Comments for PicoBusiness

Comment on Someone is a Culture fan by Walter Moore

Walter Moore — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:42:54 +0000

Heh, even I recognize them, and I only read Matter.

My fake guild at the moment on my character Pantalaimon is ‘Experimental Theologians.’ I wonder how many people get the double reference

Comment on More good news by Walter Moore

Walter Moore — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:32:37 +0000

Ah, yes. 1998 was clearly an outlier.

Comment on More good news by jb

jb — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:21:02 +0000

I agree with you that the short term trend is not as meaningful as the long-term trend. That’s why I didn’t say something inane like ‘Global Warming has ended’.

It’s just good news, that’s all.

Comment on More good news by jb

jb — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:12:16 +0000

whoops, apparently I lost a quote mark somewhere in there

Comment on More good news by Walter R. Moore

Walter R. Moore — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:55:04 +0000

Also, speaking as the son of an oceanographer, one, five, or even ten years tell you only short term trends.

Comment on More good news by Walter R. Moore

Walter R. Moore — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:54:05 +0000

Source article? Average of _ amount of time?

Comment on Artificial Scarcity by Walter Moore

Walter Moore — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:21:35 +0000

Comment on I crack myself up by Walter R. Moore

Walter R. Moore — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:15:54 +0000

ba-dum-ching!

Comment on Channelling Herbert by Walter R. Moore

Walter R. Moore — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:02:21 +0000

The idea that automation costs jobs (despite all evidence to the contrary, and as you say, what awful jobs!) is an old one.. weavers smashing Jaccard looms, Luddites smashing mine engines..

America has already demonstrated that there are many jobs citizens simply wont do at any wage.

Comment on Those Wasteful TVs by jb

jb — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:59:32 +0000

Hi Matt, thanks for stopping by.

I had an enlightening moment the other day (I know, about time) - the hostility of the free market crowd to new ideas of regulation acts as a filter - the regulatory ideas that have the best “benefit to burden” ratio are generally the only ones that survive.

having said that, we still see all sorts of frustrating results from well-meaning regulations - low flow toilets that require multiple flushes, thus eliminating the benefit, detergents that are more “eco-friendly” but the clothes need two washings, which again eliminates the benefit.

And the primary use of electricity in TVs is in projecting light. I will be unsurprised if the “electrically efficient” TVs end up being dimmer. Which is something that you or I could do right now, just by hitting the brightness adjustment.

But I don’t hear people saying “want to save money on your electricity? Reduce the brightness of your picture” Instead, they have decided that people need to be forced to buy TVs that have the brightness turned down.

I don’t have any particular idea about how much wattage my TV is using. It’s a safe bet it’s less than an electric dryer, stove, space heater or vacuum cleaner. And if experts showed up on TV and said “ten tips to reduce your electricity bill” and one was “buy a low-wattage TV”, I would be all for it. Because that leaves the choice in the hands of the people.

Lastly, I understand the concern about regressive electrical rates. But if that’s the concern, we should focus on that, not on the extraneous things like TV efficiency. For example, why not charge a graded amount for electrical usage - the first “X” kilowatt-hours are charged at a lower rate. Certainly, as electricity is a public utility, there’s more legitimacy for applying the regulatory burden there, instead of in the TV and Stove and Fridge and Washer/Dryer/Dishwasher crowd.