The Economics of Being Vindictive

A few days back I said I believed people were naturally good because I thought that the basic tenets of what is generally ascribed to being good, was in fact the most efficient way of living. Now, it might be that we have come to assume that these things are good because of their benefits - why else would we assume that giving is good, when logically having the most you can makes a lot of sense.

I had a conversation with my grandmother about lying. I said I wasn't a good liar in general - I think too much and I would then have to create all new realities around that lie. And it was then that I was then reminded how inefficient a lie is. The truth, when compounded over time, is of far greater value than a lie (unless of course you can completely get away with it and benefit from it significantly...sigh). Lies will limit the potential paths that can be taken in the future (in the short term a lie might create more potential paths, but this pattern will not continue over the long term - though, see Bernie Madoff as an example of a really long lasting lie - did he gain more than he will lose?). Maybe I am not all that great a human being for not lying all the time, maybe I am just thrifty.

The reason for this post is a recent scientific study of vindictiveness. An eye for an eye has such a certain logical value. The Golden Rule almost speaks of the virtue vindictiveness - unto others, as yourself (but not really). Why not act in the exact fashion that someone acted toward you? It is a great deterrent and is an easy equation to figure.

The articles says, vindictive people don't make as much money, have fewer friends, and aren't as happy (and probably live shorter lives as well). What do you mean? Getting back at someone doesn't make the most of my time in the long term?

The issue is that the equation is a bit more complicated than simply if A (someone steals from me), then B (I steal from them) and as a result C (we are both happy and the world goes on - which might be pushed simply as A+B=C=O - meaning no harm in the end). It is more complicated, for instance the real equation involves time, because we will live on after the event. We cannot consider that the event will live in a vacuum (though our patterns of voting for members of Congress make me question that sometimes).

There is another part of the equation that isn't considered. Any event that occurs causes changes - negative and positive. Those changes - those consequences for our actions - shape our responses. If I see that an individual who works hard to build something but fails - and is allowed to fail and lose everything, but is able to figure something something else out without being killed off (imagine the small bird who is aspirational and flies into the large open skies of a hungry hawk), I am going to be motivated to try and build something as well - understanding I may lose it all, but I'll still be alive. I think that is an important factor of our risk taking society and allof the things we have created as humans.

We see more hard working people succeed than cheaters, and because of this we know that taking a little risk, doing it right, giving slack to those who hurt is, actually benefits us in the long term because of the general society that arises around it. And, once again, we human are social creatures that exist in this world and not one of our philosophical fantasy lands.

In the end, being vindictive is inefficient. It doesn't allow us to focus on what matters. And, most importantly, it limits the potential of mass good among the people, which limits trust, and creates very expensive transaction costs (see financial crises 2007-Present), limiting everything's ability to grow.

Now, if only I could be this wonderful person.

The Daily Thought

He who finds a thought that enables him to obtain a slightly deeper glimpse into the eternal secrets of nature has been given great grace. - Albert Einstein

found on Amida Buddha

Light Breakfast Reading: Modern Engineering

Super Cop Car

When you hear an individual wax poetically about how hosing out the back seat is useful, you begin to think a little more practically. And if there were ever a job that was practical, this being a superbly designed police vehicle makes sense.

Why I Believe We Are Naturally Good

It is evolutionarily chosen for.

How do I get that sort of idea from something like a scientific study of business groups (the article says nothing of biology directly)? Why are we - you and I - human beings - so amazingly successful? Because you and I, are part of a grand "we."

At first it may have just been a small we, say just a you and I. Say you and I had another (notice I didn't say "decided"). Suddenly, there would be reason for you and I and the "soon to be" to become a "we." We had to. The world is hard and we take a long time to mature. Several of our neighbors come together and the process begins toward this great society that we are all part of, even with all of its ills - it is SO VERY GRAND (click each letter).

So it is society that makes us humans so amazing. Of course, within this huge community of successful individuals there will always freeloaders and people who choose to bug the system - this has been part of us since we were bacteria. And that is fine - because from these attacks on our system - we learn more, we evolve more, we get smarter, and we keep fighting (I think if we ever did lose that fighting spirit we would all slump over and die - right there - just like in a cool cartoon movie I saw once).

But now that we have come to live within a society in which we are all trying our best to get ahead in - what do we feel is the best way to get ahead? Well, our ancestors found that befriending others and being good to those close to you was a good thing. Back in the day, when the world was much larger, it was much harder to be a fake good person - we humans are damn good and picking up on things! And back then your world of people was much smaller (of course I have no idea when back then was). So to be a good person was to have a stronger family and a stronger clan and a better existence.

