appraisers from all over the country convened in Austin to determine how to properly value the "greenness" of real estate. It's just one more indication that "green" and "sustainability" are permeating the public psyche.Here are a few more tibits along that vein:Texas governor, Rick Perry, has declared that the governor's

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-13162381045296516752008-06-18T06:18:00.000-07:002008-07-16T19:03:20.886-07:00

Many people are striving to make our planet viable and sustainable simply because it is the right thing to do. Others are being led kicking and screaming, pulled along by economic necessity. The high price of gasoline has given many a reason to reduce their fuel consumption.Although it hurts us in the pocket book, at least high-priced gasoline is having a beneficial effect on our ecology.

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-77500143241945681632008-06-18T05:54:00.001-07:002008-07-16T21:06:57.123-07:00

Back when a gallon of gasoline was under a dollar, telecommuting made sense. Now that it's at $4, why are so many companies still balking at this opportunity to help the planet, and put money in their employees pockets?Many people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay for that hour-long commute. Telecommuting (at least part of the time) could help aleviate fuel expenses, and drive down the

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-4975958579985889212008-06-17T12:56:00.000-07:002008-07-16T19:09:47.195-07:00

Here are some links to discussions on the tension bewteen wind farms and migratory birds.Common Eco-Myth: Wind Turbines Kill BirdsWind EnergyEnvironmental IssuesBird Mortality Associated with Wind Turbines at the Buffalo Ridge Wind Resource AreaEarth Talk about Wind Turbines Bird migration studies and potential collision risk with offshore ...Bird Movements and Behaviors in the Gulf Coast

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-11023585942010727192008-06-09T05:46:00.000-07:002008-07-16T19:12:25.426-07:00

Green Options is the Nightly Business Report's continuing series examining the latest eco-friendly advancements and their economic impact. In the current report, NBR Chicago bureau chief Diane Eastabrook explains how soybean oil is replacing petroleum in some electrical transformers.The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. Zeno (335 BC - 264 BC)

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-91709521864068387282008-05-20T09:54:00.000-07:002008-06-19T10:06:35.098-07:00

Our environment may already be embracing a new eco-challenge (as if there weren't enough already). Mankind, it seems, is ever ensnared by the Law of Unintended Consequence. More and more, the science that is intended to make our lives easier and safer, fosters malevolent byproducts and/or collateral damage.It's Bad Medicine..Yesterday, in Medical News Today, an article was published which details

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-46624968945731712712008-04-18T09:21:00.000-07:002008-07-23T06:50:01.464-07:00

The phrase, "Thinking outside of the box," has been overused and may, therefore, evoke raised eyebrows and yawns. However, dramatic leaps forward in science or technology always involve out-of-the-box thinking -- combining two or more known phenomenon in non-traditional ways to produce a third, breakthrough phenomenon. The moment of epiphany always seems like magic, and observers often are

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-13859055918079362632008-03-24T13:13:00.000-07:002008-06-19T07:49:30.994-07:00

The CBS Sunday Morning television show of March 23, 2008 had an interesting piece about a Kansas City church which is evangelizing the idea that people need to quit complaining. Rev. Will Bowen incorporates this message into his sermons and publicly recognizes church members who go 21 days without complaining. He has a stated goal of a complaint-free world.On the surface this sounds like a great

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-58267271539800474302008-01-30T14:33:00.000-08:002008-07-16T19:50:51.419-07:00

The Minutes of the Madisonville, Texas City Council Meeting on January 15th included the following:"Also in the meeting, after discussion with City Attorney John Bankhead, the council unanimously agreed to allow residents in the Lake Viser area to shoot buzzards that were destroying private property."I'm afraid the Madisonville City Council might not know what they are "allowing". Most U.S. birds

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-91977924555831068462008-01-30T08:17:00.001-08:002008-07-16T20:41:46.177-07:00

The other day my wife and I were listening to an interview of the members of a new rock band on the radio. The interview was interspersed with a few cuts from their new album. The members of the band proved quite charming and thoughtful, but their music was quite loud, somewhat dissonant, and a little grating on our sensibilities.Afterwards, my wife was prompted to say, "I really like those guys,

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-66072707445732180382008-01-24T10:16:00.000-08:002008-07-16T20:49:08.008-07:00

There is a new 12-week online series from Harvard Business Review "exploring what's working in green business strategy today." It is an excellent venue for learning, discussing, and raising the public consciousness about the greening of America.The initial issue, however, leads off with an article entitled, Don't Bother With the "Green" Consumer. This title makes for good theater, and it

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-83592086969901519902008-01-03T18:49:00.000-08:002008-07-16T21:14:46.735-07:00

Are you convinced that it's time to take action on environmental issues but uncertain about how you, as an individual can make a difference? Here are some suggestions of some simple things you can do to make an environmental difference in addition to making your viewpoint known to your government representatives: Replace your incandescent light bulbs with the new, high-efficiency fluorescent ones

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-6114086943265689782008-01-03T08:20:00.000-08:002008-04-08T10:46:30.389-07:00

There are some people who are so single-minded about saving the earth for the creatures who live here, that they forget that we humans live here, too. They would, it seems, throw the baby out with the bath water. Returning to a primitive lifestyle, eschewing technological advances, economic progress, and our modern way of life, is not only impractical, but it is also absolutely impossible.Such

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-27339030898904671392007-12-30T19:39:00.000-08:002008-06-30T20:03:53.929-07:00

Technology is downright wonderful. I never cease to be amazed by the things a personal computer can do, or the things that are available to me on the internet. We live in a very charmed era. We have never had it so good!Or have we?The fast pace of progress has blessed us with new ways of doing our work, and new ways, even, of defining work. Although technology does eliminate jobs, doesn't it also

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-90976379259154999282007-12-30T19:28:00.000-08:002008-01-30T20:49:40.094-08:00

A tide of convenience is dictating to an ever-increasing number of people that ethics is open to interpretation -- that my ethics might be different from your ethics, and neither of us has the freedom to decide that one or the other holds the correct ethical view. That belief is one of the most pernicious personal philosophies permeating our "me first" society.If ethics is open to interpretation,

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-19896857877651550772007-12-17T12:36:00.000-08:002008-06-10T11:42:15.610-07:00

The environment is in trouble.I believe it.There are millions of American citizens who believe it.With all of that Yankee ingenuity and American initiative to muster, one would think that this problem would soon go the way of the do-do bird. Unfortunately, this equation doesn't compute. Belief and action don't always coalesce. Regrettably, it is easy to assuage our environmental conscience by

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-85119495305587064112007-12-15T20:17:00.000-08:002008-06-10T11:49:02.769-07:00

I don’t want to sound like an alarmist, but people do need to become alarmed. I don’t want to sound like an extremist, but people do need to realize the extreme importance of this issue. And I don’t want to be overbearing, because I could then easily be dismissed as a “crackpot”. This could then become a red herring which would make it far too easy to dismiss the message.As I grow older, I become

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1863415031449489487.post-54150204235607325312007-12-10T13:25:00.000-08:002008-12-11T08:07:51.936-08:00

The Hill Country View has commenced. I would like to thank my friend, Dr. Byron Stone, Austin, Texas for being the catalyst for this blog.

RCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11222890605501585488noreply@blogger.com0