Half Couch Observations

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Links of What I am Readng

Goldman Tells Its Side of '09

GM Reports $4.3 Billion Loss (When I read the article anytime I read GM, I said "Government Motors")

The Dodd Bill: Bailouts Forever

Presidential Interns

War on Interns

Against Libertarian Nostalgia

How to Cut Government Pay (This reminds me, some of the best ideas are the short and sweet ones)

On a much more personal note, I have been exchanging emails with a family member about autism and repercussions of autism in the world. Hence I have been reading lots and lots about it so I suggest anyone if they have the time read up on autism do so. It is more common then one thinks, and who knows when it might affect you. (I hope to have the exchange of e-mails posted someday)

Unpaid Interns

President Obama and his administration are concerned that unpaid internships are a violation of the minimum wage laws. I can understand their argument, but let me be frank and personal about this and leave my libertarian views on the sidelines. In today's economy, I will gladly take an unpaid internship! I am in an unfortunate position where I am about to graduate as a civil engineer and I have never done any real world work in civil engineering. I was not able to get an internship or co-op in my four years at this school so my experience is essentially zero. So that makes me a less valuable candidate for every job I am applying for. Furthermore since firms have been letting people go there is a new supply of more experienced smarter civies out there. Increased supply and decreased demand is putting a downward drive on the price of our services.

I figure why not offer my services for free? It would look great on my resume, and it would be hugely cost effective. However the employer would run the risk, and I would readily admit I would be up front about this, that I am going to leave the instant I got a paying offer. The employer would have to hedge his or her bets that I would be there for a long enough period of time to justify bringing me in free of charge to do some work.

So for all you civil engineering firms out there, one free intern right here at your own risk.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

What I read before my Transpo Test

The White House and Writedowns

The Cost of Government

The Immorality of Protectionism

US Court Rules Against FCC on 'Net Neutrality'

Elton John Backs Lady Gaga To Sing Next James Bond Theme

People need to read

Thanks to Don Boudreaux at Cafe Hayek I have been blessed with the ability to read a passionate debate between a free trader and a protectionalist. I will admit I have some bias here; I am really into the whole free trade thing. I found one mistake that the protectionalist made that made me sick.

In the third blog, Scott Lincicome (free trader) wrote:

"inalienable," rights (as expressed in the Declaration of Independence)

Notice he mentioned the Founders idea of inalienable rights and where to find it (Declaration of Independence). One would think this is really easy to find now, but Ian Fletcher (protectionalist) replied:

I see no mention in the Constitution of the "inalienable rights" to which you refer.

Really? Well that is surprising. I should examine this phenomenon. I find no mention of Hamlet in Macbeth. Nor do I find any mention of Count Dracula in Frankenstein. Wait there is no mention of the starship Enterprise in any of the Star Wars movies. What is wrong with all this?

Oh yeah I am looking for something in the wrong place. Maybe you should look for those in alienable rights in...I don't know...maybe THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE where he said it was! Let me quote the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,

I could be wrong though maybe Mr. Fletcher was being facetious because the Founders used "unalienable" instead of "inalienable." I do not believe he was, but the moral of the story is read what is sent to you fully!

The links to the blogs: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Funny How Economics Works

In an effort to get people to fill out the census forms on campus the resident advisers organized a two hour event involving free beer and filling out census forms. Now of course I will be the first to admit I had ZERO intention of participating in this census. Actually I was incredibly frustrated with the advertising campaign Uncle Sam had launched to guilt me into participating. I was telling my friends, in less then polite vocabulary, how it was all a ruse by the government; it does not determine where the money goes or how political districts and such are measured. I would tell my buddies that the census has no control over these things, but your local politician does. This creates its own perverse and crazy incentives by itself, but that is for another blog.

Even with all my opposition to helping out the Census Bureau the offer of a free beer made my intention of participating 100%. I obviously understand that there is no such thing as a free beer, and the opportunity cost of me spending ten minutes to run to an academic building to do it and then having to redeem the beer at the local school sponsored bar and blah blah blah. IT WAS A BEER that did not cost me my most valuable resource, money, but instead cost me something I have plenty of as a college student, time.

However I will admit if it was not for they checks and balances that the resident advisers had in place, i.e. checking my name and ID, I would have filled out 10 census forms. The census bureau would be trying to figure out for years why there are 20 Joe Busheys all living on the campus in the same year!

All in all I must applaud the RAs for proving once again how incentives change people's behavior. Oh yeah and thanks for the beers....I mean beer.