Update, Thursday: Wal-Mart Trims Forecast as U.S. Dollar Crimps Overseas Sales. We’ll know a bit more on Thursday morning, when the retailer next releases an earnings report.
Business
Business, Ethics, Misconduct
Ackman’s Right About Herbalife
by JOHN ADAMS •
Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital, has waged a long campaign against Herbalife (in which he has a publicly-disclosed short position, that is, a bet against Herbalife’s future). Ackman’s a capitalist, activist, and philanthropist. (His politics are not mine – he recently urged Michael Bloomberg to run for president; Bloomberg is no libertarian.) In…
Business, Technology
Google’s Drone Delivery Plans
by JOHN ADAMS •
Beautiful Whitewater, Business, City, Free Markets, Lifestyle
Having Nice Things in Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
Some months ago, a community group, while embarking on a new project, began using the saying, ‘yes, we can have nice things in Whitewater.’ One supposes that they meant the saying as an expression of optimism about their chances for success, along the lines of we can do this. It’s also probable that they intended…
Business, Conservation, Environment, Good Ideas
Making Wood Without Trees
by JOHN ADAMS •
Ecovative Design has made a mission of replacing synthetic plastic polymers with natural mushroom based polymers. After disrupting the packaging industry with a line of fully biodegradable mushroom packaging, they are now setting their sights on replacing manufactured wood products. (Video by Brandon Lisy, Justin Beach) (Music by Andy Clausen) Via Bloomberg Business.
Business, City, Hip & Prosperous
Brief Remarks on Downtown Whitewater, Inc.
by JOHN ADAMS •
I promised a post on Downtown Whitewater, Inc.’s search for a new, full-time leader. They’ve a committee that drafted a job description. Of that committee, there are truly impressive members : smart, talented people. How their search will turn out I do not know – one hopes for a good outcome. I do know, however, that Whitewater’s success doesn’t…
Business, Food, Free Markets, Laws/Regulations
Institute for Justice Fights Anti-Competitive Ban on Baked Goods
by JOHN ADAMS •
Wisconsin is lousy with anti-competitive statutes, designed to protect incumbents from free-market competition. One would prefer that private parties did not have to file lawsuits to protect their economic rights. Unfortunately, some laws (and some official actions) compel private citizens to seek redress from the courts to protect their liberties. Fortunately, the Institute for Justice…
Business, Film
Film: Kelly’s Wave
by JOHN ADAMS •
Business, Economy, Free Markets, Hip & Prosperous, Poll
Friday Poll: Preferred Shopping Times, 2015
by JOHN ADAMS •
Preferred Shopping Times, 2015 View image | gettyimages.com The Friday FW poll asks about how you’ll shop over the weekend. It’s third year that I’ve run this poll (versions of it ran in 2012 and 2013). Let’s see how this year’s answers compare with those earlier versions. (Multiple selections are possible for those who’ll shop in…
Business, Economy, Free Markets, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Restaurant
Shop Small on Saturday, November 28, 2015
by JOHN ADAMS •
If you’re out and about on Saturday, I hope you’ll shop at some of the many independent, small merchants of Whitewater. You’ll find a wide selection of items for purchase as gifts, and good restaurants at which to eat while shopping during the day. Best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous season —…
Business, CDA, City, Corporate Welfare, Economy, Government Spending, Local Government
On Big Banks, Big Businesses
by JOHN ADAMS •
In the video above, Sec. Clinton tells Steven Colbert that she’d let big banks fail. There’s something in her (briefly stated) position for a libertarian to admire, although other points to doubt. (I’d not urge breaking banks up, but would surely urge government to allow large banks or businesses to fail. Clinton, admittedly, is referring…
Beautiful Whitewater, Business, Food, Hip & Prosperous, Restaurant
Restaurants Transform a City
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater is a small city, not a California metropolis, but even a prosperous place like San Francisco benefits from a growing restaurant culture: SAN FRANCISCO — For decades, as this city polished its reputation as an essential food destination, a stretch of Market Street just a short stroll from the groundbreaking Zuni Café remained stubbornly…
Business, CDA, City, Economy, Government Spending, Local Government, State Government
Gov. Thompson Rejects WEDC-Style Loans
by JOHN ADAMS •
Republican Tommy Thompson, who served for fourteen years as governor, has written in opposition to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s loan program. It’s the right position to take, and shows that Thompson understands the problems with WEDC. Explicitly, Gov. Thompson’s opposition to WEDC-style loans includes local communities’ doling of loans through their own programs. (Whitewater’s Community…
Blogging, Business, CDA, City, Free Markets, Gluttony, Local Government, New Media, New Whitewater, Politics
If Market-Based Solutions Are Superior to Cronyism, Why Are There So Many Cronies?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s a question, concerning even small towns like Whitewater, for which the Financial Times publishes an answer: If market-based solutions are superior to cronyism, why are there so many cronies? First, there aren’t that many cronies (or insistent insiders) in Whitewater or elsewhere, but the few there are manipulate or intimidate weak reporters at local papers into representing their numbers as…