I beat MIsh Shedlock to the blog with the chart on import export. Of course, his economic analysis is better, to say the least...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Imports And Exports Continue To Decline
Census is reporting that imports and exports are declining... we are back to about 2005 economy... we have a ways to go. What is NOT being imported is the boom economy goods... what needs to be imported (or made here) is not yet coming in. There is much work to be done to develop the goods and services for the busted economy and into a reformed economy.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Boycott Diane Von Furstenberg
In the Spring 2009 WSJ - THE MAGAZINE FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (an insert available only in the newspaper last Saturday) Fashion celebrity Diane Von Furstenberg is leading an effort to stop "design piracy."
Now, as she tells the story, she was working in an Italian silk fabric printery and in anticipation of moving to New York she asked the owner to make her some samples of a simple wrap-around dress, modelled on probably the first garment ever used by humans, a wrap-around animal fur. Right place right time, lucky break, common design.
Superstars like Karl Lagerfeld find copycats flattering and has been seen shopping for knock-offs himself. Lesser lights like Diane Von Furstenberg, instead of being happy with the portion she is allotted given her level of talent, desires to join her capabilities with the force of government to restrain trade and extract rent out of innovators and conservators.
She is outraged that a evening TV shows exhibits some fabulous actress in a costly dress by say Zac Posen and then offers a knock off for $39.99. She finds a problem with that. One would think if posen had a problem with that, he is capable of expressing it. Note that she does not mention whether anyone knocks off her designs.
She is excited to note that with the Obama adminstration, she may get her way.
We need more freedom and responsibility, not less. The wraparound dress is universal, nice, simple, and every ladies wardrobe has one. Always has always will. Von Furstenberg wants the king to giver her a monopoly at this point in history and require that everyone pay her from now on to use this universal and ancient design. Anyone who supports Diane Von Furstenberg in this effort by buying her products is advancing less choice, higher costs and lower quality. Boycott her products.
Get Big - Church Division
This fellow is prophesying a crack up in the evangelical churches in which the mega-churches (the kind that find common cause with big government) triumph.
Religion is one of those fields that is wide open for innovation, and as the fellow in the article says "Christianity loves a crumbling empire."
Monday, March 9, 2009
Market Intelligence
I went to buy one of these today, the day the catalog showed up. It is already sold out. They are not even taking future orders it is so oversold. As we determine what people want to buy today, this kind of market intelligence is golden.
What does it tell us:
1. make your own is good .
2. high end product.
3. $200 price point (cost benefit info).
4. Replaces boom time habit (200 dollar bottles of brandy with $200 brandy maker).
5. Luxury item.
6. What else do you see?
Things are changing and design elements for post-boom are emerging.
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