August 2007 - Posts

• Not my problem

  For about a month I've been going back and forth with a contact who represents one of the more significant contractors serving the metalcasting industry. Readers would know who I'm referring to, if I could tell them. They would also know a lot about the Read More... Posted Friday, August 31, 2007 9:37 AM by REB | 0 Comments

• Not going away

  Illegal immigration is back in the news, as though it had ever really gone away, and this is not a good thing for anyone. Let me be clearer: it's a bad thing that we have no control over, or clear understanding of, who enters this country, and where, Read More... Posted Thursday, August 23, 2007 8:58 AM by REB | 0 Comments

• Good people

  I've been surprised at the large number of high-level personnel changes in the news lately. The mainstream business news seems to take a gossipy approach to this: in recent weeks we've been treated to in-depth coverage of Robert Nardelli — now set to Read More... Posted Monday, August 20, 2007 8:42 AM by REB | 0 Comments

• Good news, bad news

  The past several weeks of economic bad news is having most of its impact on personal fortunes: corporate earnings, for the most part, remain very solid. But, as though to prove that free-market capitalism always mixes good news amid the bad (and vice Read More... Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2007 9:30 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• Don't worry ... there's a plan for that.

  A friend sent me a column to read, and I should have posted it sooner, but I got waylaid by other things. It's a refreshing alternative to all the anxiety we feed ourselves concerning China: pay attention to India. It's good to have a plan, I remind myself Read More... Posted Friday, August 10, 2007 12:28 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• See us? Thank them.

  Every issue of FM&T ought to bring value to our readers, but in the issue we've recently mailed the value is more explicit. Every year we choose our August issue to spotlight the Casting Industry Suppliers Association , and we invite CISA members Read More... Posted Friday, August 10, 2007 12:20 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• Tragic proportions

  It seems we're surrounded by tragedies. A shooting rampage by a crazed sociopath is summarized as a tragedy. A starlet's death by overdose is called a "tragic" end of a life, not a slow-motion suicide. Who can say how many times the September 11 attacks Read More... Posted Friday, August 03, 2007 8:18 AM by REB | 0 Comments