Humor-More from Dr. Hal

A manufacturer said to a storekeeper, “Thank you, Mr. Schwartz, for your patronage.
I wish I had twenty customers like you.”
“Gee, it’s good to hear you talk like that, but I’m kind of surprised,” admitted Schwartz.
“You know that I protest every bill and never pay on time.”
The manufacturer said, “I’d still like twenty customers like you.
The problem is, I have two hundred.”

The high school kid loved fast cars, and was thrilled to land a summer job with the local Alfa Romeo service center.
“Gee, Mr. Vespucci,” he gushed, grabbing a wrench,
“I can’t wait to learn the ins and outs of fixing up these babies.”
So he was startled when Mr. Vespucci told him to put down his tools and listen up.
“The first thing you gotta learn how to do,” he instructed the kid,
“is to open the hood, stand back, and shake your head very, very sadly.”

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A look around the room_Photos

We receive numerous photos highlighting the activities involving our meetings and members. Mostly beyond “Service above self” we support having fun. Let’s share a few photos.

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Paul Cunnington, The Unintentional Economist

Last week we heard from economist Paul Cunnington, a purveyor of pragmatism.

Several of his pronouncements were as follows:

Steve Barton, Pres. Elect Jim Horrigan, with Paul Cunnington

The media are not honest.
95% of what is written or spoken about the economy is either wrong or irrelevant.
Nothing should be taken for granted.
Money does not disappear; it just changes hands.
Those who are informed accumulate fortunes, the actions of Soros, et al, being an example.
The movement of money runs through the stock and real estate markets. When one rises, the other declines.
When real estate drops, the strength of the US dollar follows.
A drop in oil prices was caused by the dollar getting cheaper.
Chinese investment in the US is in commercial real estate
As money flows in from China, these currents can change and affect many lives.
Fluctuations in credit affect the economy more than the supply of money.
When mortgages are widespread, money comes “out of the air”. The price of goods and services rises.
Sufficient money must be created to pay principals and interests.
This cannot go on forever.
Debt can be used productively to grow the economy.
Debt is non-productive when it is used for spending.
Debt cannot pay back principal and interest.
When debt creation is large, prices rise.
It takes $3 of debt to produce $1 of growth. This is bad for future generations.
Rising debt, with people borrowing money to spend it, means higher stock market risk.
With money not being paid back, recession results.
The times for recovery from recession loom longer and longer, accompanied by a drop in the economy
An apparent rise in the stock market does not always mean we are in a favorable growth period.
A long -term debt cycle recovery time is 60-80 years.
A lot of manufacturing has left us due to government debt policy/trade deficit.
With debt rising and the deficit greater, this does not mean we have growth.
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Comment: According to the speaker, things are not exactly looking up

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Virginia Emery: What are you eating?

Our April 24th speaker was entomologist Virginia Emery an advocate for insects. Her farm contains them in abundance.

She avers:

Insects comprise half the animal species on earth, with beetles predominating in many forms.
They perform important services which concern food, a proper ecosystem, water, and air.
They kill other insects.
Termites break down dead material and recycle nutrients,
Mealworms biodegrade styrofoam, which can be converted to animal feed.
Leaf cutter ants turn leaves into fungus, which they then eat.
They are social just like us.
Army ants eat everything, while cooperating with each other in intricate ways.
Ants and other insects communicate with each other by means of pheromones,
The dance language of honeybees direct others to the best flowers for pollination.
We depend on bees, which are endangered. To replace what they do in the US would cost $29 billion; worldwide $173 billion. Without them, we would lack the food we enjoy.
Flies are important in their effect on composting, their recycling causing a buildup of nutrients.
Insects are food, and are eaten in many places.
They are the next super food, being a source of protein.
Food waste is a large problem. 1/3 of all food is wasted.