It seems like so many other things, our basic human instinct at goodness, is still there. It is beneficial because the cliche, "It's better to be feared, than loved," is wrong. In the long term, goodness wins out. If you are good you will distribute the spoils better which enable people to be happier (to a point of course). If you are good you will listen and care on levels that engender that closer, emotional tie to you and with that - you are tapping into our ancient selves - our naturally good cores.

It is best to be a good person because that particular set of qualities - cooperation, empathy, hard work, honesty - are qualities that best coordinate the movements of groups of human beings.

I appreciate it

Link NYTimes.com

“The president prefers to tell the truth,” he said, “rather than make the numbers look better by pretending.”

There will be good and bad that come from this President. I personally believe in a smaller government and the concept of a bailout frightens me on some levels. However, we happen to exist in reality and pragmatism is much more important.

If Obama, during his years, can open my government to analysis and make it more efficient and cut the BS and maybe - just maybe - some corruption, I would be happy. This is an interesting step in that direction.

Supervillian

Sent to me by a friend...

Aspirations

He was a man all right...

We will survive. Human beings adapt. In our article today AaRussian man, said to be part of an old crime family that was sent into the far east of Russia by Joseph Stalin, hunted a town for years - and probably decades. Local police and a sniper kill him. Play by play follows.

The hermit, who carried two shotguns and a home-made pistol, ambushed them and wounded two. He then set alight a swathe of forest as a diversion, tracked behind the men and was apparently preparing to start firing on them again. But a police sniper managed to shoot him in the head, killing him instantly.

An individual human can do amazing things, good or bad - and maybe in this case - good and bad. I once read or was told a quote - I am always surprised at how people overestimate what they can do in a year, but underestimate what they can do in ten. It's kinda like compounding interest - expect applied to labor instead of your 401k.

This is the first time we, the human race, have ever done this. First time there has been a United States, first time there has been a you or I. I like to believe I am the end of a long line solid human beings - just like all of you. I trace my multi-cellular lineage back maybe 600 million years or so to an algae. And before then I am thinking a few billion years with cyanobacteria or something. That is something to be proud of.

I believe we will go a few million into the future as well. We have some serious challenges ahead of us and some significant knowledge we must gain. There will be times, like in the past, where the knowledge we acquire might destroy us - and it will probably happen more often as we delve deeper into the fundamentals of our existence. But to see a person survive - against the odds, represents to me, our survival. And that comforts me.

Satellites Collide in Space

For the first time, two satellites have collided in space. One satellite was an older Russian satellite that was spinning out of control. The second was an in use satellite from the Iridium satellite phone network. Hundreds of parts are already floating around. There is an expectation of thousands of smaller, untraceable parts.

In order to stay in low earth orbit you need to move around 17,000 miles per hour. These satellites are about 300 miles out so their speeds are slower, but you still have thousands of pieces of who knows what circling the planet in their orbit and slowly filtering down toward the earth into the orbits of other satellites.

The Chinese blew up a satellite a year ago with a missile, and the US responded shortly afterwards blowing up a satellite with "hazardous" cargo. Russia, Iran, India, Israel, America, Japan, China, France, Britian, and the Ukraine have all launched satellites into space on their own. Recently, SpaceX - a private company - became the first private company in space.

It is getting crowded. The money is huge. And the consequences are bigger.

Space baby!

Evolving Education II

Have you ever wondered about the best way to learn something? You hear people say they learn one way better than an other way. There are different types of school - for instance, the standard high school style and something like a Montessori schoo. There are different types of degrees that lead into the professional world - Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Sciences. There is a school that I know of that gives every student the exact same degree and all courses are taught as if a history course with the education progressing as knowledge was gained coming forward in history.

An article I posted several days ago spoke about the idea of a free degree earned via an online university. This time I am pointing out an article where a professor at a Canadian school is bearing consequences of educational experimentation. The first thing this professor did was eliminate grades for his students, and then he began to alter the course material. Most recently he told all students in a 4th year physics course that they each had a guaranteed A+ in the class. The university didn't like that and now the professor isn't teaching.

This individual sees that there could be changes to how we teach each other. What other theories or ideas of teaching people are out there? How else can we gain knowledge? Of course there is the tried and true experience method - you practice and practice until you become an expert. There is the reading or watching others do it methods. There is lecture method that we get in school. One day there may be "The Matrix" upload method. Are there ancient unknown teaching methods that are spoke about in dark education circles that we dare not unleash on the world?

