Sunday, August 21, 2011

Today's Herbert Hoover Republicans


This article titled, "The Republicans’ new voodoo economics?" in The Washington Post today by Greg Ip, who is the U.S. economics editor for The Economist and the author of “The Little Book of Economics: How the Economy Works in the Real World.”

Below are two snippets from the Ip's article where I highlighted points of note.
"This is not to be confused with supply-side economics, the dubious Reagan-era doctrine that tax cuts would generate enough economic growth and revenue to reduce the deficit.   Republicans still believe in lower taxes but generally don’t claim they pay for themselves. The new GOP views actually have a much longer pedigree: They are rooted in an intellectual contest that raged during the 1930s and 1940s, and had long been settled by the opposing side."
"A shift toward fiscal and monetary austerity in the United States in 1937 helped prolong the depression. Fiscal tightening helped push Japan back into recession in 1997. "

August AMT Online [MC]2 Article

This is an article I wrote for AMT Online


By Dave Edstrom

On April 28 we announced the first ever [MC]2 MTConnect®: Connecting Manufacturing Conference in AMT NEWS. This conference will take place November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and will have something for everyone from end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to students — anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect! The conference is aimed at promoting both the business and technical benefits and implementation of MTConnect, as well as showcasing commercially available products utilizing the standard.

This will be like no other manufacturing conference that you have ever attended. You’ll get a highly interactive and thought-provoking experience guaranteed to leave you inspired.

Conference Details


[MC]2 will have a wide range of keynotes, technical sessions, business sessions, technical workshops, exhibits and live demonstrations. Technical tracks will have a heavy emphasis on the “hands-on” side of MTConnect, while the business tracks will emphasize quantifying increased productivity with real world examples. Attendees can mix and match attending technical or business sessions, as well as hands-on technical workshops.  

Each morning will start with a keynote and then break into parallel technical and business sessions. An example of the quality of [MC]2 is the first keynote. Mike Geldner of Google will present, “Inside The World of Google.” 

Business sessions will present a wide range of topics such as Getting Started With MTConnect – Where Do I Begin, Connecting Legacy Machine Tools, and Panel Discussion On Monitoring Your Shop Floor Using The MTConnect Protocol. 

Technical workshops will include important topics such as MTConnect 101:  Fundamentals of MTConnect, MTConnect Architecture: Understanding and Building MTConnect Agents and Adapters, and MTConnect Hello World:  Building Your First MTConnect Application. Exhibitors will be demonstrating how the MTConnect protocol is being utilized to save both time and money.  

Conference ROI

I wrote in the May IMTS Insider that the true ROI of [MC]2 will not be just what happens during the business, technical or general sessions, but what happens before, between and after those sessions, at the exhibits in the hallways, the breaks, and anyplace where [MC]2 attendees are together. These impromptu conversations and meetings are where you meet folks who are doing the same thing you are trying to do but have a different approach. It is these discussions that cause you to think differently and ask questions that you would have never thought of prior to the conference. The individuals who you meet and then continue to have ongoing conversations with beyond the event are absolutely priceless. It is meeting customers in a setting where you are both searching for creative solutions that can be the petri dish for future collaborations. It is grabbing the speaker of a session and going out for lunch together to discuss some of the finer points of the session. It is adding lots of new contacts that will save you time and your company money when you run into future challenges. 

Who will benefit by attending?


  • End Users
  • Tool Builders
  • ISVs
  • Integrators
  • Distributors
  • Industry Thought Leaders
  • MTConnect® Institute Participants
  • Equipment Suppliers
  • Students
  • Professors
  • Software Developers
  • Consultants
  • Anyone who wants to learn more about MTConnect
[MC]2 is your chance to learn from the experts to really understand how this game-changing technology is making tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing. You will go back to your company with new skills and a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. 

And don’t forget the hidden ROI from attending these types of events: Meeting people who are trying to do the same things that you are.

Don’t miss the [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference! Questions? Contact Dave Edstrom at davidallenedstrom@gmail.com.
Contact(s):
David Edstrom 
phone: 703-827-5211