This and That---July 28, 2023 Edition

A few random observations, charts and factoids to provide some context on what is going on in the world.

Carbon Emissions Per Capita

Carbon emissions per capita in the United States is now lower than it was before World War II.

Keep in mind that prior to World War II not even 50% of U.S. households even owned an automobile.

As late as 1970 nearly two-thirds of households only had one vehicle.

Today there are more vehicles in the United States than the number of households.

Credit: https://transportgeography.org/contents/chapter8/urban-transport-challenges/household-vehicles-united-states/

There are over twice as many vehicles per capita as there were before World War II but carbon emissions per capita is lower than it was at that time?

Despite this, we are told it is necessary to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles to limit carbon emissions?

And the liberals want to now ban gas stoves and gas water heaters.

Seeing this you should understand why the progressives are not intent on merely limiting carbon emissions.

Their view is that we just can't focus on total carbon emissions. We have to reduce the population as well.

Population control is almost as important to their long-term agenda.

Working From Home

Working from home became a popular alternative for many businesses during the Covid pandemic.

Since social distancing restrictions declined many employers have been struggling to get their employees back in the office.

There are many who argue that those who work at home are more productive than those who go into the office.

However, the recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Annual American Time Use Study for 2022 disputes that notion.

In 2022, 34% of Americans reported doing some or all of their work at home and 69% reported doing some or all of their work at their workplace.

The average number of hours worked per day for those working from home---5.4 hours.

The average number of hours worker per day working at their workplace---7.9 hours.

A direct excerpt from the report.

Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/atus.pdf

You would think that knowing this data that the federal government would be working to get as many of its employees back in the office at it could.

After all, this is data from a federal government agency.

It shows a drop in productive work hours from 7.9 to 5.4 hours per day from office to home work---that is a decrease of almost 33% in hours worked at home versus the office.

However, the latest federal government data shows that government offices are all generally empty of workers.

On average, only about 20% of federal government office space is being utilized.

Source: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-106200.pdf

Workers at home are not getting as much done.

Federal government is paying rent on office space that is not being utilized. 

Another example of your tax dollars at work.

The Institutional Trade-Off

There might have been real logic in how society handled some situations in the past.

California Nightmare

The Mamas and Papas recorded the song California Dreamin in 1965.

The song's lyrics began like this.

All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)

And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray)

I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)

On a winter's day (on a winter's day)

I'd be safe and warm (I'd be safe and warm)

If I was in L.A. (if I was in L.A.)

California dreamin' (California dreamin')

On such a winter's day

It did use to be a dream to be in L.A. or California.

It has become a nightmare.

Look no further than the latest state revenue figures for personal and corporation tax collections.

Personal income tax collections are down 34% in fiscal 2023 thru June compared to the same period last year.

Corporation tax collections are down 37%.

Have that many high income earners have left the state?

Are we seeing the effects of an economic slowdown in the state?

Did stock compensation not pan out over the last year?

Whatever the cause, this looks to be a nightmare for California.

While personal and corporation taxes are down, total disbursements by the state increased by 16% between the two fiscal periods.

What happens if we see a real recession in the next 12 months?

No California Dreamin is in the forecast.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

The big news on the movie front is the fantastic box office numbers the Barbie movie has brought in the first week it was out.

Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has already grossed $500 million in less than seven days in theaters around the world.

It has grossed more than $200 million in the United States.

It just goes to show the consumer power of little girls (or that of little girls that grow up to be big girls).

All I can say is that I hope Ryan Gosling negotiated a nice percentage of the gross in his contract to be willing to put on that wardrobe.

I ran across another interesting factoid on the power of little girls recently in seeing the lifetime franchise revenue that Hello Kitty has produced.

My young daughters loved Hello Kitty back in the day.

My granddaughters do as well today.

However, I was astounded when I saw this comparison of what Hello Kitty has brought in versus the combined lifetime franchise revenues of James Bond, Spider-Man and Marvel Cinematic U.

Source: https://twitter.com/TrungTPhan/status/1648786249233334273

   

Thank heaven for little girls, indeed!