Once, Twice, and Thrice

Inspired by a post by Grumpy Old Ken:  Twice for two times can hold its own when tied to once as in "Once burned, twice shy" or "I did that once or twice".  One time is sometimes used for once but it would be awkard to start a story "One time upon a time."  By the way, why is it "upon a time" instead of "at a time" or "during a time"?  And couldn't "upon a time" be dropped?  Not as verbose as "at that point in time" for "then".  Finally, is time after time two times?  Minds with too much time on their hands want to know.  I always keep time on my hands.  Where do you keep yours?

Fie on AT&T

My phone indicated a voice mail.  I looked up the procedure for hearing the message and dialed the access number.  It was no longer valid.  Hours later I finally reached the right on-line location and menu item to receive a new number.  After I dialed it I had to set up voice mail all over again.  Finally I got my message.  I bet you know where this is going.  The message was from AT&T.  It was about VOICE MAIL!  Grrr!

Duh

A solution that can't [or won't] happen is not a solution.

Ann Arbor

On Sunday I'll be going to Ann Arbor for the four-week statistics seminar.  I verified that the Border's there next to the campus is still open.  I hope I'm still up to the walking involved.  Mike tells me there is a course I should be interested in.  I hope it doesn't meet at eight o'clock.

When you are in a hole ...

... stop digging.

The hole is the deficit.  The digging is Obamacare and subsidies.

Big Business and Wall Street

I think most people, including myself, tend to confuse these.  Wall Street is stock traders.  Big Business is the issuers of the stock they trade.  They are different people.

Three Markets

I would like to see a competant economist (not an oxymoron) analyze what has happened and may happen in three markets, namely housing, higher education, and medical care.  They have several things in common including being important parts of the economy which have experienced periods of major price increases and are subject to significant government meddling.  In the case of housing a culprit was subprime loans and the bubble has burst.  Higher education is affected by government-guaranteed loans, grants, and state budgets.  Medical costs ballooned as a result of Medicare and Medicaid.  Admittedly technology also had an effect.

Easy credit increases demand and supply cannot keep up.  Each has unique features.  Higher Education is something of a sacred cow with various degrees lumped together.  Everyone believes they are entitled to the best medical care regardless of their ability to pay and there isn't enough best medical care to go around.  Housing was something of a Ponzi scheme.

There is a fourth major growing market, namely government service.