Hi Eva: Darn good question and I'm so tempted to be frivolous but I'll restrain myself. First, most of the posts were done over a period of three weeks while Sally was changing the list. Second, I use Voice Dictation software for translating quotes into a electronic medium. (It's still a lot of work) Third, at the moment, FW is the only list I publish too though there are several others that this list has introduced me to that I am considering. Now as to business, I am one of those warehoused workers living off the public dole. I have worn a considerable number of work hats, but I often seem to get fired for my independent ways. You see I have this quirk in my personality - must be my Norwegian ancestry, that says, treat me like a human being or get stuffed. I find employers resent this lack of deference, especially when I happen to point out my perceptions of their idiocy. Several years ago, I was driving a taxi-cab in Vancouver because my common law wife and I had the termity to have a daughter and then another one. Well, we had our recession in 1990 and my wifes mom died in 1991 in Texas and the taxi company put on extra cars which was in effect a wage cut. I was mad and stressed out so I got my company unionized - after a year of firing my supporters and hiring their relatives, the union was gone and they fired me. I went to Wage Standards and with another three years of slogging it, I made them hire me back, pay me back wages and took the issue up to the Cabinet level of decision making by reading a lot of law. I got the provincial laws changed so I must have been reasonably effective. This gave me my background in the subject of this list, which is Future Work. Funny thing about work, when you start to study it. First, to have work you have to have an economy, so I spent a lot of time reading economical books, then you find out that the economy is based on the environment, so I spent a lot of time reading ecological books, then you find out that work is political, so I spent a lot of time reading political books. Now the problem with all this learning is I have nowhere to apply it. That is until I got up to speed on the Internet and found a few forums that were having some intelligent discussions. One of the things I found as I was learning and reading is that, it's hard to admit, other people say their thoughts better than I could by paraphrasing them. However, because what they said I found particularly valuable to the conclusions I was drawing, I decided not to waste time arguing with those I disagreed with, rather, I would quote those with whom I did agree with and if I had something to add, then I take the liberty to point out what I found relevant and why I find it relevant. These posts are meant to do two things. First, if others find the quotes valuable, I would appreciate if they would comment favourably and perhaps add some insights from their own experience. Second, if someone disagrees with the author or me, then if they give me a reasoned response, I will evaluate it and either change my mind or attempt to rebut it. I see these lists, to some degree as information sharing and to some degree a form of debate. To me one of the benefits of quotes is that it can objectify a point of view so that we are not flaming each other, but discussing the issue before us in a somewhat detached manner. Now to the second part of your message: "By the way, money has been defined, it relates to the amount of work put in a product through the chain of social production." Perhaps I missed the definition you refer too, if so point me in the direction and I will study it. I do recall Adam Smith saying something to the effect that the whole price reflects the labour put into a product based on the observation that if man did not exist, then their would be no products. I have also read Galbraith's book on money and Heilbroners and Joel Smith's "The Death of Money", though I don't have their knowledge at my fingertips, I don't recall them speaking of money as the amount of work in a product. Governments and central banks who issue money do not speak of money as the amount of work in a product. And Indians when they traded wampum did not value products according to the work put into them. So, I would respectfully suggest that your definition is far from Universal in my experience. Respectfully, Thomas Lunde
