tom- I know what you mean, but I think about it so I can offer some ideas to change the messed up situation the we have created. Thanks for dropping by.

I must admit that in the realm of all things that affect us, my understanding of economics is probably the weakest. I just use some common sense – but I notice that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

When I was a kid, I didn’t have much money and there were always things I wanted and couldn’t have. Now, I could buy all of those things if I wanted to, but really have no interest in them.

I make about 5 times the amount of money now then when I started out in the work environment. My lifestyle hasn’t changed much at all. I still live like a college student, minus the raman noodles.

Still, the weird thing is, even though my lifestyle hasn’t changed, expenses seem to have inflated to eat up a great deal of the difference between what I made then, and what I make now.

I prefer not to think about it, because if I did the math, I’d probably depress myself..

Windspike- Thanks for the plug. And I have always thought that those who take time to comment deserve at the very least acknowledgment for their efforts, so I will continue to respond to comments, unless they are obvious spam.

Shea- Yes, these comments certainly exude the creative side of advertising, don’t they. I may actually start an on-line store with all the great ideas. I’ll even have an outlet to sell my master innovation- the swivel toilet!

Rebekah- Thanks for the compliment. And the quote is clearly on topic here, so thank for sharing. Yes, our own materialism has replaced our sense of community and replaced it with a spirit of one-upsmanship. Sad, to say the least.
Hope to hear from you again.

Ozy- Unbridled consumption eventually leads to several things- depletion of products and/or resources being just one. It is a short-sighted practice to be sure.
Thanks for dropping by.

Jack- I’m not an economics teacher, just a guy trying to point the light at some of the problems in our financial institutions that restrict individual freedom and growth in favor of enriching an ever elite class of businesses and their major investors. Thanks for the book tip. I’ll look for it.

Appreciate your article here. It goes far in backing up “the love of money is the root of all evil”.

I taught economics at Penn State, but I find that the best definitive work on the topic is by Thomas Sowell called “Basic Economics”. You mentioned that your blog is about common sense, Thomas’ book is probably one of the most common sense looks at economics in print today.

Check it out if you have the interest.

-Jack

By the way, Ken, your blog is terrific and entertaining. I have a site all about little plastic sock hangers, you might be interested. Come check it out if you can.

8^)

Thanks for taking the time to read the comments and reply. I grabbed your reply to my post to link up over at my location. Perhaps we have another Seuss in the making?

Incidentially, all poets may be interested in trying to stave off writers block. I have a web location you might like to visit – BlogBlockBeGone dot com – come on over for a visit and I am sure you will find a paypal donation location towhich you can further my advancement.

Anonymous 1, 2, and 3- I’m not really interested in non-transdermal patches; enjoy, but ultimately don’t activly seek out cartoon animals; and have never yet actually paid for a good game of chess. But thanks to you all for the spotaneously generated compliments and spam. I would normally delete these comments, but the irony (as pointed out by another commenter) to this post shall spare you. This time.

TRES CEE- Thanks for illuminating my thoughts with actual institutions that others can research and learn about. And I agree that government corruption is a big problem, especially if you narrow the definition of corrupt to mean the wasteful spending of public funds for specious projects or give-aways.
Drop in again.

Anonymous- I don’t think I can really stop you. I only hope that you are using them as models of reasonable thought and that you note my authorship, either through a link or with a byline. Stop by again and leave your name or something.

Rudicus- Amusing start to the comments, wasn’t it?

I think we are seeing the effects of government run as a business, at least according to the business standards of the late 90’s and early “00’s. (and you can pick your century, because they’re aren’t a lot of differences between practices of the 1890’s – 1900’s and the 1990’s and 2000’s.) We even have an MBA guiding the ship. No, government as a business isn’t such a good idea, I don’t think. To start with, government is about people, not making money.
BUt there does need to be better accountability and rationalization for the expenditures of our government.

Money breeds greed only so far as we allow it to. If our primary focus is on wealth creation and accumulation, then greed will be at the forefront of our actions. If we choose to enjoy life first, and earn money as a means to that end, as well as adjusting our materialistic tendencies, we might be both richer cash-wise and happier in life.

I’ve read both Ishamel and the sequel, though I prefer Ishmael of the two. We are truly a society of takers. Thanks for the return visit.

GTL- I look forward to writing them. More than just a basic understanding of the issues, people need to know that much of the economic industry is designed to concentrate the wealth and toil of the average person into the hands or control of the few. I’d like to present some of my thoughts on that.
And yes, I’ll hit the “businesses aren’t people” stump too.

Incidentally, I used to have a dog polisher business too. Tell me, is it all still about the ball bearings?

Thanks for the comment, friend.

Windspike- I too am a fan of The Lorax, having carefully tended to many a Truffula Tree myself over the years.

And I never did see a Thneed I might need, but the greed of our breed is a bad creed indeed, and one that I hope from which we’ll be freed.

Pol Pie- Thanks. And, you’re welcome.

Shea- The errant belief that greed is good is completely contradictory to most of the teachings of religious faith, yet those most eager to drape themselves in religious piety are often the greediest of the bunch. Indeed, the human factor is a tough one. But changing the emphasis from money being the end to money being a means to the end might help.

[BTW, I’m starting to love all the clever (made up)web pitches. Are you guys sure you’re not the real spammers in disguise???]

Off topic: I see I’m not the only one who has been bombarded with weird spam-comments. So, to carry on (like Windspike): Dude! Great blog, fun and very informative! I have a site all about rubber drain stoppers, I know you’d be interested, stop by if you have time.