Abbott and Costello explain Uncle Sam’s Accounting System for Unemployment Statistics

COSTELLO:  I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America .

ABBOTT:  Good Subject. Terrible Times. It’s 9%.

COSTELLO:  That many people are out of work?

ABBOTT:  No, that’s 16%.

COSTELLO:  You just said  9%.

ABBOTT:  9% Unemployed.

COSTELLO:  Right 9% out of work.

ABBOTT:  No, that’s 16%.

COSTELLO:    Okay, so it’s 16% unemployed.

ABBOTT:  No, that’s 9% .

COSTELLO:  WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 9% or 16%?

ABBOTT:  9% are unemployed. 16% are out of work.

COSTELLO:  IF you are out of work you are unemployed.

ABBOTT:  No, you can’t count the “Out of Work” as the unemployed.  You have to look for work to be unemployed

COSTELLO:  BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!!!

ABBOTT:  No, you miss my point.

COSTELLO:  What point?

ABBOTT:   Someone who doesn’t look for work, can’t be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn’t be fair.

COSTELLO:  To whom?

ABBOTT:  The unemployed.

COSTELLO: But they are ALL out of work.

ABBOTT:  No, the unemployed are actively looking for work. Those who are out of work stopped looking. They gave up. And, if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO:  So if you’re off the unemployment rolls, that would count as less unemployment?

ABBOTT:  Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!

COSTELLO:  The unemployment just goes down because you don’t look for work?

ABBOTT:  Absolutely it goes down. That’s how you get to 9%. Otherwise it would be 16%. You don’t want to read about 16% unemployment, do ya?

COSTELLO:  That would be frightening.

ABBOTT:  Absolutely.

COSTELLO:    Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?

ABBOTT:  Two ways is correct.

COSTELLO:  Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?

ABBOTT:  Correct.

COSTELLO:  And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?

ABBOTT:  Bingo.

COSTELLO:  So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to just  stop looking for work.

ABBOTT:  Now you’re thinking like an economist.

COSTELLO:  I don’t even know what I just said!

ABBOTT: Now you’re thinking like a politician!

Please move the deer crossing signs

A Tale of Two Whiteboards

Thomas Jefferson – an Amazing and Wise Man

Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.

At 5, began studying under his cousin’s tutor.

At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.

At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.

At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.

At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.

At 23, started his own law practice.

At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.

At 31, wrote the widely circulated “Summary View of the Rights of British America and retired from his law practice.

At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.

At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.

At 33, took three years to revise Virginia’s legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.

At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia, succeeding Patrick Henry.

At 40, served in Congress for two years.

At 41, was the American minister to France , and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.

At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.

At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.

At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions, and became the active head of Republican Party.

At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .

At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the nation’s size.

At 61, was elected to a second term as President.

At 65, retired to Monticello .

At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.

At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia, and served as its first president.

At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, along with John Adams.

Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future:

John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: “This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.” — Thomas Jefferson

“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”

–Thomas Jefferson

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” — Thomas Jefferson

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.” — Thomas Jefferson

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” — Thomas Jefferson

“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

— Thomas Jefferson

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” — Thomas Jefferson

“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property – until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

Obamacare summed up in one sentence

128,000 Dominoes – Cool!

Challenges of Getting to Mars: Seven Minutes of Terror

United States Budget Dilemma

Very well done short video talking about the dilemma we face with the U.S. budget / deficit

The Power of the Market

An essay and two videos show the power of the market. Let the free market work and see what can happen.

The Pencil by Milton Friedman and I, Smartphone. These are both based on the writing of Leonard Read in 1958.   Enjoy

The Pencil by Leonard Read:

     Link

The Power of the Market, The Pencil by Milton Friedman

I, Smartphone

Advice for what to see/do in Seattle and Puget Sound

I get asked frequently by folks who are going to visit Seattle what they should go see. So I thought I would put a list together for future reference. This list is applicable for visitors, honeymooners, etc. If you have suggestions – please add as a comment.

