A Guest Post: Dick Morley Sounds Off! #pauto #mfg #manufacturing

Nov. 16, 2010

Been thinking about innovation, outsourcing, and the world in general.

Been thinking about innovation, outsourcing, and the world in general.


Automation, in my opinion rose up from the idea that factory labor and dirty hands are a no-no. My unsubstantiated belief is that General Motors (in part) did not get labor relief for their automobiles. Understand please. There are many things wrong with General Motors. I'm using them as an example. My sister-in-law is a little to the right of Genghis Khan. She is against all outsourcing and displacing of manufacturing from the US. So I asked her whether any of her children would be recommended to General Motors in any position,from VP to the janitor. “Of course not,” replied my staunch sister-in-law.


Then I made a second request. I asked her whether she personally knew of any family that would like to see their children in the manufacturing industry. She replied, “Why none of course”. This leads to a problem. Since companies and manufacturing is a dirty undesired job, companies had to deploy automation and robots to compensate. Automation and robots could not displace some workers - the unavailability of American workers was the causality effect. Yes I know that this is a retro opinion, but so what.


So off we went. The MBA revolution, the IT revolution, and that oxymoron, German software prevailed. When we could not automate certain processes, we used people in other countries. The actual cost saving, many times, is an illusion. Enough said.


Global warming. Pardon me for being a physicist. Energy is not a sustainable effort. The basic laws of thermodynamics are;
you can't win
you can't break even
and you can't get out of the game.
The first is capitalism, the second is socialism, and the last may be religion. (I'm allowed a bit of humor here). In the geographical sense we have just exited the last small Ice Age. We are in the spring of earth. Rejoice. I can remember a time when the canals in Holland froze over. No more.


We can prove that humans and industry are responsible for the global warming by comparing ourselves to Mars. Since our polar caps are receeding  in this awakening of the earth and many feel as though it's a human problem. The polar caps of Mars are receeding at roughly the same rate. There must be industry and people on Mars. It could not be the fault of the big yellow thing in the sky.


Mr. Pinto insists that I become heavily involved with your favorite organization, ISA. Large organizations, magazines, newspapers, and annual meetings which served to network people are being attached by the virtual networks on the ubiquitous Web. Can't win them all. I don't know what the solution is for large organizations, but I know if they do what they always did they will always get what they always got. I do know that "if you keep doing the same things over and over and expect improvement you are insane."


Sure- just tidbits. Recently New Hampshire made some laws concerning taxation and limited liability corporations. We immediately started selling our angel and venture capital holdings. The state politicians got wise and rescinded the tax 3 to 6 months later. But now we don't trust them.


Well enough about this rant. I still work growing kids and I'm trying to start a new educational institution to educate the advanced not the retarded. That and a dollar will get me a cheap cup of coffee.

Dick Morley

Editor's Note: Dick Morley may be one of the most successful inventors in the late 20th Century. His inventions include the floppy disk, the antilock braking algorithm, the peoplemover algorithm, the programmable logic controller (PLC) and modern HVAC building controls. He and his wife have had over 35 foster children.