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timbuktom

Published Letters: 3988
Editor's Choice: 165

Thursday, February 1, 2007 10:34 AM

"Supply Chain Efficiency" in China

(As usual, I have no statistics or theories - only personal experience and limited, debatable conclusions:)

It is a mistake to assume that Chinese manufacturers are sophisticated or efficient, or even up to date. For example, this is not true in the auto industry.

Chinese auto makers are just getting ready to integrate and automate their supply chains. They still do many things by hand. They are at the stage where North American auto makers were roughly fifteen years ago, maybe further back.

Evidence: Take a look at the (North American) Auto Industry Action Group's brand new initiative in EDI training in China.

So, Dell probably was/is much more efficient and more competent than its Chinese competitors. Competing in China is NOT a matter of efficient supply chains. Competing in China is an extremely complex undertaking. It may be impossible. Better probably to link up with Chinese manufacturers, and take a share.

Thursday, February 1, 2007 11:04 AM

"Empty Talk"

Our famous Rightie Poster Joe and our ambient Leftie Posters ALL blame the Senate for "Empty Talk" here!

Senator Feingold and all you Salonistas, pick a side and start playing this game, please! Back this resolution, and pass this resolution.

We need to hit the ball back into W. Bush's court. If this first shot is just a lob, so be it. Get in the game! We cannot win if we do not play.

Thursday, February 1, 2007 11:52 AM

The Basic Crime

Except in court, lying is not a crime, even when the Vice President and the President do it.

So, I guess, technically, their impeachable crime is Fraud. They led us into war through Fraud.

Keep this in mind as the Libby, Libby, Libby on the Libel, Libel, Libel trial plays out. We are gettiing evidence to use against Moby Dick in our prosecution for Fraud.

Thursday, February 1, 2007 01:02 PM

Origin of Niger Documents

At one time, it was believed that the CIA got them from Italian Intelligence, and that they might have been fabricated by two people in British Intelligence.

That is how I recall it from a New Yorker article, a few years ago. Does anybody have more recent info?

Thursday, February 1, 2007 02:07 PM
Original article: The power of King George

It Takes a Crime

The constitution says we may impeach a President for high crimes and misdemeanors. Originally, "misdemeanors" may not have meant "crimes" in our modern sense. And many of us believe that we should be able to impeach for incompetence or lying, even if those are not against the law.

But, in practice, all our American impeachments and near-impeachments have involved violations of laws. Clinton committed Perjury; Nixon committed Burglary; Andrew Johnson was accused of violating something called the Tenure of Office Act, which has been repealed.

So we need to get Bush and Cheney for violating a law, not just for lying and incompetence. And note that they just made torture legal. Can we nail them for Fraud?

Thursday, February 1, 2007 06:53 PM

The Iraqis Do Not Want Us

Is this true?

"Casey described Maliki as generally resistant to more U.S. troops. "He would generally rather not have additional coalition forces," Casey said bluntly."

Is this new? What is Bush's excuse? Nobody wants more US soldiers except Bush.

Friday, February 2, 2007 12:18 PM
Original article: Symbol of a timid Congress

Realistic?

Can you even introduce your proposal in the Senate? If so, please do it. See how many votes it gets.

But then, if not enough votes, please support the other bill. Would you rather join the right wing cutthroats?

You and the rest of the Senate are bogged down right now. W. Bush has taken control again. Please do something, anything. Suggestion: Please start repealing that Torture and Dungeons law. And please start targeted hearings.

If you were attacking on many fronts, getting bogged down on Iraq would not be so bad. But you only have one point of attack, now stalled. And you, Senator Feingold, are a key stumbling block.

Friday, February 2, 2007 12:44 PM
Original article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily

Colts Can't Lose This Game...

The Colts will beat the upstarts, no matter what that Broadway Joe Namath says. Go Baltimore!

Friday, February 2, 2007 01:16 PM
Original article: The power of King George

We Can Impeach Them...

And it might do some good, even if two-thirds of the Senate did not vote for conviction.

We may get good evidence from the Scooter Libby trial that Bush and Cheney took us into war in Iraq under false pretenses. That would be specific enough. And it would give his supporters an excuse to bail out.

Half the House of Representatives could impeach Cheney. And it would be easier to convict Cheney than to convict Bush. Then from that trial, we might come up with enough info and enough resentment to impeach Bush.

But, please imagine how this would play out in real life. We need specific charges. General stuff such as Dereliction of Duty would not fly.

Friday, February 2, 2007 01:45 PM
Original article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily

Conjugation Disputation

Either:

Crappy Special Teams ARE our Secret WeaponS (plural),

or:

Crappy Special Teams IS our Secret Weapon (singular).

Preference to the first choice because it's all plural in form as well as concept.

Friday, February 2, 2007 01:49 PM
Original article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily

And...

It's not Conjugation. It's Declension or Inflection. Conjugation is for verbs. (King, delete this if you hate it. I can't control myself.)

Saturday, February 3, 2007 10:01 AM

Be Careful with Headlines!

Poster Inchkachka (earlier here) headed his or her letter with, "Your Mom is Dead." Yikes! This sort of info could cause irrational behavior.

Saturday, February 3, 2007 02:59 PM
Original article: Molly lives

Molly Told Us Why W. Bush

Molly Ivins said that G.W. Bush's manner of speaking was the perfect expression of anti-intellectual resentment.

And that is the reason so many Americans still like him. That simple, simple-minded accent is G.W. Bush's secret.

Fifty-one percent of Americans love an arrogant dumb-shit, no matter what. It's that simple. Molly Ivins was wise enough to understand that simple fact.

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