How many times have you been told, "That is just how we do it, we have always done it this way"?  Often we get stuck into a routine and start going through the motions of our work day and never realize we are creating pain for ourselves.  It is a natural thing, don't be mad at yourself. Have you ever heard about the 8 monkeys in a room?  It goes like this.  There were four monkeys placed within a room.  In the middle of the area was a ladder leading to a bunch of bananas.  Every time a monkey decided to...

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It's the Law of Unintended Consequences. Whenever the government intervenes in the market, no matter how pure their motives, there is an unplanned result.  This unplanned result, which may be instead of or in addition to the intended result, is almost always negative. Enter the Cash for Clunkers program.  Your Uncle Sam is gravely concerned about your gas guzzling old automobile.  He wants you to buy a new, fuel efficient car.  Uncle Sam is so concerned that he's willing to give you $4500 toward the purchase of a new car in exchange for your worthless old junker. That's good, right?  Good for you,...

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I recently saw a TV 'news' story bashing the esteemed economist Milton Friedman.  I was only flipping through the channels, but I stopped for just a moment to see what the fuss was about.  It was on one of those unabashedly liberal cable TV networks, so I didn't expect much, but still it gave me pause. Why attack Mr. Friedman?  His contributions to the economic bedrock of the United States are well documented. And why now, three years after his death?  It's not like he's going to pose any threat to anyone anymore.  The only answer that I can fathom...

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