I Got Yer Health Care ...

Propose our crack Homeland Security TSA staff perform a routine health screening for every interested traveler as a FREE part of the pre-flight inspection process. These surly hamfists are darn near doing it now, the scanning equipment is there already, so with minimal additional training, basic health concerns could be assessed and follow up procedures scheduled for the next layover. Instead of idling around the terminal, fretting about the ever-present 'ORANGE ALERT' status, why not enjoy a semi-private prostate or breast exam? And, what better way to deter terrorists than to expose them to our American medical practices!

Economy Size?

Anyone else notice that that the economy size packages of various products have ceased to be a bargain and instead have become a new profit center for retailers? Not too long ago buying the larger container of products got you a discount on the unit cost. This seemed reasonable due to less packaging material and associated labor used. Not anymore. Since we're been trained to expect a sharing of the reduced cost, this has been identified as a profit opportunity and is now a fairly common consumer jab. I've seen this in items from motor oil to tuna fish at places like Wallyworld and Tarje´t. It is not easy to spot without a calculator because of miniscule or absent unit unit cost tags and odd numbered lists prices. So take a calculator along or do what I do: take a black sharpie pen and perform the necessary division directly on the retailer's shelf. ;-)

Try Separation of Business from State

If it works at least as well as the somewhat successful separation of church and state, we'd all be immeasurably better off.

Most recent reference is made to :

"We were approached by the lobbyist, who asked if we would be willing to enter a statement in the Congressional Record. I asked him for a draft. I tweaked a couple of words. There’s not much reason to reinvent the wheel on a Congressional Record entry."
STANLEY V. WHITE, chief of staff for Representative Robert A. Brady of Pennsylvania, one of dozens of lawmakers who used speeches ghostwritten by a biotechnology company during the health-care debate in the House.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/us/politics/15health.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

Our representative form of government is dangerously compromised routinely by these lobbyists and they need to be constrained as soon as possible.

Presidential Commission on Economic Crash?

After the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle accidents, special commissions were established by the President to review relevant preceding events, determine causes and propose corrective actions.
I propose an analagous commission be established to similarly review the recent economic crash and banking / financial catastrophe and layout for all to see the path, causes and proposed corrections. Like the Shuttle investigations, responsible parties and organization will be identified, sanctions proposed, and improved plans published.
It should be clear that the recent failures are at least as important as the mentioned space failures, and we should insist on at least as much focused attention on their future prevention.

Competence is now 'heroic'

Following the coverage of the recent Hudson River aircraft ditching, several facets are remarkable.  

It is certainly a most refreshing change to see a dramatic, successful performance and outcome result from potentially catastrophic events.  Contrast this with recent headlines of financial catastrophes resulting from much more prosaic events and performances. 

Immediately, the pilot is proclaimed a hero and plans for parades and fetes commence. Although the pilot is justifiably proud of the result, he might also describe it as being an expected competent performance of his work. It is easy to imagine the plane piloted by a Wall Streeter.  He would have shaken down the passengers before using the only parachute to bail out just before it impacted with an elementary school.

Is competence so increasingly rare that it is now cause for celebration?

That we find the real pilot's competence 'heroic' begs the question of what sort of parade we're planning for those whose 'incompetence' is responsible for the various financial catastrophes.

Work, work, work ...

This posted recently by yours truly on Change.gov - The Official Web Site of the The U.S. Presidential Transition

on the topic of the 4 Day Work Week - an idea whose time is ripe:

We could get easily the same amount of work done in four days and 32 hours. Accordingly, pay should remain the same. Companies benefit immediately from 20% less facility operating expense, lower stress-related health care costs, improved morale, attendance, attention and greater creativity.

Unions

Unions have had their problems, and may not be part of the final answer, but their efforts when directed at getting the blue collar folk a fair share of the pie and limiting the abuse of management have been just.

You remember engineering used to be a white collar job. Not anymore. Engineering is a "service" which can be shopped to the lowest bidder. It goes overseas or to the incompetent. I've seen CAD go from being done in a room full of advanced-degree nerd-types to current high school grads who don't know a nut from a bolt.

It's part of the great flattening of the marketplace, and it's not pretty.