Musings of the Technical Bard

On Work

Taliesyn — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:26:44 +0000

Here is a great video, now 3 years old, where Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame talks about work and the failure of western society to make work “attractive”, particularly those jobs that we really need: Here also is a link to Rowe’s action after his revelation about the need for more people to be …

Alberta electricity “market” is broken

Taliesyn — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:00:49 +0000

Back in 2000, the PC government of Ralph Klein purported to “deregulate” the electricity industry, with the promise that more competition and the free market would provide more choice and better prices for Albertans. But something went wrong. Today, although many power plants have been built and the total installed base of power generation …

The Decline of America

Taliesyn — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:37:00 +0000

In Mark Steyn’s recent treatise, After America, he makes the case that American society is doomed unless the people of the United States very rapidly repudiate the social welfare state and expansive federal government that they have voted for repeatedly over the last fifty years. This data, which I found at Zero Hedge, shows …

The City of Calgary shouldn’t waste time on “sustainable food”

Taliesyn — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:24:44 +0000

The other day on my drive home, Angela Kokott (CHQR 770 drive home show host) interviewed Calgary alderman Giancarlo Carra (Ward 9) about the City of Calgary’s efforts to consider the “Sustainability of the Food Supply”. Carra droned on about the need for the City to have a food plan to make sure that all Calgarians …

There will be no Deus Ex Machina

Taliesyn — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:54:13 +0000

Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge has provided a link to a very good article at Gold Switzerland: With most of the world’s major economies as well as the financial system bankrupt, there is only one solution that can save the world economy. Like in the Greek tragedies, Deus ex Machina is now the only way that …

Calgary Budget 2012

Taliesyn — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:12:43 +0000

Calgary city council is currently debating the 2012-2014 budget, and all the news is about whether or not they can maintain a property tax hike of 5%, or will it have to go higher. None of the city councilors seem to think that increasing spending at a rate well above inflation + population growth is …

On Government Spending and Debt

Taliesyn — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 03:05:14 +0000

Recently, the discussion in Europe about the need for austerity programs and higher taxes has continued to use the original Euro currency agreement, which allowed governments to run deficits of 3% of GDP. This was foolish from the beginning, but is especially foolish now that the governments of Europe find themselves nearly bankrupt. How does …

Occupy, the Keystone XL non-decision and Mob Rule

Taliesyn — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:38:00 +0000

In recent days, there has been a number of actions that caused me to piece together something. First, the Occupy movement, which has taken over city squares and parks across North America, is generally a rag-tag band of socialists, communists, anarchists and other people who don’t understand economics. I do not begrudge anyone their …

Slouching toward a Great Depression

Taliesyn — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:54:56 +0000

Monty Pelerin at AmericanThinker had a great column yesterday, where he explains clearly the coming economic collapse: We are headed for an event that history will record as worse than the Great Depression. It is unavoidable… The principal reason for the dire prediction is the level of debt outstanding. Current debt levels are simply not sustainable. …

Let the Greek people vote

Taliesyn — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:35:00 +0000

The markets in turmoil, and European leaders are crying foul over Papandreiou’s pledge to hold a referendum on the bailout package. Yet the right answer is to let the Greeks vote. Greece gave us democracy and we should honour their rights. All economic actors, whether individuals, corporations or nations, should be free to act in …