Wolf Blitzer Buys a New Suit: How to fix the economy

Wolf Blitzer Buys a New Suit

For those who still have no grasp on how to fix the economy, another metaphor.

Wolf Blitzer wants to buy a new suit.  This, he figures, will attract more viewers [customers].  He borrows the money from John King—a CNN colleague.

Mr. Blitzer’s ratings [revenue] go up.  He repays Mr. King.

Mr. King, seeing Mr. Blitzer’s success, uses the profits from his lending venture to buy a new suit.  His ratings [customers] go up.

Upstairs, Mr. Turner is looking over the balance sheets.  He sees this uptick in [revenue].  He asks his accountant what happened.  His accountant tells him.  Mr. Turner gets an idea.  He issues a memo to his on air people.

CNN will make low interest loans to those who want to go out and buy a new outfit to wear on the air.

Ratings go up.  Revenue goes up.  Mr. Turner issues another memo.

Up until now, in the cafeteria, employees could buy a meal [breakfast, lunch, or dinner] for $10.  Due to the increased revenue, we are going to charge you [tax you] only $5.

As a result, the employees have more money to spend.  John King buys a new tie.  Gloria Borger buys a new scarf.  Candy Crowley buys a necklace.  Don Lemon buys a new shirt.

This upgrade in the “metaphorical image” generates more viewers [customers].  Revenues go up.  Salaries are increased.  All is well in CNNtopia.

However, what if all were not so enlightened.

What if Wolf Blitzer had borrowed the money for his new suit from Bret Baier?

Well, Mr. Blitzer would still have a new suit.  However, the profits would have gone to Mr. Baier who would have used his profits to buy a new suit.  Mr. King, not having the profits from his loan to Mr. Blitzer, would have had to go to Shepard Smith for a loan to buy his new suit.

Now, Bret Baier and Shepard Smith could use their profits to invest in a business partnership to lend money to fellow Fox News Anchors.  They would have a spiffed up image and more viewers [customers] generating more revenue.

Back to CNN.

With Mr. Blitzer and Mr. King having to pay interest on the loans to people at Fox, they have to cut back on expenditures.  Now, instead of buying lunch or dinner in the cafeteria, they brown-bag it.  Revenues in the cafeteria fall.  CNN issues a memo.  Due to lost revenues, the cafeteria will have to raise prices [taxes] on lunches and dinners.  This affects the other employees.  No shirts, no scarves, no ties, no necklaces, declining image, lost customers, decreased revenues—CNNistant.

What is the crucial difference between CNNtopia and CNNistan?  That is the difference between solving the US economic crisis and not solving the US economic crisis.

Now, on to Economic Experts.

In another monograph, I referred to selling blue paint.   I chose blue because blue is my favourite colour.  As Freud said, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”

However, there is an opportunity to create a metaphor.

You watch CNN.  You watch as experts explain the economy. 

One economist works for a company that makes red paint.  He says, “If you want to sell more widgets, paint the walls of your company red.”

Another economist works for a company that makes blue paint.  He says, “If you want to sell more widgets, paint the walls of your company blue.”

Well, the bias is obvious.  Less so, the supporting facts.

Red:  “We have a study that says employees in companies with red walls are more pumped up and make more widgets—increased productivity.

Blue:  We have a study that says employees in companies with blue walls are more serene and make fewer mistakes—higher quality.

What both sides don’t say:

Employees in companies with red walls make more widgets but make more mistakes resulting in many widgets rejected for poor quality.

Employees in companies with blue walls make higher quality widgets with fewer mistakes, but make fewer widgets which results in lower productivity.

You can say both the Red Economist and The Blue Economist told the truth, half the truth, or half a lie [by omission]. 

Both sides misled the customers of the benefits of the paint they sell.

How do you fix an economy?

Here are a few easy to understand monographs on the topic.  Will this help you fix the economy?  Well, is fixing the economy your job?  What it will do is protect you from the politicians trying to sell you paint you don’t need to fix a problem that can’t be fixed with a can of paint.

Will $1 Billion Dollars create 7,000 jobs?  Yes and No.

http://slimviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/will-1-billion-create-7000-jobs-yes-and.html

Economic Stimulus, by Metaphor

http://slimviews.blogspot.com/2011/06/economic-stimulus-by-metaphor.html

The Multiplier Effect

http://www.slideshare.net/slimfairview/the-multiplier-effect-4962273

Regards,

Slim

PS.  I am not Paul Harvey.  However, I am open to becoming a commentator, columnist, or paid blogger.

If you’ve found anything I said to be helpful, please don’t hesitate to send me one of those tricked-out laptops and to tuck a few dollars into the envelope along with the thank you note.

