A Completely Unrelated Series of Thoughts.. Part 5

[TraderJake]

Wow, more people visit this site from Luxembourg than Canada, so says the statistics.

I'm doing the best I can    

If it is any consolation, Luxembourg is the the third largest concentration of users, with the first being the US and the second being Network users.

[Tan]

Actually considering that we've got a tenth of the US's population I'm surprised it's even high enough to mention. 

[James]

I don't know.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

I do, but I'm not really sure what we're talking about.

[James]

The only beer I can find is a bottle of chilli beer. After the other incident with beer discovered in the cupboard I decided to check the best before date. July... mmk. 1997?!?!? I don't think I'll be drinking that one.

Come to think of it, there was a bottle of Nigerian Guinness somewhere, although Guinness is probably as bad as ten year old chilli beer.

[TraderJake]

Actually considering that we've got a tenth of the US's population I'm surprised it's even high enough to mention. 

Don't worry, the gap between Americans and the next group is rather large.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

I'm proud to be an American, and in my search to find a picture stating that I found this, which I agree with 100%

Now I'm going to go chase that bird I see flying around outside...

[img width=675 height=675]http://www.unionfreeamerica.com/hardha1.jpg[/img]

[TraderJake]

I'm a moderate, and agree with that pin, sorry blue collar workers, unions are slowly killing America.

For the record, I, along with any other practicing engineer, is barred from joining a union. Joining a Union is expressly forbidden in the Engineering Code of Ethics.

[Funk_Buddy]

This weekend is "Snake Saturday" in my town. This means a parade and the stuff that goes with it. Best part is, this is the first year we've been open on this day. Normally I'm busy with floors so the shop is closed and all the a-holes fill our lot, but not this year. I look forward to telling people they can not park in our lot and if they do, their vehicle will not be here when they come back.

My favorite new ordinance for the city is "no open container". You'd think since they have a "no drinking in public" and "no open container in a vehicle" ordinance that the latest would be a given... nope.

[Funk_Buddy]

I'm a moderate, and agree with that pin, sorry blue collar workers, unions are slowly killing America.

For the record, I, along with any other practicing engineer, is barred from joining a union. Joining a Union is expressly forbidden in the Engineering Code of Ethics.

Are you sure? What kind of engineer? I could have sworn there are aeronautical engineers in unions, at Boeing perhaps.

[TraderJake]

Civil Engineers are not allowed to join unions, according to ye old structures professor.

[Funk_Buddy]

Interesting.

I agree that unions are a problem. While they have there place, they just drive the cost of stuff up. Cars are a prime example.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

This weekend is "Snake Saturday" in my town. This means a parade and the stuff that goes with it. Best part is, this is the first year we've been open on this day. Normally I'm busy with floors so the shop is closed and all the a-holes fill our lot, but not this year. I look forward to telling people they can not park in our lot and if they do, their vehicle will not be here when they come back.

My favorite new ordinance for the city is "no open container". You'd think since they have a "no drinking in public" and "no open container in a vehicle" ordinance that the latest would be a given... nope.

Ooo sounds like fun, where do you live? I'll bring my baseball bat for those parking lot fillers.

And all my union has ever done for me was...take away my experience pay. Sure I make more now but I'd rather be making a little less with experience pay than make the same as the new wankers. It used to be that I could make fun of all the new employees for making less money than me, but now even if you've been working there for two years you make the same as new people.

Bastards, I hate those N3wbs.

[TraderJake]

mmm... Penn Station.

[Hydrobond]

Unions had a place, in small towns where the ONLY line of work was with a single employer.  (i.e. They had a monopoly over employment in that town.)  There are very few places here now that still fit that bill.  

Interesting.

I agree that unions are a problem. While they have there place, they just drive the cost of stuff up. Cars are a prime example.

I'm not so sure about that. What they will do, however, is drive the quality down.  Toyotas as high quality because every employee is there because they do a good job and not because the company can't get rid of them.   (There were too many becauses in that sentence... oh well.)  

Henry Ford had an alternative to this situation.  He offered what was called a "working wage."  (At least I think that was the term.)  Every assembly line worker recieved $5 a day (a very high wage for the time.)  With the wages this high, his workers put more effort into the product, increasing both production numbers and quality. 

Ford astonished the world in 1914 by offering a $5 a day wage that more than doubled the rate of most of his workers. The move proved extremely profitable. Instead of constant turnover of employees, the best mechanics in Detroit flocked to Ford, bringing in their human capital and expertise, raising productivity, and lowering training costs. Ford called it "wage motive."