Comments for Shiny Bits of Life

Comment on Fun for your Friday, number 19 by Tim

Tim — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:12:01 +0000

Watts Towers came to my mind as well, but the Towers were quite solidly built. These look more improvised.

Comment on Governmental regulation can be good by Paul

Paul — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:10:18 +0000

Deb — agreed. However, I like the new Dart’s style. It’s somehow less bulbous and bulky than the Challenger.

Tim — some great illustrations & points. Gov’t intervention can go too far — and when it’s not there, lives can be in peril.

Comment on Governmental regulation can be good by Tim

Tim — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:03:52 +0000

I have a friend who is rabidly libertarian and decries all government regulation, but I doubt he spends much time thinking about the quality of his drinking water or of the medicines his daughter’s pediatrician prescribes; or the difference there would be in accident rates if speed limits didn’t exist. I didn’t see industry making much effort to contain pollution until they were forced to do it, back in the 1970s.

US auto manufacturers were still making huge clunky cars into the late 1970s, long after people had been making noise about pollution and fuel economy. If it hadn’t been for having to compete with Japanese economy cars, they probably would have kept putting V-6s and V-8s into everything for another decade.

On the other hand, there are regulations that are protectionistic for interest groups, like the requirement in Illinois that construction work be done by union members. This increases the price and lengthens the response time and does nothing to improve quality of work done.

Building inspections, on the other hand, sometimes save lives and the property owner’s money. There are enough horror stories already in the world of remodeling and construction. I can’t imagine how many more people would get screwed if city building inspections didn’t happen. A private inspection provides no enforcement authority.

Comment on Duplicate sets of cars by Tim

Tim — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:50:59 +0000

The color thing is interesting. Maybe it’s so he can remember where he is when he’s driving.

I’ve long thought that it would be neat to have a fully stocked house in, say, Colombia that I could visit whenever I want with a minimum of luggage. Back in 1990–1991, the Bendor-Samuelses owned the trailer next to ours at the ILC and also a house in England. They spent several months at at time in each place.

Comment on Governmental regulation can be good by DebB

DebB — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:17:03 +0000

Hmmm — first I’ve heard of the Dart being “reborn”. Can’t say I find the design especially groundbreaking, but maybe that’s just me. They didn’t make any effort to connect it with the car of the 60s/70s, as they did with the new Challenger.

I’m not convinced it’s really possible to find true balance, considering the number of people in this country, each with their own opinion. Someone is always going to feel slighted. But what Rick says is true — government seems to have become more about which party wins rather than what’s best for the country.

Comment on Governmental regulation can be good by Paul

Paul — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:52:32 +0000

You hint at one of the key ways forward — balance. And as we all know, it’s very elusive.

Comment on Governmental regulation can be good by Rich Dixon

Rich Dixon — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:55:54 +0000

Regulation becomes political, so it’s never about a logical look at the actual issue. It’s a win/lose battle of emotion vs. money, and we tend to go to the extreme of the winner.

Nobody likes air polution, but you still know people who say the evil government shouldn’t ever mess with private enterprise even when it poisons the environment. Everyone wants economic development, but some folks will argue for blocking a project that displaces a few prairie dogs.

Comment on Badge inflation by tom chamberlain

tom chamberlain — Sat, 12 May 2012 06:12:16 +0000

I agree, but I remember being a kid and being in love with the hot rods from the 60s and 70s. I wasn’t the only american teen to feel that way. These cars came with giant motors that would suck a gallon of gas just starting up in the morning.
Crazy..

Comment on Amazing cameras by Paul

Paul — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:53:00 +0000

I had to follow this up with an exchange on Twitter that I saw. The top tweet was a promoted tweet (ie; an ad appearing at the top of my Twitter stream). The bottom tweet was a response.

@TheArtInstitute Sharing photos with #instagram is fun and easy, but you can take photography to a whole new level with an online degree [link]

@StillNotCaring HAHA how is a photographer supposed to pay off the tuition when they graduate? do you have classes on counterfeiting bills?

Comment on Something you can do for Earth Day by Elizabeth - Letters from a Small State

Elizabeth - Letters from a Small State — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Paul, I love those STAMPS! I wish I had bought them last year! You write alot about cars, and that’s what America is designed around: cars. Europe was designed around feet. It’s much easier to walk there: and harder to park!

Happy Earth Day: everyday!