I once read that the modern western educational system is based upon a Prussian from the 1800s who designed their educational system to create a population that was controllable and believed what they were "supposed" to believe. A tool of the government this educational system was!

Communication of knowledge - culture - is the most important thing human beings have. If we had no ability to communicate our knowledge we would be monkeys - smart monkeys - but that's it. What secrets to teaching are there?

if

by rudyard kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

State of New Jersey Installing $730 M of Solar Energy Statewide

And really, the only thing from the article that is absolutely must read is the last statement of the article made by Upendra J. Chivukula, the chairman of the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee in the State Assembly.

“This type of investment is long term, so you’re not going to see the benefits right away, but if you don’t do it now, you’re never going to become energy independent.”

Straightforward and clean. I am hopeful the numbers have been run and this turns out to be a good investment. I do believe that solar power collectors distributed over vast areas of the urban landscape will create significant energy in the future, I am just not sure whether it will be 90% of the worlds energy needs or 30%. Either way - the future is...I have no idea. :-)

Because I Can, We Will

Small ideas build upon each other. Small advances become more significant as they are multiplied.

Proteins that could build up and hold stable structures eventually allowed for mitochondria which could produce significant amounts of energy. Those mitochondria eventually found it could work with other organisms and more efficiently find material to produce energy - and they became a cell. At some point, maybe it was an algae relative, cells gathering together in a good feeding spot began to alter the environment with their presence. A small group within this mass of cells altered their living patterns in order to take advantage of the change that they created (kinda like using the brake pads in a car to create electricity from heat). This tiny group became a unique organ(ism) within the gathering of cells and benefited the whole group. These new multi-cellular organisms thrived and took over the planet.

At some point, a group of these organisms were all in the same area - again a great feeding spot - and one of those organisms began to help another one of those organisms. Those two. working together. were able to find more product for energy creation than if either worked alone - and society was born. These organisms began to dominate the planet - super organisms they were later called.

Societies merged and melted. We loved, fought and died. Eventually we began to form civilizations. Some lived and some died, but all changed. Societies merged and grew. The planet we live on became smaller. The people were represented first by families, then villages, later cities, and even countries. Today - we merge into continents and have even tried to bind the whole planet.

Now we work to make the planet evolve. We started small. Over time our changes were larger. Now, the changes look to make the planet speak - through the air, under the seas, and far out into space.

Because you can. And because I can. We will.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian - Freedom of Individuals

Tonight at 7 PM I sat down at Nova University to listen to Dr. Jack Kevorkian speak. I expected a talk about Assisted Suicide, except Dr. Kevorkian isn't allowed to talk about it because of his parole (it ends in June I hear). Instead Jack (we go back) talked about freedom, individual freedoms, and what they mean to him.

From Jack's perspective, the tyrant, the man in power, is controlling too much and we, the people who are supposed to be running the government, not being run by the government, we are listening too much. Visibly upset, and outraged to his bones, he spoke strongly on the Constitution and how all humans have all rights and until we let the government take those rights - in exchange for freedoms - all of those rights belong to us. Jack Kevorkian is a die hard libertarian - maybe because he has always been that way or maybe because he has found his calling and what he wants to stand up for.

In the end, Jack asked all of us how far we would go to protect how freedoms? The question Jack posed was this, "I have an American flag, and that American flag I have altered. I have removed all of the stars and replaced it with a swastika. What do you have to say now?"

The crowd didn't react too strongly. One cameraman got very upset and yelled at Kevorkian. A few other people communicated their distaste.

I support Mr. Kevorkian. The reason we exist in this country is because we can show a flag like that. The police didn't care about the flag, they cared about protect Dr. Kevorkian.

Interesting night...

The Democratic President thinks the Government is to Far-Reaching

I know the article that I am using to make this argument happens to be related to marijuana, and our many problems in this country go far beyond recreational drugs, however, the major sentence of the third paragraph means a lot.

“The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said.

The president believes that state laws should not be circumvented by the federal government. The president believes state laws should be given more respect by the federal government. Couple this announcement with the previous communication from the president to the EPA, that the EPA should review allowing states to regulate auto emissions on their own and you can see the potential for power to tilt toward the state.

During the last couple of years I have heard Arnold Schwarzenegger give credence to states having more power than the federal government. I saw a few years ago that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state of Utah versus the federal government in a medical case.

