Rebane's Ruminations

The Externality of Externalities

George Rebane

OK boys and girls, time for a little review of an arcane notion of economics that is the darling of socialists cooking up ever more ways to make our lives miserable.  An externality of some good or service traded at market price is the attributed added cost to society that the consumption of such a good or service entails.  For example, consider the hamburger you had for lunch.  The progressive sees that hamburger as being the source of all kinds of additional costs that are not reflected in the price you paid for it, costs like treating diseases resulting from national obesity to costs of manmade global warming resulting from all the cow farts collecting in the upper atmosphere.

As you might guess, the progressives’ solution to this ‘problem’ is to increase the hamburger’s price by a tax levied to pay for fixing all the subsequent externalities that might arise due to the consumption of hamburgers.  In their enlightened brave new world, such additional costs would be added to the trade of every item in an economy onto which they can pile some externalities.  According to their thinking, this type of accounting would pay for itself by finally making the purchase of goods and services ‘externalities neutral’.  Light thinkers at this point begin to feel fuzzy and warm all over – why didn’t they think of that?

‘Tis the politically directed shopping season

George Rebane

A correspondent sent me the following information about which retailers support which political parties in the country.  You wouldn’t want to shop in the wrong place now would you?  Brought to you in the spirit of the season as a dispute-free and modest public service.

With the holidays upon us, we might wish to be mindful of what political party businesses donate to, as reported by the Center for Responsive Politics.
 
Shopping?
 
Price Club/Costco donated $225K, of which 99% went to Democrats
Rite Aid, $517K, 60% to Democrats
Magla Products (Stanley tools, Mr. Clean), $22K, 100% to Democrats
Warnaco (undergarments), $55K, 73% to Democrats
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, $153K, 99% to Democrats
Estee Lauder, $448K, 95% to Democrats
Guess? Inc., $145K, 98% to Democrats
Calvin Klein, $78K, 100% to Democrats
Liz Claiborne, Inc., $34K, 97% to Democrats
Levi Straus, $26K, 97% to Democrats
Olan Mills, $175K, 99% to Democrats
 
WalMart, $467K, 97% to Republicans;
K-Mart, $524K, 86% to Republicans;
Home Depot, $298K, 89% to Republicans;
Target, $226K, 70% to Republicans;

3M Co., $281K, 87% to Republicans;
 Hallmark Cards, $319K, 92% to Republicans;
Amway, $391K, 100% Republican;
Kohler Co. (plumbing fixtures), $283K, 100% Republicans;
B.F. Goodrich (tires), $215K, 97% to Republicans;
Proctor & Gamble, $243K, 79% to Republicans
  
Hungry?
 
Sonic Corporation, $83K, 98% to Democrats
Triarc Companies (Arby's, T.J. Cinnamon's, Pasta Connections), $112K, 96% to Democrats
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. (chicken), $366K, 100% Republican;
Outback Steakhouse, $641K, 95% Republican;
Tricon Global Restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), $133K, 87% Republican;
Brinker International (Maggiano's, Brinker Cafe, Chili's, On the Border, Macaroni Grill, Crazymel's, Corner Baker, EatZis), $242K, 83% Republican;
Waffle House, $279K, 100% Republican;
McDonald's Corp., $197K, 86% Republican;
Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Smokey Bones, Bahama Breeze), $121K, 89% Republican;
 
Traveling and/or dining?
 
Hyatt Corporation, $187K, 80% to Democrats
Marriott International, $323K, 81% to Republicans;
Holiday Inns, $38K, 71% to Republicans.

Nevada County – A Summer Evening Concert

George Rebane

Say what you will, but them big city folk just don’t know what it is to drive a few minutes, have a good dinner with your sweetie, and then set your bag chairs in front of an impressive little band under the trees and listen to some mighty fine toe tappin’ tunes.  Jo Ann and I did just that late this afternoon as we drove up to the Five Mile House on Hwy 20 in our pick-up (natch, how would we look driving something else?).

