This video does a good job of explaining the unintended consequences of government programs that attempt to “solve” what is perceived as a problem, yet the solution causes more problems than it solves.
via.
I don’t know anything about the National Inflation Association which produced this video, so it isn’t an endorsement of them. Just thought it was interesting.
The Economist put together an interesting graphic that shows which countries match the GDP and population of America's states?
You probably know that California, on its own, would rank as one of the biggest economies of the world. As a result of its recession, these days, it would rank eighth (falling between Italy and Brazil).
But how do other American states compare with other countries?
Taking the nearest equivalent country from 2009 data reveals some surprises. Who would have thought that, despite years of auto-industry hardship, the economy of Michigan is still the same size as Taiwan's?
By the way, this is similar to a map I first saw in 2007 at "StrangeMaps". More on that here; and it gives you a chance to see how things have changed since then.
The Economist put together an interesting graphic that shows which countries match the GDP and population of America's states?
You probably know that California, on its own, would rank as one of the biggest economies of the world. As a result of its recession, these days, it would rank eighth (falling between Italy and Brazil).
But how do other American states compare with other countries?
Taking the nearest equivalent country from 2009 data reveals some surprises. Who would have thought that, despite years of auto-industry hardship, the economy of Michigan is still the same size as Taiwan's?
By the way, this is similar to a map I first saw in 2007 at "StrangeMaps". More on that here; and it gives you a chance to see how things have changed since then.
So this is how it's done …
It is a slow day in a damp little Irish town. The rain is beating down, and the streets are deserted.
Times are tough. Everybody is in debt and everybody lives on credit.
On this particular day, a rich German tourist is driving through the town, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.
The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.
The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.
The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the pub.
The bar owner slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit.
The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.
The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything. At that moment, the traveler comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money and leaves town.
No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the bailout package works.
So this is how it's done …
It is a slow day in a damp little Irish town. The rain is beating down, and the streets are deserted.
Times are tough. Everybody is in debt and everybody lives on credit.
On this particular day, a rich German tourist is driving through the town, stops at the local hotel and lays a €100 note on the desk, telling the hotel owner he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night.
The owner gives him some keys and, as soon as the visitor has walked upstairs, the hotelier grabs the €100 note and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher.
The butcher takes the €100 note and runs down the street to repay his debt to the pig farmer.
The pig farmer takes the €100 note and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel.
The guy at the Farmers' Co-op takes the €100 note and runs to pay his drinks bill at the pub.
The bar owner slips the money along to the local prostitute drinking at the bar, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer him "services" on credit.
The hooker then rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill to the hotel owner with the €100 note.
The hotel proprietor then places the €100 note back on the counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything. At that moment, the traveler comes down the stairs, picks up the €100 note, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money and leaves town.
No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now out of debt and looking to the future with a lot more optimism.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the bailout package works.
This made me smile.
Ah, the good old days. "We told them the wealth would 'trickle down'."
Now, watch video titled “Obama Kicks Door” spoofing the President’s reaction after extending the Bush Tax-Cuts. While Jay Leno’s Tonight Show obviously faked the video, they probably nailed the President’s reaction to the compromise. Here it is.
via RightPundits.com.
This made me smile.
Ah, the good old days. "We told them the wealth would 'trickle down'."
Now, watch video titled “Obama Kicks Door” spoofing the President’s reaction after extending the Bush Tax-Cuts. While Jay Leno’s Tonight Show obviously faked the video, they probably nailed the President’s reaction to the compromise. Here it is.
via RightPundits.com.
It turns out that it only takes minor misunderstandings to radically affect progress. Likewise, it only takes minor changes to put things back on the right track and "unlock" a situation.
Here's an example from a recent strategic planning session in my company.
On several occasions during the planning session, I said "I've already given you that", or "we agreed on that before".
However, if we really were communicating, then there wouldn't still be an issue. Clearly, something was getting in the way of true communication.
What Can Cause This?
One of the issues was "bandwidth". If someone feels so overwhelmed that they can't take in anything more, then what would have been signal turns out to be noise. Another way to say that is even a reasonable request can seem unreasonable if the person is overwhelmed and doesn't feel like they have the resources to accomplish what they need.
A related issue is understanding, but not agreeing. In other words, we can talk about an issue … but until someone says "yes" there isn't agreement. For example, in a car dealership there's a difference between saying "I really liked that car", or even "I really want to buy that car", versus "yes, I will buy this car."
The same dynamic plays out in a business meeting, and the stakes are often higher.
It turns out that it only takes minor misunderstandings to radically affect progress. Likewise, it only takes minor changes to put things back on the right track and "unlock" a situation.
Here's an example from a recent strategic planning session in my company.
On several occasions during the planning session, I said "I've already given you that", or "we agreed on that before".
However, if we really were communicating, then there wouldn't still be an issue. Clearly, something was getting in the way of true communication.
What Can Cause This?
One of the issues was "bandwidth". If someone feels so overwhelmed that they can't take in anything more, then what would have been signal turns out to be noise. Another way to say that is even a reasonable request can seem unreasonable if the person is overwhelmed and doesn't feel like they have the resources to accomplish what they need.
A related issue is understanding, but not agreeing. In other words, we can talk about an issue … but until someone says "yes" there isn't agreement. For example, in a car dealership there's a difference between saying "I really liked that car", or even "I really want to buy that car", versus "yes, I will buy this car."
The same dynamic plays out in a business meeting, and the stakes are often higher.
Chilean miner Edison Peña, who ran constantly when he was trapped in the San José mine, ran the New York marathon today.
In the mine he ran at least 10 kilometers a day, taking between 10 and 12 laps underground, with heavy rubber boots with steel tips. Peña said: “I ran inside the mine … I wanted to give a message to everybody”.
Peña was invited by the organizers of the marathon to be an honored guest, but he asked to participate instead.
It reminds me of something Viktor Frankl said:
"Our attitude towards what has happened to us in life is the important thing to recognize.
Once hopeless, my life is now hope-full, but it did not happen overnight.
The last of human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, is to choose one's own way."
~ Victor Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning"