After the Civil War state's rights significantly decreased. The Federal Reserve was a big hit to individual and state rights when it was created in 1913. The federal government expanded significantly during the Great Depression and has never shrunk back in size. The Civil Rights movements of the 50's-70's expanded the size of the federal government's reach again. At the time, we needed a sound minded central government to cover up regional biases and weaknesses. And today, it is our over sized federal government that is slowing the country down.

Maybe we have gotten to a point where we can pull back some of those federal government controls and allow states to more efficiently take care of themselves. I know I am pulling a lot of hope from a couple of small sentences and actions, but if these actions are a true belief of the president, then maybe we will move in a good direction.

Of course, this is at the same time we are considering a $900 billion "stimulus package." Blech...

The World is a Happy Place

And we are happy people.

A short movie called Signs.

One reason not to get too drunk...

A University Without A Campus

I used to work for Kaplan College, they are an online university. I was an Admission Advisor (salesperson truly). I talked to people about going to school and why going to an online school might benefit them. I saw working at a digital college as a step forward for humans. The ability to acquire knowledge in a more efficient manner by people located wherever they might be. This is a significant concept because, truly, what are human beings (as opposed to homo sapien sapien) other than our culture? Let one of us grow up with wolves, and we will be a wolf.

Shai Reshef wants to take the online education a bit farther by making a university degree free. My monkey-brained capitalist tendencies ask why would someone give something away for free? But then my human-brained capitalist tendencies look far beyond the single man whose ideas these are and recognizes that a distribution of knowledge the world around on a level like this benefits you, I, Shai, and all of the future so much more.

The Internet, like libraries before them, are in effect free universities that don't give out an official piece of paper at the end of the process. They disperse knowledge, culture, experience, and more of the basic tools to live in this world. Of course giving knowledge to people isn't new - it started when we told tales around the fire, it evolved when we began to write things down, it exploded when we learned about the printing press, and we have continued to speed the dispersion of knowledge through the world with other technologies.

In my mind, the whole idea of needing a piece of paper to represent your knowledge is simply a shortcoming of our ability to communicate who we are and track what we know. If we had the ability to catalog and communicate our skills, knowledge, perceptions, and all else then having a university degree would be meaningless. What would matter is what we have learned in life. Of course, progress is slow and those who make money from the industry are going to fight.

But progress will happen. And you are I are part of it.

Evolution in Action

The Socratic Method to Great Living

found on zenHabits

The Socratic Method of Great (not just good...) Living

Life is a little more complicated than simply waking up and going to work these days. You have to plan, you have to abstractly conceive your future and alter your current in the name of it, you have to care for people and understand their needs and wants, and so much more. A complicated, multi-faceted life is one that can bring much to you and those around you.

But sometimes living is harder. Sometimes the layers can overwhelm a little bit, and sometimes we need a better way to manage it. Enter Socrates. A man whose name is in the minds of millions of people today, and probably billions over time. He gave a few pointers on how to live.

1. Live into your vision. Or as Socrates is quoted as saying - "“Be as you wish to seem.” ~Socrates. This means live your dream. Push toward what you think will make you should be pushing toward. Whether it be taking care of your children, creating the energy infrastructure that generations will depend on, helping cub scouts and brownies with projects - whatever it is - live it. Life is full of too many people trying to slow and hurt you to help themselves - you change the rules and you can dictate.
2. Know your limitations. My default reaction to this is, "What limitations!" Of course I am the simple minded one...if we all believe we can do everything, then we can, right? Well, maybe. But if we understand ourselves a little better and know what we are good at, great at, and not so great at (for WHATEVER reasons) then we can better focus ourselves and our talents.
3. And in direct opposition to the above - Expand Your Horizons. To say you aren't good at something is one thing - for you must know your limitations - but to say you aren't good at something and then go out and try to get better at it, try and learn about it, try and understand it, that is the amazing thing that human beings can do. I am not a natural people person. I love being inside of my mind because I can think up some amazing things. However, human beings are beautiful creatures and to learn about a human being is to expand myself infinitely because those people I learn about become part of me. I work hard to communicate with friends, to do the small talk with new people, and to listen more than I am speaking (easier said than done). Know who you are - and then make yourself better!
4. Whatever you have is enough. You are still alive right? And do you really NEED that stuff? Of course you don't. People have lived on alms and no new goods for many years. This is something a little harder to understand and believe in our consumption based society, but it is a truth. I have been able to go back to college and being working on a Mechanical Engineering degree because while I worked I saved money and then when I quit I kept living at a level I could sustain myself at. Recognize what truly makes you life livable and don't waste your time (the most precious resource you have) on the search for foolish "things."
5. Define what you want. This is a tough one. What do we want? Do you really want a new iPod? Do you really want a new car? Or, do you want to be able to relax and be soothed by music? Do you want to be able to travel without worry? Do you want to get yourself to a spot where you can attract and beautiful person who will live with you in life? I think I want to help us, I think I want to build this world in a manner that supports our evolution for thousands of years more, and I think I want to do it in a way that lets me sleep soundly at night. Do I know what I want? I know very little...

