http://www.theawl.com/ Be Less Stupid Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:26:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-127504 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-127504#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:26:01 +0000 Patrick Carlson http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-127504 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-127504/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126081 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126081#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:20:26 +0000 Art Yucko http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126081 lean years. But either way, gentlemen... it's going to rain." -Don Draper (heh!)]]> lean years. But either way, gentlemen... it's going to rain." -Don Draper (heh!)]]> http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126081/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126080 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126080#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:17:21 +0000 Art Yucko http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126080 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126080/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126079 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126079#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:14:24 +0000 Art Yucko http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126079 Private companies. This is a subject that interests me too. On the face of it you would naturally think that absent shareholders, a company could do more with all that extra profit that doesn't have to be doled out to the toe-tapping, impatient shareholders. The downside and the occasional reality of this, though, is that such companies and their management are technically accountable to no one- and if their presence is big enough in a community, any strategic or financial missteps on their part can have just as negative an effect on that community as a publicly held corporation's would. We have one such private company here, whose base product is a product that many people in America just aren't purchasing anymore. (-cough-rhymeswithballpark.) If we want to talk about "black boxes"... the company's finances are a complete cypher. Layoffs are frequent there, even during good times, and this is well-known throughout the community. Employees seem to be in a constant state of either unknowing, denial and/or fear about what's going to happen to them or their department. They are constantly forced to relocate their offices to other areas and vast stretches of the corporate headquarters complex sit empty. The company's manufacturing presence in this area has shriveled to a wisp of what it once was... meanwhile it buys brands and gets into the content-licensing game and there are a number of who-knows-what-is-going-on-behind-the-curtain-here scenarios involving real-estate properties and smaller businesses that they own "indirectly"... probably an elaborate collection of tax-write-offs, no doubt? This company occasionally informs a media outlet or two of "the current state of things that we have decided you should probably know" yet there is no real way to know exactly how much or how little profit they are making and what their financial future looks like. They may not have shareholders they are beholden to, but in a sense, their shareholders are this very community itself. Without their presence, this city would suffer pretty severe economic fallout and everyone here knows it.]]> Private companies. This is a subject that interests me too. On the face of it you would naturally think that absent shareholders, a company could do more with all that extra profit that doesn't have to be doled out to the toe-tapping, impatient shareholders. The downside and the occasional reality of this, though, is that such companies and their management are technically accountable to no one- and if their presence is big enough in a community, any strategic or financial missteps on their part can have just as negative an effect on that community as a publicly held corporation's would. We have one such private company here, whose base product is a product that many people in America just aren't purchasing anymore. (-cough-rhymeswithballpark.) If we want to talk about "black boxes"... the company's finances are a complete cypher. Layoffs are frequent there, even during good times, and this is well-known throughout the community. Employees seem to be in a constant state of either unknowing, denial and/or fear about what's going to happen to them or their department. They are constantly forced to relocate their offices to other areas and vast stretches of the corporate headquarters complex sit empty. The company's manufacturing presence in this area has shriveled to a wisp of what it once was... meanwhile it buys brands and gets into the content-licensing game and there are a number of who-knows-what-is-going-on-behind-the-curtain-here scenarios involving real-estate properties and smaller businesses that they own "indirectly"... probably an elaborate collection of tax-write-offs, no doubt? This company occasionally informs a media outlet or two of "the current state of things that we have decided you should probably know" yet there is no real way to know exactly how much or how little profit they are making and what their financial future looks like. They may not have shareholders they are beholden to, but in a sense, their shareholders are this very community itself. Without their presence, this city would suffer pretty severe economic fallout and everyone here knows it.]]> http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126079/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126074 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126074#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:45:44 +0000 Scum http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126074 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126074/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126054 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126054#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:15:58 +0000 scrooge http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126054 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126054/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126050 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126050#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:01:51 +0000 Mindpowered http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126050 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126050/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126049 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126049#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:00:22 +0000 Mindpowered http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126049 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126049/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126038 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126038#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:24:42 +0000 droskill http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126038 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-126038/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125992 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125992#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:04:13 +0000 alannaofdoom http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125992 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125992/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125978 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125978#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:35:08 +0000 barnhouse http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125978 not so much. With the recent Post revelations of insane waste in the intelligence agencies, it is pretty clear that the tide is finally going to turn, there (unless the Dems suffer a huge defeat in the midterms, of course.)]]> not so much. With the recent Post revelations of insane waste in the intelligence agencies, it is pretty clear that the tide is finally going to turn, there (unless the Dems suffer a huge defeat in the midterms, of course.)]]> http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125978/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125967 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125967#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:30:56 +0000 barnhouse http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125967 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125967/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125954 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125954#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:13:24 +0000 Aloysius http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125954 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125954/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125926 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125926#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:42:54 +0000 sallytomato http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125926 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125926/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125912 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125912#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:23:11 +0000 LondonLee http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125912 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125912/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125902 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125902#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:09:41 +0000 brent_cox http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125902 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125902/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125888 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125888#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:00:37 +0000 migraineheadache http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125888 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125888/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125877 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125877#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:52:14 +0000 barnhouse http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125877 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125877/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125875 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125875#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:50:28 +0000 barnhouse http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125875 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125875/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125865 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125865#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:45:17 +0000 laurel http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125865 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125865/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125860 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125860#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:40:31 +0000 laurel http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125860 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125860/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125859 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125859#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:40:07 +0000 KarenUhOh http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125859 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125859/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125857 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125857#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:39:25 +0000 Aloysius http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125857 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125857/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125853 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125853#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:32:42 +0000 DoctorDisaster http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125853 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125853/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125850 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125850#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:30:25 +0000 the Loud Coast http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125850 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125850/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125846 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125846#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:26:20 +0000 Screen Name http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125846 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125846/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125842 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125842#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:21:43 +0000 jfruh http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125842 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125842/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125840 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125840#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:15:35 +0000 formerly it takes a lot etc. http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125840 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125840/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125838 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125838#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:13:22 +0000 LondonLee http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125838 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125838/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125837 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125837#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:11:54 +0000 Crantastical http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125837 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125837/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125836 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125836#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:11:25 +0000 HiredGoons http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125836 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125836/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125835 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125835#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:08:18 +0000 Morbo http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125835 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125835/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125834 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125834#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:07:59 +0000 Annie K. http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125834 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125834/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125833 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125833#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:07:13 +0000 Annie K. http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125833 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125833/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125832 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125832#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:06:29 +0000 davidwatts http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125832 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125832/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125830 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125830#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:02:52 +0000 the Loud Coast http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125830 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125830/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125829 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125829#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:57:46 +0000 BlinkyMcChuck http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125829 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125829/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125827 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125827#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:56:10 +0000 kneetoe http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125827 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125827/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125826 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125826#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:55:55 +0000 BlinkyMcChuck http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125826 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125826/feed 0 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125822 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125822#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:49:09 +0000 NicFit http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125822 http://www.theawl.com/2010/07/the-economy-why-it-sucks#comment-125822/feed 0