A lot of this depends on what kind of sightseeing they want to do. Some people like to see city sites and highlights. Others want to see beautiful countryside scenery. Others just want to be in one area while others want to see many, many things.  Here are several options:

Seeing the city of Seattle:
– Stay in downtown Seattle
– Visit the Spaceneedle, Pacific Science Center, visit EMP (Experience Music Project), and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center that are all at the same location
– Try several good restaurants that are abundant in Seattle
– Pike Place Market. (In addition to the seafood store go see the “gum” wall)
– Take a ferry (from near Pike Place Market) to one of several different places and then ride it back. Beautiful scenery
– Ride the Duck boats for a tour of Seattle
– Go on the Underground Tour (funny, funny)
– Walk along the waterfront – just below Pike Place Market. Eat fish and chips at Ivars on the waterfront
– Ferris Wheel on the waterfront
– There are various plays, musicals and concerts (5th Avenue Theater, Paramount Theater, etc.)
– Seattle Aquarium
– You can do all of the above without a rental car. Plus Seattle has a pretty good bus system. And the Link Light Rail system works well for connecting downtown Seattle to the airport.
– One way to see many of the Seattle sites which is less expensive than buying them individually is the buy the Seattle CityPass – Link
– Also from Seattle you can take the Victoria Clipper that will take you to Victoria, BC
– 10 free things to do in Seattle – Link

Seeing the sites around the Puget Sound area:
– Take a ferry. Recommend going via the San Juans
– Drive out to Snoqualmie Falls
– Just drive all around the Sound – including islands such as Whidbey, Vashon, Bainbridge, etc.
– Go to the Ballard Locks just in North Seattle
– Archie McPhee Novelty store
– Drive up to Everett and go on the Boeing Everett Factory tour
– Go to the Museum of Flight just south of Seattle
– Drive up to Mt Rainier and take a hike
– Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo
– Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma
– LeMay Car Musem in Tacoma
– Museum of Glass in Tacoma
– Drive way up north and east through the mountain passes on Hwy 2. Keep going to Leavenworth – a nice “Bavarian/German” town.
– Mt. Rainier Scenic Train ride in Elbe
– View the beautiful tulip fields in the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival – usually in April each year
– Great Wolf Lodge (Family indoor waterpark)
– Northwest Trek
– Remlinger Farms

Seeing things over on the Olympic Peninsula:
– Olympic game farm. Feed exotic animals from your car as you drive through
– Tour the Navy vessels at Bremerton. The aircraft carrier graveyard at Bremerton. If you have any interest in any navy-related things – they have quite a few things like museums, etc.
– Lots of pretty driving on Olympic Peninsula
– Visit Forks (if they are in to Twilight books)
– Visit the Hoh Rain Forest (very cool)
– Go camping at Kalaloch National Campground. Reservations required. This is where our family goes camping most summers.
– Drive up to Hurricane Ridge
– From Port Angeles you can take a ferry (either with a car or without) to Victoria and back
– Go to the Washington beaches. Most people go to the Ocean Shores area. We prefer going to Westport.
– Go deepsea fishing out of Westport
– Cape Flattery Lighthouse near Neah Bay. This is the most northwest point of the Continental U.S. – one of the four “corners” of the U.S. It’s a bit of a drive (a couple of hours from Port Angeles), but a beautiful part of the U.S. There is also deep-sea fishing out of Neah Bay.

For a very, quiet but picturesque place to go is in the San Juan Islands. Great place for a honeymoon or anniversary.

Or – one of the best recommendations is just go to Victoria, BC for a couple of days. Nice, quaint town with British feel to it. Definitely visit Butchart Gardens while there.

The Seattle Times has their Top 10 Attractions: http://seattletimes.com/html/travel/2020948293_sightseeingsummerguidexml.html

      • Pike Place Market
      • Space Needle
      • Olympic Sculpture Park
      • Washington State Ferries
      • Museum of History & Industry
      • Downtown Waterfront
      • Seattle Art Museum
      • Chinatown International District
      • Ballard Locks
      • Boeing Tour

 

Low cost options around Seattle: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/hosting-visitors-in-seattle-here-are-some-free-low-cost-attractions-to-show-them-around-town/