February 2009 - Posts

• It's not easy being … realistic

  In the previous post I cracked on the notion of "green jobs" — not because I don't think a job can be "green" but because those pushing the idea of green jobs have never been too clear about what qualifies as a "green" job. For example, nearly everyone Read More... Posted Wednesday, February 25, 2009 12:25 PM by REB | 1 Comments

• Just get out

  Anyone who’s not familiar with the long struggle by Pacific Steel Castings to keep its Berkeley, CA, neighbors happy, and to stay in business, will at least know the theme of the story: there’s no pleasing those people. Environmental activists are driven Read More... Posted Sunday, February 22, 2009 2:31 PM by REB | 1 Comments

• Repeating myself

  Let me say from the start that I realize statistics don't mean anything to someone who's out of work, but they do matter quite a lot to the plans we make. That is, plans we make as individuals, as commercial concerns, and as a nation. And, while I've Read More... Posted Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:24 AM by REB | 0 Comments

• "Help" is on the way

  One of the coldest quips of this long winter is the one where a casual friend or total stranger asks out loud, in exasperation, "Where's my bailout?" Up 'til now, all the bailout money has gone to "Wall St. billionaires," and other irresponsible characters Read More... Posted Thursday, February 12, 2009 5:57 PM by REB | 0 Comments

• Snapshots in time

  Last fall I listened to a presentation about the technical advances and long-term prospects for metalcasting, as a process and an industry — a presentation given by the always insightful Raymond Monroe, of the Steel Founders Society of America . One of Read More... Posted Monday, February 09, 2009 8:52 AM by REB | 0 Comments