Archive for May, 2013

Lawyers You Should NOT Hire: Mrs. Uninsured Lawyer

By From http://www.andrewflusche.com • May 23rd, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

The Virginia State Bar also keeps track of attorneys who don’t have malpractice insurance. While that might seem like an odd thing to check, malpractice insurance helps protect you. If your attorney botches your case, you might have a claim against them for malpractice. If they aren’t insured, good luck actually getting any monetary recovery. […]



The Gospel of Consumption

By From http://odonnellweb.com • May 22nd, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

A short history of the American work ethic.



Lawyers You Should NOT Hire: Mr. Disciplined Lawyer

By From http://www.andrewflusche.com • May 22nd, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

As attorneys we have strict rules about how we have to operate our law firms and handle cases for clients. If an attorney violates a rule, they get disciplined by the Virginia State Bar. Before investing your money in an attorney, you should always check to see if they have any disciplinary issues on file. […]



Sights and Sounds of Spring

By From http://www.musingsoverapint.com/ • May 22nd, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

Even though we’ve enjoyed some warm(ish) weather, it’s often felt like the Spring, and all that accompanies it, would never arrive and stay. However, Tuesday the skies were clear, and the temps in the 80’s. So we went out for some of this:

We …



Chalk up one more Moderate Risk disappointment

By From http://stormsrus.blogspot.com/ • May 21st, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

I’ve rarely had real success chasing Storm Prediction Center Moderate Risk setups and today was no exception.  We started in Paris TX where we had overnighted and targeted an area south and east of the Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex where short range m…



The Gospel of Consumption

By From http://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • May 21st, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

Reading this
article

about the history behind our consumer driven society reminded me of
Gatto and The Underground History of American Education.

At the dawn of the American Industrial Revolution there was palatable
fear among the ruling class that all the world’s needs may be produced
on only 3 days work. This was not seen as a good thing by the guys
spending all their capital on labor saving machines. John E. Edgerton,
president of the National Association of Manufacturers said “Nothing
breeds radicalism more than unhappiness unless it is leisure.”
Also
concerned was Charles Kettering, head of research at General Motors, who
in 1929 wrote an article titled “Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied,” in
which he proposed that it was imperative that American businesses not
just meet consumer needs, but constantly invent new ones that the
consumers would strive to fulfill. If Kettering’s name sounds familiar
it is because he is also the guy that put lead into gasoline, and he
invented the CFC’s that created the hole on ozone layer. That’s quite a
destructive legacy that Chuck left.

President Hoover was even in on it.

President Herbert Hoover’s 1929 Committee on Recent Economic Changes
observed in glowing terms the results: “By advertising and other
promotional devices . . . a measurable pull on production has been
created which releases capital otherwise tied up.” They celebrated the
conceptual breakthrough: “Economically we have a boundless field
before us; that there are new wants which will make way endlessly for
newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied.”

The sugar and corn merchants at Kellogg’s were not in on it. They
instituted 6 hour work days in 1930, a practice that doggedly stuck in
some departments all the way until 1985. Employees were almost
universally happy with trading some income for more leisure time.
Kellogg’s also gave everybody a raise to partially offset the 10 hours
lost each week. They also noted that by going to four 6-hour shifts they
could hire an extra shift of people, not a small thing in 1930. However,
after WWII new management started working hard to undermine the 30 hour
work week, event though over 70% of employees wanted to return to it
after the grueling 48 hour weeks supporting the war effort. The
employees lost, as they always do.

After WWII government and big business teamed up, as they often do, and
as usual, it was to the detriment of just about everybody else.
Advertising began to tie hard work to the American ideal of freedom, and
idle leisure as a danger to America. Americans with excess leisure time
would have time to get involved in their communities and government. If
you are exhausted by the work day it is less likely that you will be out
agitating for equal rights and fairness on the weekends. So here we are
today, where the average couple works 500 more hours a year than they
did in 1979. We are just greyhounds on the track, endlessly chasing a
mechanical rabbit that we will never catch.



The Gospel of Consumption

By From http://odonnellweb.com/ • May 21st, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

A long time ago we had some fun around here discussing The Underground History of American Education. Reading this article about the history behind our consumer driven society reminded me of Gatto.

At the dawn of the American Industrial Revolution there was palatable fear among the ruling class that all the world’s needs may be produced on only 3 days work. This was not seen as a good thing by the guys spending all their capital on labor saving machines. John E. Edgerton, president of the National Association of Manufacturers said “Nothing breeds radicalism more than unhappiness unless it is leisure.” Also concerned was Charles Kettering, head of research at General Motors, who in 1929 wrote an article titled “Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied,” in which he proposed that it was imperative that American businesses not just meet consumer needs, but constantly invent new ones that the consumers would strive to fulfill. If Kettering’s name sounds familiar it is because he is also the guy that put lead into gasoline, and he invented the CFC’s that created the hole on ozone layer. That’s quite a destructive legacy that Chuck left.

President Hoover was even in on it.

President Herbert Hoover’s 1929 Committee on Recent Economic Changes observed in glowing terms
the results: “By advertising and other > promotional devices . . . a measurable pull on
production has > been created which releases capital otherwise tied up.” They celebrated the
conceptual breakthrough: “Economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new
wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied.”

The sugar and corn merchants at Kellogg’s were not in on it. They instituted 6 hour work days in 1930, a practice that doggedly stuck in some departments all the way until 1985. Employees were almost universally happy with trading some income for more leisure time. Kellogg’s also gave everybody a raise to partially offset the 10 hours lost each week. They also noted that by going to four 6-hour shifts they could hire an extra shift of people, not a small thing in 1930. However, after WWII new management started working hard to undermine the 30 hour work week, event though over 70% of employees wanted to return to it after the grueling 48 hour weeks supporting the war effort. The employees lost, as they always do.

