August 2nd, 2009 — Government
Recently an acquaintance of mine at a California state agency complained about independent contractors at his workplace.
“They come in when they please, sit around, don’t do anything, and I get stuck with all the work. AND they’re falsifying their results to look bad when in fact things aren’t that bad. They’re getting federal monies they shouldn’t so they can keep getting their fat salaries. Oh, did I mention they make a lot more than I do even though I’ve been there for years. What do you think Nan, should I blow the whistle?”
I pointed out to my acquaintance that in spite of so-called protections, most whistleblowers get fired, and if they appeal, they wind up losing. But I missed the real reason why he should be wary of complaining.
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July 28th, 2009 — Government
Brucenomics: why I’m writing this blog
Most active investors eventually become interested in “economics.” They believe they can see how the economy affects the financial market they are trying to make money in. I’m an investor who is interested the opposite thing. I want most to understand how investing and investments affect the economy, and how in turn the economy affects each of us, especially those who are self-employed.
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July 14th, 2009 — Self-employment
A teenage Morgan Stanley intern is ringing bells on London’s version of Wall Street. The teen, Matthew Robson wrote a market study about what his peers like. The word “free” was a prominent note in his piece.
Teens don’t like regular TV or advertising. Nor do they prefer print. They don’t favor Twitter. Forget radio! Forget phones! No!
Their time and money is spent on cinema, concerts, and video game consoles. The latter are used in lieu of computers or phones for texting friends.
“Wait a minute, Nancy. Where do you get the word “free” in all this?”
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