By Andy Valencia My last article provided a strongly negative take on college. It wasn’t fair or balanced, because pretty much everything else you’ll read concerning college will tell you that, unless you buy a college degree, you’ll die disfigured and alone in a gutter somewhere. Before you reach your mid-twenties, most likely. Read anything…
By Andy Valencia For those without the room or the budget for their own washer and dryer, it’s been tough since our laundromat in town closed. But they’ve now reopened at the same location – with a large number of very nice-looking washers and dryers. Both cash and cards are supported, with washers running $4…
By Andy Valencia It’s hardly worth printing as news: college is horrendously expensive. Over the span of my life, its price has doubled several times. When making financial decisions, there’s the useful concept of cost versus benefit. You spend a certain amount of, say, money. And in return you receive something of a certain value….
By Andy Valencia Over the years of my life, the US has been shedding ability at a pretty decent pace. We sent manufacturing overseas, and now we have almost nobody who knows how to design for manufacturing, how to set up injection molding, how to use a mill and lathe to fabricate custom parts. We’ve…
By Andy Valencia The cafes of Vashon certainly provide coffee drinks, but their true value is in the surprises that often accompany your order. At Luna one morning, I was just getting my laptop ready when I heard a young woman in line mentioning that she had returned from playing semi-pro soccer in Europe. I…
By Andy Valencia We’ve heard our president announce new funding for new COVID vaccines. Our local media includes a triumphant study of how Vashon did during the pandemic of recent memory. The general tone was that the world can learn from our success. We’re told the COVID storm clouds are gathering. We look at the…
By Andy Valencia Friction is certainly present in our day-to-day life. Your skateboard slows down on a level surface because of it, and some of the energy your car uses is to avoid slowing down. A different kind of friction is used to guide your behavior as a consumer; in this article, I’ll cover technology…
By Andy Valencia The United States is staggering along under more debt than you might expect: US Public Debt, Last 10 Years Debt is money you borrow – rent, if you like. If the rent is very close to zero, who cares how much you’ve borrowed? But over time, if you print endless money at…
By Andy Valencia If you’re an Islander and have been listening to our public discussions and media, you might have this nightmare image in mind of yourself, holding your chest, on the phone, begging for help which isn’t coming. The truth is, you can set aside this anxiety, because it isn’t going to happen. And…
Years ago, I hired a contractor to rebuild a structure for me. He named a price, I got out the checkbook and wrote him a check. Several days later I mentioned this to a friend who worked in small business law. He shook his head, laughed at me, and said I’d told the contractor two…