This afternoon the Five Mile House featured a reunion of the Foothill Flyers made up of Paul Emery, his longtime pal Ray Mann down from Oregon, and Bob Woods on lead guitar.  Ray Mann is a man of concurrent talents - able to sing, and play both percussion and base while wearing the same birthday suit.  Bob Woods sings and can pull so many beautiful notes from his guitar so fast that it hurts your fingers just to listen to him.

 

And then there’s Paul with his saloon singer voice, well worn and comfortable as an old shoe, that perfectly renders his songs of life’s foibles and fickle love.  You’d never know that in real life he’s the News Director of our local KVMR-FM.  Or does Paul really live when he entertains us, hugging his big rhythm guitar and peeling off some earthy philosophy in four-four time?

RR readers will also recognize Paul on these pages as the ever civil and gentlemanly voice from the left, patiently explaining why a little bit of socialism here, and little more there, will fix what ails the country.  You have to watch him like a hawk, or pretty soon we’ll all be learning how to describe our aches and pains in Danish to a nationalized health care system patterned after the one so popular on the Jutland Peninsula.

This summer we’ll be going back to the Five Mile House with neighbors on weekend evenings, and also to other venues around here where Paul and friends decide to unlimber their git-fiddles and do some wailing.  Given what’s going on in the flats, this is a very good place to live.  Don’t tell anyone.

On the Road to Denver (updated 8may2011)

George Rebane

We are on our way to visit our month-old great-granddaughter Lucy Pearl in Denver.  On the outward bound we chose ‘The Loneliest Road’, better known as US50, out of Reno.  It is a wonderful way to re/introduce yourself to some of the most picturesque country in this beautiful land.  The route took us to an overnight in Ely, Nevada.  And from there we hit the real scenery big time.  All day and in all directions it looked like we were in a John Ford western spectacular.

Tonight we are in Grand Junction, Colorado and just back from dinner.  Jo Ann picked WW Peppers from the AAA book, and did we luck out.  The place is 35 years old and an icon of good eating in the greater Grand Junction area.  It is owner operated by a husband and wife team – he handles the kitchen, and she is the hostess and handles the customer contact duties.

Awesome food – I had a burrito stuffed with New Zealand elk and all the fixins that was out of this world, Jo Ann’s was a sirloin tip burrito with equally outstanding flavors – wonderful service.  The ambiance and dining furniture are exceptional and comfortable.  The place was packed with regulars.  Just off I-70 and worth stopping for even if you’re not staying over.

WW Peppers
753 Horizon Ct
Grand Junction, CO 81506
(970) 245-9251

Tomorrow we see our little Lucy Pearl!

[Footnote:  We had a few words with Debbie, the Mrs Owner-Operator, before leaving.  I complimented her for the food and service, and invited her to consider our neck of the woods if she and her husband ever decided to move operations to California.  She in turn thanked me for the invitation, but said that they would have to decline because “California has some (business, regulatory, and tax) issues” that would be pretty hard to overcome.  Can’t say I didn’t try, but the word is definitely out.]

[8may2011 update]  We have spent the last two days with Lucy Pearl and her parents Claire and David here in Denver.  The weather has been perfect, and between all the holding and cooing and feeding and nappy-poos and periodic sanitary maintenance operations, we had a chance to take a picture or two (why do you think God invented JPEG?).  Nearby I present photographic evidence that Lucy Pearl is a real photogenic sweetie.  No visit to the first great-grandchild should be accepted without such evidence in these days of instant technology.  To complete the modern times component of this milestone Mother's Day, four generations got together on Skype for a long confab when our daughter Teine, Lucy Pearl's grandmother and her remaining brood (our grandkids all) joined us from southern California.  Blessings abound.

Pleasant surprise on the long drive home

George Rebane

We got back this afternoon from a Christmas visit to our ‘Northern Tribe’ in the Seattle area.  The ‘Southern Tribe’ (from SoCal) was able to join in to make a big family get together with our kids and grandkids.  Jo Ann and I said our good-byes on Sunday morning and drove away into the perennial rain of the Pacific Northwest.  With our puppy on board, we have abandoned the marathon non-stop runs between Nevada City and Seattle.  We used to make it in eleven hours and forty-five minutes door to door.  No more; going both ways we now stop in Oregon for an overnight, usually in Eugene.