After WWII government and big business teamed up, as they often do, and as usual, it was to the detriment of just about everybody else. Advertising began to tie hard work to the American ideal of freedom, and idle leisure as a danger to America. Americans with excess leisure time would have time to get involved in their communities and government. If you are exhausted by the work day it is less likely that you will be out agitating for equal rights and fairness on the weekends. So here we are today, where the average couple works 500 more hours a year than they did in 1979. We are just greyhounds on the track, endlessly chasing a mechanical rabbit that we will never catch.



The Gospel of Consumption

By From / • May 21st, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

A long time ago we had some fun around here discussing The Underground History of American Education. Reading this article about the history behind our consumer driven society reminded me of Gatto.

At the dawn of the American Industrial Revolution there was palatable fear among the ruling class that all the world’s needs may be produced on only 3 days work. This was not seen as a good thing by the guys spending all their capital on labor saving machines. John E. Edgerton, president of the National Association of Manufacturers said “Nothing breeds radicalism more than unhappiness unless it is leisure.” Also concerned was Charles Kettering, head of research at General Motors, who in 1929 wrote an article titled “Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied,” in which he proposed that it was imperative that American businesses not just meet consumer needs, but constantly invent new ones that the consumers would strive to fulfill. If Kettering’s name sounds familiar it is because he is also the guy that put lead into gasoline, and he invented the CFC’s that created the hole on ozone layer. That’s quite a destructive legacy that Chuck left.

President Hoover was even in on it.

President Herbert Hoover’s 1929 Committee on Recent Economic Changes observed in glowing terms
the results: “By advertising and other > promotional devices . . . a measurable pull on
production has > been created which releases capital otherwise tied up.” They celebrated the
conceptual breakthrough: “Economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new
wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied.”

The sugar and corn merchants at Kellogg’s were not in on it. They instituted 6 hour work days in 1930, a practice that doggedly stuck in some departments all the way until 1985. Employees were almost universally happy with trading some income for more leisure time. Kellogg’s also gave everybody a raise to partially offset the 10 hours lost each week. They also noted that by going to four 6-hour shifts they could hire an extra shift of people, not a small thing in 1930. However, after WWII new management started working hard to undermine the 30 hour work week, event though over 70% of employees wanted to return to it after the grueling 48 hour weeks supporting the war effort. The employees lost, as they always do.

After WWII government and big business teamed up, as they often do, and as usual, it was to the detriment of just about everybody else. Advertising began to tie hard work to the American ideal of freedom, and idle leisure as a danger to America. Americans with excess leisure time would have time to get involved in their communities and government. If you are exhausted by the work day it is less likely that you will be out agitating for equal rights and fairness on the weekends. So here we are today, where the average couple works 500 more hours a year than they did in 1979. We are just greyhounds on the track, endlessly chasing a mechanical rabbit that we will never catch.



The Gospel of Consumption

By From http://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • May 21st, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

A long time ago we had some fun around here discussing The Underground History of American Education. Reading this article about the history behind our consumer driven society reminded me of Gatto.

At the dawn of the American Industrial Revolution there was palatable fear among the ruling class that all the world’s needs may be produced on only 3 days work. This was not seen as a good thing by the guys spending all their capital on labor saving machines. John E. Edgerton, president of the National Association of Manufacturers said “Nothing breeds radicalism more than unhappiness unless it is leisure.” Also concerned was Charles Kettering, head of research at General Motors, who in 1929 wrote an article titled “Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied,” in which he proposed that it was imperative that American businesses not just meet consumer needs, but constantly invent new ones that the consumers would strive to fulfill. If Kettering’s name sounds familiar it is because he is also the guy that put lead into gasoline, and he invented the CFC’s that created the hole on ozone layer. That’s quite a destructive legacy that Chuck left.

President Hoover was even in on it.

President Herbert Hoover’s 1929 Committee on Recent Economic Changes observed in glowing terms
the results: “By advertising and other > promotional devices . . . a measurable pull on
production has > been created which releases capital otherwise tied up.” They celebrated the
conceptual breakthrough: “Economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new
wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied.”

The sugar and corn merchants at Kellogg’s were not in on it. They instituted 6 hour work days in 1930, a practice that doggedly stuck in some departments all the way until 1985. Employees were almost universally happy with trading some income for more leisure time. Kellogg’s also gave everybody a raise to partially offset the 10 hours lost each week. They also noted that by going to four 6-hour shifts they could hire an extra shift of people, not a small thing in 1930. However, after WWII new management started working hard to undermine the 30 hour work week, event though over 70% of employees wanted to return to it after the grueling 48 hour weeks supporting the war effort. The employees lost, as they always do.

After WWII government and big business teamed up, as they often do, and as usual, it was to the detriment of just about everybody else. Advertising began to tie hard work to the American ideal of freedom, and idle leisure as a danger to America. Americans with excess leisure time would have time to get involved in their communities and government. If you are exhausted by the work day it is less likely that you will be out agitating for equal rights and fairness on the weekends. So here we are today, where the average couple works 500 more hours a year than they did in 1979. We are just greyhounds on the track, endlessly chasing a mechanical rabbit that we will never catch.



Recap of May 20th chase in Oklahoma

By From http://stormsrus.blogspot.com/ • May 21st, 2013 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

After a chase in southern Kansas Sunday that included being on the storm that produced the Wichita tornado (we had pulled off that very cell prior to that because it was getting too close to the congested metropolitan area) the Hokie Stormchasers ta…