Tariffs

Via the CS7000 Yahoo Group:

"Today the US government starts charging a 25% import duty for radios from China. Almost all the DMR radios are made in China. We will honor the pre tariff price as long as we have stock of radios we bought before we have to pay extra for the radios. That applies to the CS580, CS800D, CS750, CS800, and CS801. The AnyTone price is set by AnyTone and they have not indicated how the tariff is going to affect the price. I would expert the AnyTone MAP to go beyond the $169 so now would be a good time to get one from us before we are forced to raise our price.

Jerry Wanger KK6LFS
Connect Systems Inc."

Jobs Wanted

Beretta (and Magpul) should come to Tennessee.

Here is a helpful link to get them started.

The Digital Optimist

An interesting and optimistic view of the power of technology.

Feelings

You can use this chart of median net worth by age to a) feel good about where you fall, b) feel bad about where you fall, or c) feel bad about the overall state of things.

No Guarantee

The Dwindling Power of a College Degree - it was never a guarantee. The last line strikes me as something we should always do: prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

"The increasingly vicious battle between left and right is, at the most basic level, a dispute over how to respond to these new rules. Republicans largely claim that the new rules will make the country richer and, in the long run, will be beneficial to everyone willing to put in the hard work. Few Democrats call for a return to record high taxes and trade barriers — after all, the free flow of cheap goods has helped many, particularly the poor. But many do want a return to the spirit of the old rules, when the government sought to make life more equal, more stable and, for some, less rewarding. The rest of us, meanwhile, should go to school, learn some skills and prepare for a rocky road."

And I'm not sure that I think it is a problem that the best nurse, plumber, or truck driver make a lot more money than the worst nurse, plumber, or truck driver.

Via:

andrewchen The Dwindling Power of a College Degree - NYTimes.com nyti.ms/vNsgnFWed, Nov 30 15:49:07 from Timely by Demandforce

Occupy Ham Radio

A funny thread popped up on the UV-3R group about the merits of buying the radio in the US versus direct from Asia: Occupy Ham Radio, Buy Cheapest, Save Money

I'm a Deadbeat!

From the NY Times article:

"In particular, people who pay the full balance on their cards each month – lenders call such customers “convenience users” or, more colorfully, “deadbeats,” because they do not pay interest and therefore are less profitable — may not regard that balance as “true” debt, and therefore choose not to report it. The industry, however, simply reports the total volume of outstanding loans. "

And I'm proud of it. Thirty days to use someone else's money. No fees. And even a little cash back.

Via:

ramit Look how Americans don't even realize how much they owe. http://t.co/RvKeueZB From a psychological standpoint, how would you address this?Tue, Oct 25 05:51:03 from Timely by Demandforce

Dave Ramsey on #OWS

I think Dave gives good advice:

"So to summarize, I’m not very impressed at the moment. I’m not impressed by your temper fit. I’m not impressed at your lack of goals and focus. I’m not impressed by the fact that the only thing I see about your movement is ignorance, immaturity and envy. Grow up—and get a job."

The whole article is here.

Jobs, Cash, Hope.

makower Someone just sent this: 10 years ago we had Steve Jobs, Johnny Cash & Bob Hope. Today we have no Jobs, Cash, or Hope.Mon, Oct 10 23:24:41 from TweetDeck retweeted by sarahcuda

Unicorns on Facebook

The following image is making the rounds on Facebook. It comes from a PDF of several slides at Connect the Dots USA.

From Society

If you don't like that you don't have as much money as someone else, do something about it... and I don't mean whine and cry until someone gives you a hand out. Maybe you should protest.

The Six Killer Apps of Prosperity

Another intereting TED Talk...

Niall Ferguson - The Six Killer Apps of Prosperity:

1. Competition
2. The Scientific Revolution
3. Property rights
4. Modern medicine
5. The consumer society
6. The work ethic

 

Definitely worth 15-20 minutes of your time to listen to his discussion of why some regions have been more prosperous over time and why they may be losing that advantage now. He suggests that "we" aren't paying attention. I submit that if would read half the blogs I follow, he would know that many of us are acutely aware of the decline.

Via The Simple Dollar

China puts the US on ebay

Funny read... China puts the IS on ebay.

With no bidders in the first 24 hours on eBay, China admitted that it would be challenging to unload the US, but it still held out hope that a buyer would step forward: “We’ve got our fingers crossed for Zuckerberg.”

How to fix the Economy: Jobs

We just need more Jobs.

Which is it?

President Obama says...

Technology kills jobs.

We need more engineers.

Via Snarky Bits and Slashdot.org

Economy Pickups

Pickup trucks as a leading economic indicator on NPR. Interestingly, the story says that sales have risen indicating that people believe there is hope for us yet