FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY...

Well, I am up way too late. I finished my homework, and then promptly got into a political debate with a conservative friend.

Oh, tomorrow I shall be a sleepy lass.

(no subject)

I love Frontline, it is a thought provoking program. This week's episode features the story of Walmart, and how powerful they are. I dislike Walmart, but their business model is packing quite a wallop in the retail theater. It also showed how their pricing strategy helped to strap Rubbermaid.

I don't know how I feel about this. I think Rubbermaid needed to revamp their product line to remain competitive, if it is true that the cost of resin compelled rubbermaid to raise their prices in order to continue to be profitable. Walmart, being Rubbermaid's biggest buyer, didn't want to pay the higher price, or charge a higher price for the product. Apparently, consumers didn't miss the product. Capitalism just isn't warm and fuzzy.

But make a note of this: Walmart isn't necessarily always the cheapest. Keep an eye out. They have "loss leaders" that they advertise, but all their products are not necessarily competitive. But by advertising the lowest, rock bottom price for item X, you get the perception they are the lowest price on all of their products.

This is a process probably practiced by others, so keep an eye out.

You're tearing me apart!!!

I don't really like this...The entire text of the article is below the cut. But here's an excerpt of the plans Bush has in mind for our tax code. I really would rather tax wealth than work. I prefer a government that supports hard work, not rich people sitting on their ass collecting dividends. These changes will really hit metropolitan areas hard, as well as impact health coverage for americans, if the incentive for businesses to offer health care is curtailed.

Instead the administration plans to push major amendments that would shield interest, dividends and capitals gains from taxation, expand tax breaks for business investment and take other steps intended to simplify the system and encourage economic growth, according to several people who are advising the White House or are familiar with the deliberations.

The changes are meant to be revenue-neutral. To pay for them, the administration is considering eliminating the deduction of state and local taxes on federal income tax returns and scrapping the business tax deduction for employer-provided health insurance, the advisers said.

washingtonpost.com
Bush Plans Tax Code Overhaul
Changes Would Favor Investment, Growth
By Jonathan Weisman and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, November 18, 2004; Page E01

( Read more... )

Ja-ism?

Today went by rather quickly.

Here are some oddbits:

• There's a guy at work who fills out his jeans rather generously. Due to the fact that I was sitting and he was standing, so I had a straight view of the be-denimmed wedding tackle. I beheld what I believe to have been a testicular cameltoe.
  
• While running a problem ticket at a fellow's desk. He had just left for the day. While I was working on his PC, I noticed a faint yet persistent fecal-related odor in his area. I tried not to dwell on the odor, but I was less than pleased. On his desk he had pictures of his wife in their nuptual garb, post-its, pens and some pills in their little plastic-foil packets. They were white little capsules. While I'm waiting for the system to reboot to verify problem resolution, I decide to see what type of pain reliever he's poppin'. It was Imodium. What's that, you say? You don't know what or who Imodium is? Well, they're the good folks who would actually have a web page entitled Dialogue on Diarrhea. It's a charming page featuring hearty trail/mountain bikers. There is some trivia on there that is pretty slick; I shit you not. Fear not, biker on the run(s), Imodium will be there for you. And it was there for this fine gentlemen, too. And after partaking of his not too recently vacated airspace, I think Imodium should have a minty air-freshening component to it.
  
• Did I give you too much information? You're welcome! You didn't think I was going to live with this knowledge alone, did you? Damn right.
  
• Puppies and bunnies!
  
• Hopefully that previous bullet cleansed your brain.
  
• I woke up late this morning. This means I'll be going to bed early (in the morning).
  
• I was reminiscing with a friend about how my brother and I were prone to getting carsick as kids. He asked, "Which one of you got sick more?" I replied, "It was a toss up." The beauty of it was, I didn't realize my a propos choice of words until after the fact.