On the other hand I sure do appreciate standardization when it comes to plugging in appliances in to electric sockets anywhere in North America.
-----Original Message----- From: Brad McCormick, Ed.D. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 12:13 PM To: Cordell, Arthur: ECOM Cc: FUTUREWORK (E-mail) Subject: Re: [Futurework] another devlpt that made globaliz. possible Cordell, Arthur: ECOM wrote: > ECONOMIC SCENE > Business/Financial Desk; SECTC > *The Container That Changed the World* > By Virginia Postrel > 1032 words > 23 March 2006 > The New York Times <javascript:void(0)> > Late Edition - Final > > THE political showdown over a Dubai company's plan to operate > terminals at six American ports briefly focused public attention on > one of the most significant, yet least noticed, economic developments > of the last few decades: the transformation of international shipping. > > *Just as the computer revolutionized the flow of information, the > shipping container revolutionized the flow of goods. As generic as the > 1's and 0's of computer code, a container can hold just about > anything, from coffee beans to cellphone components. By sharply > cutting costs and enhancing reliability, container-based shipping > enormously increased the volume of international trade and made > complex supply chains possible. * > > '' > [snip] Is these an ISO standard for "containers"? But I just don't get it: It sounds like social planning to me, and that's something to be avoided no matter what its consequences, just like the Bush administration is leery of the possible invention of a cure for AIDS since its deployment might encourage sinful behavior by persons who would no longer have to be afraid of getting AIDS -- or, even if they are foolhardy, would no longer pay the price anyway (the wages of sin is death, remember). I think there should be anti-trust action against the people who colluded to standardize containers (ditto the people who coordinate the design of docks to fit the shape of ships, etc. -- and, if the latter tried to get around this by buying ships to test with, that should be against the intellectual property laws -- sort of like reverse-engineering computer hardware). The only thing that matters is that G-d's Will be Done. Did G-d issue an amendment to the 10 commandments: "Thou shalt ship in standard containers"? The point of life is not to be easy but to build character. In hoc signo.... \brad mccormick -- Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21) <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/ _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
