You might enjoy "The Tycoons" about Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, and Gould.
I'll have to disagree in part with that blanket statement. For about the
1st 30 years of my life, I lived where electricity was a municipal utility. Worked fine. I now live where Avista, formerly Washington Water and Power, has a monopoly. Every year or two they go before the PUC and claim they have to raise rates. Shortly after they get their way, they issue a stockholder report proclaiming record profits.I'll take the government owned electric company every time.
On 5/10/2009 4:19 PM evodawg spake thus:
The U.S. government a monopoly? No, it's a government.
You are aware, aren't you, that gas taxes are much higher in Yurp?
On 5/10/2009 7:29 PM Larry Blanchard spake thus:
Amen. Public power means at least *some* public control of utility rates and policies. (As opposed to *none* over private utilities--except very indirectly, through a PUC or whatever.)
I suspect someone, somewhere has compiled it. But maybe not. If you include federal, all state, and all local taxing authorities, that'd be a mighty long list.
Wonder what percentage of the GDP that total might be. A tad more than your income tax bracket, I'd warrant.
Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA
An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. Robert A. Heinlein
Somebody asked:
I still remember the guy who owned the hobby I hung out at when I was a kid bitching about the amount of taxes levied on a loaf of bread as well as all the taxes collected by government in total.
At that point in time, about 1950, all taxes collected by Federal, State and Local agencies were about 35%-37% of GDP.
60 years later, it is still about 35%-37% of GDP.Doesn't seem to make any difference whether it is "The tax and spend liberals" or "The less government conservatives" that are in power.
The percentage of GDP spent remains pretty much the same, it's just what it gets spent on that changes.
Lew
I would like to add the crown jewel--metalworking horizontal/vertical bandsaw for something like $150 or so. They are sold under multiple names being EXACTLY the same saw less different color and nametag. The HF one is at least three times cheaper than a closest competitor and it works like a charm. I can not count how many tons of various metals I cut with mine during those several years I owe it. Yes, original blades are junk but even with a cheap Rigid brand one from Home Depot it runs like Energizer Bunny... It is simply an outstanding tool.
The other one is a Chinese clone of a Chinese (zic!) welder. There is a bunch of those that are only differ in color and name. Mine is Everlast Super200P. I paid for it $800 and it does almost everything that $3,000 Miller Dynasty 200DX does and it has better duty cycle. It can even do plasma cutting however I use another Chinese clone of Chinese Riland, Cut60D for plasma. I paid $400 for mine and it is 60A. Super200P does AC/DC TIG, Stick and it does it very well. It is simply a pleasure to weld with "difficult to run" 5P aka 6010 electrodes; they burn like matches with 90% Arc Force...
Yes, most of Chinese stuff brought here is crap. But there are also some jewels at unbelievable prices. And one can find almost all those Husky etc. "brand" tools at HF under generic Chinese name. Not similar ones but EXACTLY the same tools.
My pet peeve in that regard is the lawsuit that resulted in the breakup of AT&T, the main effect of which was to end Bell Labs, one of the finest research organizations that ever existed.
Some moron here decided that we needed competition in the electric power industry, so the power company no longer deals directly with the end user, instead they deal with a middleman who deals with the end user. The result, of course, has been that the middleman puts a markup on the price that the company that owns the wires and generators charges, and the consumer takes it in the ass.
Of course I am. But then everything is higher in Europe. TAXES?? So that statement implies we should be more like Europe?
If anyone is actually interested in such information, DAGS on "US total tax burden". One I find interesting is
I just picked one up today with a coupon ($35). Coupons are supposedly unique but give it a try worst they can say is "already used"
The tool flange has rings where the attachment bolts up and a washer with swirled grooves in it. No pins like on the Dremel I saw in the Borg. If it works half as good as the Dremel I tried at the Borg it is worth the $35. If not I'll take it back.
Worked for me, got mine this afternoon. I'll check it out and report back.
Don't leave it on the nightstand.
...and if everyone did as China does?
"Design patent"? A design patent would be used to protect the look of a table, for instance. The "cola" patent wouldn't be a "design patent". ...or maybe I misunderstand your point.
No a "design patent" might protect the shape of the bottle. Coke could have gotten a patent on cocaine-laced soda with a normal patent but it would have had to teach Pepsi how to make it; the exact trade-off the Constitution instructs Congress to set up. However, like with everything else, congress is the antonym of progress.
Semantics. I think my point was clear.
Just because someone patents a tool, doesn't mean they have a monopoly on tools.
I wouldn't hafta pay $20 for a music CD of a 45 yr old album.
nb
You don't hafta pay it now.
I have a Dremmel. I used it yesterday with a (router-like base) attachment that made it easy to cut mortises in a door edge and jamb. After drawing tracing the plates, I freehand the cutter close to the pencil line, then cleaned it up with a sharp chisel. Really nice tool, but I have not tried other brands.
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