Sincerest regards,

Slim

slimfairview@yahoo.com

Copyright © 2011 Slim Fairview

Collective Bargaining and Kansachusetts

Collective Bargaining is Good.

Now, does anyone see a similarity between the strategy of the Governor of Wisconsin and the strategy of Moammar Gadhafi? I am not talking about individuals. I am talking about strategies.

The Teachers' Union will make concessions. The Government will relent on bargaining. The only problem is that the government has to create a problem. I am guessing that the bigger problem the government creates, the bigger the solution it appears to implement.

What started out as a dispute between teachers in Wisconsin has grown to a national labour movement. Enough said?

To Understand the issues, let's look at a similar problem in my home state of Kansachusetts. There, Governor Odious Bilgewater stated the case very simply.

Lesterville is poor. Morgan's Farm is affluent. If there is collective bargaining, Morgan's Farm taxpayers can handle the bill. Lesterville taxpayers can't.

Now let's deal with that in a logical fashion.

If we get rid of collective bargaining, Lesterville will have little money. The really good teachers will all go to Morgan's Farm. In Lesterville, the poor children will continue to suffer.

When handing out state aid, Governor Bilgewater always gave more money to Morgan's Farm Schools. This has been ruled unfair by the courts. Governor Bilgewater could index state aid by income level and per student expenditures. No. That would be too simple. Too effective. It would make too much sense.

Governor Bilgewater wants to get rid of LIFO. Last Hired First Fired. He said, "The problem in our schools comes from too many bad teachers."

Really?

It was only a few weeks ago that parents were saying that the reason their children aren't getting an education is due to the lack of experienced teachers. In response to that, governor Bilgewater wants to get rid of experienced teachers.

Who will determine whether one of the new teachers is better than one of the experienced teachers?

The experienced teachers went to school back in the day when students learned to read. Then came the decline in education and reading skills. Do you really want to get rid of experienced teachers?

Well, what if you have a bad teacher. As the system is now, it is virtually impossible to fire one bad teacher. So what does governor Bilgewater suggest? Get rid of more experienced teachers. (I guess that way the one bad teacher won't feel bad by being singled out.)

Governor Bilgewater really kicked the hornets nest, didn't he?

However, as Governor Bilgewater said, "You can have action without planning; but planning without action is a waste of time. And time is what we don't have. Therefore, this is not a time to come up with a plan. This is a time for action." Kansachusetts: The State We All Live In The Honorable Odious Bilgewater--Governor.

Regards,

Slim

Mail slimfairview@yahoo.com

Copyright (c) 2011 Slim Fairview

How many parents want their children to get the appearance of an education?

How many parents want their children to get the appearance of an education?


To follow up on a previous article, I am now a teacher. I teach 7th and 8th grade math. Children have math anxiety; pressure from their parents; and pressure they place on themselves. This, I found, was easy enough to deal with.

On the way home one Friday, I stopped in a stationery store. I bought a box of gold stars. Not those chump size stars, the big ones.

As I reviewed my students’ work, graded papers, and entered grades in my book, I looked for the best paper each student had submitted. I put a big gold star on the top, I wrote a very positive comment next to it in red ink.

On Monday, I handed out the papers. Some of the students went through them. One student said, “Hey, I got a gold star on my paper.” Another said, “How come I got a gold star on my paper?” Another said, “I got one too!”

I said, “Relax, everyone. Let me explain what I did.”

I explained to my class that I took the best paper each student submitted, put a gold star on top, and wrote something nice in red ink. Then I told them what I wanted them to do.

“I want you to take your papers home and say, ‘Look, I got a gold star on my paper.’ Now, what your parents are going to do, is look at the paper, tell you how proud they are of you, and maybe not get on your case so much. That way, when you come to class you won’t be so filled with math anxiety. You’ll be more relaxed and I will have an easier time teaching, and you will have an easier time learning.”

There was dead silence for less than a heartbeat. Then the class broke out in laughter. They got the joke.

Epilogue:

Tuesday, I asked my class how it went. They all had positive comments to share. I said, “Good. Now your parents won’t be getting on Sister’s case, Sister won’t be getting on my case, your parents won’t be getting on your case, and we can all relax, have a good time, enjoy math, and you’ll learn a lot more.

Regards,

Slim

PS. I am not Paul Harvey.  Still, I am open to becoming a paid blogger, columnist, or commentator.

In the meantime, if anyone finds the monographs on my blog to be especially helpful, please do not hesitate to send me on of those tricked out laptops and few dollars tucked into the envelope with the thank you note.

Sincerely  

Slim

Mail slimfairview@yahoo.com

Copyright (c) 2011 Slim Fairview