Yesterday as we headed south, a little arithmetic indicated that we would arrive in Eugene too early to call it a day.  And things south of Portland indicated a clearing of the weather was in the offing.  So we decided to push on through the mountains to Medford for the night.  Jo Ann made the appropriate arrangements after finding a nice motel in Medford that took dogs.  The plans were etched in stone as we passed Eugene and started winding our way into mountains that now seemed to huddle under massive black clouds – where did all the clearing go?

The rain started with our first long climb through the still wet forests.  And the more we climbed the more it rained.  The highway seemed unusually busy for a Sunday with a lot of folks heading toward California at speeds above 70 in a driving rain on a constantly curving highway.  The wipers barely allowed enough visibility to keep everyone in their lane.  In that black sheeting night we appreciated the bright display that Carli (our name for the GPS) painted of what was in front of us.  Especially valuable was knowing ahead of time the sweeping curves of I-5 that became tighter as we climbed higher toward the three mountain passes that stood between us and a warm bed.  These would present the biggest challenges on their downhill sides.  And the rain just kept pouring down, with the drops changing to sludge balls when the temperature played footsie with freezing.

Nanofoods Are Coming

George Rebane

… and not a minute too soon to suit this pudgy commentator who always licks his platter clean.  Many food research outfits have been working on modifying our favorite foods and condiments so as to increase their nutrition, taste, and satisfaction while reducing their harmful effects - starting with how much we want to eat.  Emma Davies in The New Scientist writes a comprehensive report on the goings on in this promising area.

So what is a nanofood? It isn't just about nanoparticles. Many foods have a natural nanostructure - the proteins in milk form nanoscale clusters, for example - that can be altered on the nanoscale to enhance their properties.

In fact, researchers have been changing the nanostructure of food for years, for example by adding emulsifiers to improve the texture of ice cream. It's the emergence of technologies such as atomic force microscopy that has changed the game by finally opening a window on the nanoworld …

Every time I read about the accelerating pace of technology, I can’t help but hearken back to the constant stream of proposed benefits from new government restrictions and diktats that are awaiting legislative action to further prescribe our behavior and reduce our liberties.  In the area of nutrition we constantly hear reports of government prescribing what products we will be able to buy and what we should eat.  ‘Outlaw Big Macs and hot coffee!’

The dolts in Washington have no idea what is coming down the pike, and how such new products as described by Davies will benefit us, all without the meddling and ministrations of Big Brother.  But then, where is the ability to tax and control in that approach?

Thinking about this research should remind us of the new kinds of jobs that are constantly being created and the education required to perform in them.   At your local schools, check out the number of kids preparing for technical careers to the number who plan to go into the arts or get a government job.

Banana Squash - A Fond Farewell (updated 24nov2009)

George Rebane

Now I don’t claim to be any kind of an expert in cooking.  But over the years I have demonstrated that I can whip up a dish or two that requires more than a piece of dead cow and BBQ sauce.  Back in the 70s I accepted the challenge of coming up with a recipe for the cheapest (and least desired) vegetable in the grocery store.  Jo Ann informed me that this was banana squash selling for eight cents a pound – nobody much cared for the stuff.

Well, I puzzled on that hard and uninviting piece of biomass sitting on the kitchen counter until a light bulb went off.  Soon I was grinding and chopping and slicing and baking.  Not long afterward, the house smelled good and out of the oven came the square Pyrex baking dish with something bright yellow(ish) in it with nicely oven-browned tips.  It was not all that unattractive, and when we threw a tastebud on it, everyone said ‘wow!’ – I had invented a tasty dish for the lowliest vegetable that many considered a notch above fodder.  In order not to divert the established momentum and thrust of this development, I will simply report that my bride promptly named it Santa Claus Squash.