Self help items are always amusing to me. I wonder whether all people think the way I do and question themselves, their actions, their motives, their goals, and all those other things in life. I know that living is important to me because I know every morning I wake up and I want to live.

I'll try harder today, and tomorrow - just like I did yesterday.

FDA Approves Human Embryonic Stem Cell Study

CNN tells us that the Federal Drug Administration has given an American company, within the borders of the United States the permission to research human embryonic stem cells for patients who have spinal injuries.

First off, stem cell research is in its infancy. The concept of what a stem cell has only very recently reached the mind of the general public. Definition: Stem Cell: The base cell in the human body that, when influenced by various, and some unknown, factors, differentiates into all of the cells in our body. In a sense, a stem cell is like a single human being. We are all born fairly similarly, but over the course of our lifetimes we each will morph into a specialized human unit. You are a stem cell in the universal sense.

Now there is much that is still wanting in stem cell research. Truly, we have no idea how to use them, we don't know how they work completely, and experimenting on human beings is always a tough subject. But the potential is huge. And since the potential is so huge, we need to learn about it through research.

NPR did a small write up on stem cell procedures in China (China happens to be the world leader in actual application of stem cells). There scientists are injecting stem cells into the eyes of children, and seemingly, are getting positive results. The scientists there recognize the full gamut of the potential consequences if they fail - 1. We don't know long term consequences. 2. It may hurt the international appearance of the Chinese medical community. 3. If it appears as if a company is experimenting on clients with an unknown technology and their primary motivation is money, and they hurt people - it will set the industry back years, or even decades.

The real question in the end is - should we be researching things that are so close to human beings? Or is the benefit so great that the number of people it would potentially save is far greater than the number it could hurt?

Transportable Gassification Power Generation

The march forward. That is something that gives me confidence. The only thing that is constant in my mind is change. And within that long term time frame over which we think of universal constants, like "change," there is the human existence. This human existence has had a few constants in it, but only one I can think of right now is progress. Human being progress.

Something new is interesting me now: Localized, Transportable Gasification Power Generators.

From a cold start, it takes about two hours for the Green Energy Machine to start producing gas, and at that point, it’s self-sustaining, diverting only 7 to 10 percent of the energy in the gas to run its own equipment. IST Energy estimates that customers who run the machine 24/7, at its full three-ton-per-day capacity, will save enough money on waste disposal and energy costs to pay for the $850,000 machine in three to four years.

Why throw away your trash when you can turn it into electricity? The machine will pay for itself in three to four years. I think every mall in the United States needs one of these. Every school. Every apartment building and every neighborhood. The garbage trucks that come around in the future will only pick up recyclables. Gasification Generators will pay you to take your trash.

People will invest in these machines. If they can make their money back in 3.5 years on average and one of them can stay in business for 17.5 year you can make 500% of your money in 17.5 years. That means a return of about 28% a year. Thats pretty cool.

In the end, what most excites me about this machine is not the machine itself, but the inventive nature of human beings. The fact that we are still creating things like this. The fact that we are going to gain energy from waste. Human beings. Pretty damn cool they are,

Dissecting the Brain of an NFL Player

My last play on a football field involved a concussion, so an article like this gives me pause. The brains of football players that were between thirty and forty years of age looked like they came from 80-year old Alzheimer patients.

"What's been surprising is that it's so extensive. It's throughout the brain, not just on the superficial aspects of the brain, but it's deep inside."

CSTE studies reveal brown tangles flecked throughout the brain tissue of former NFL players who died young -- some as early as their 30s or 40s.

Well that sucks. Tiny brown tangles in place of the gray stuff. That isn't something that I like all that much.

Why the Government Can't Be Given Power

The NSA Snooped on Reporters

The issue with the US government having the ability to listen to everything we say electronically is that the US government is made up on people. And people, as we all know, can be a problem. During the government's continual covering of their warrant less wiretapping, it was continually stated that no Americans were being spied on. A lie. And not only is the government spying on you and I, they are now spying on all of the major news outlets.

The Freedom of the Press is one of the thing which has allowed American society to blossom. To be able to bring your leaders to the table and question their actions is right next to the Freedom of Speech. Now, the people in our country whose job it is to discover the illegal activities and bring them to the surface can no longer feel safe in their electronic communications. Of course you can happily argue that reporters have known this for a long time and they have adapted, but this is not something they should have to do.

Who watches the watchers? Well, right now, we need the courageous people who step forward and talk about the questionable acts of the Federal Government. Whistle-blowers need to be supported.

Your Buhhdist Meditation

Is repetitive action virtuous action? If behavior and conduct are merely repetitive processes then all human relationships actually cease. If I behave mechanically every day, - repeating a certain code of conduct which I have learnt, which I find profitable, or which is pleasant, repeating that over and over again, - my relationship with you ceases, completely - I have become a machine.

J. Krishnamurti - found on Amida Buddha

Don't just go through the motions and lean over to smell the flower - lean over and love the flower. Let its wonder push through your nose into your body filling your soul with the wonder of infinite energy. And love the flower, more than anything.

This was sent several minutes ago...

Mr. Senior HR Guy,

How are you today?

I want to work for a group like FPL. My job - my work - matters to me. It matters because it will represent a majority of what I create in life. FPL is the type of company that I can learn a lot from. Your hands reach far across this country and you have some amazing projects going on.

I do not wish to receive financial compensation for my first sixty days with FPL. At the end of the sixty day period we can discuss if I would fit somewhere with your group. In return I want to given the opportunity to prove myself, and my value.

Actions mean much more than my ability to write a resume or a cover letter. I wish to give my actions for review.

My cell phone number is 561-XXX-XXXX.



John Fitzgerald Weaver

How can you tell the time?

Should I Buy a New Car to Save Gas and the Environment? Of course not...

When Used Cars Are More Ecofriendly Than New Cars

If one does a search for Hummer versus Prius the results, surprisingly, talk about how close the competition is between is between these two vehicles for their overall environmental impact. How is it that an argument can even start? In the end the argument is full of holes that push the Prius toward being greener - and according the the Swiss the greenest in the world.

Producing a hybrid vehicle does have a greater affect on the environment than a non-hybrid. This is mostly because of the battery and the chemicals involved. There is a famous picture of the area around the nickel smelting factory in Ontario, Canada. And this is something that we need to pay attention to because trading one pollution for another pollution isn't really all that smart.

But a little deeper into the practical side of all of this is an important question - should I sell my old car and get a new "green" car that gets better gas mileage? The answer is an absolute "maybe." It all depends on how much fuel your car burns, the amount of fuel the new car burns, the amount of energy and resources used to produce your car, and the same for the new car. Ford said their cars use about 10% of the overall energy they will use in their lifetimes in the production process. Even the wonderful Prius will take greater than 46,000 miles to work off its carbon debt. According to Wired, for a Prius to catch up with a ten year old Toyota Tercel would take 100,000 miles. And even better - a Prius would never catch the energy savings of a 15 year old Geo Metro XFI.

So...buy yourself a new car with a logic of saving the environment when you buy a car that gets a SIGNIFICANT increase in gas mileage. Of course, the other side of the argument is that in the benefit of the long term, and getting the ball rolling, should I, a concerned financially able citizen, invest in a car that won't help statistically just yet but will influence others to change their habits in the long term? Big questions and important answers.

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation

It takes a deep commitment to change and an even deeper commitment to grow. - Ralph Ellison

Found on Amida Buddha

He knew he would die...

The Editor of the Sunday Leader, a Sri Lankan newspaper, was shot on January 8th. After surgery he died (slightly graphic image warning).

Lasantha Wickramatunga knew he was going to be killed because of the job he had and the positions he took in that job. On January 11, 2009 his newspaper printed an editorial that he wrote that was to be published in case of his death.

Take a minute to read.

That a human being would see their death coming yet continue to do the thing that will bring them their death is sometimes called courageous. That all over the world reporters are continually risking their lives for the purpose of communicating knowledge to all of us is something we all should be thankful for.

Reporters sans frontières (Reporters Without Borders) said that in 2008, 60 reporters were killed in their line of work. Respect these people. Without them your freedoms would be fewer, and the power holders of the world would hold so much more.

Cayman Islands Residents Paid for Electricity

The Cayman Islands have enacted a policy that allows for individuals to produce and sell electricity to the power company. While this is not unique (see Germany, Spain, and California), it is a strong step toward creating a new energy infrastructure. Of course a plan like this involves tax-payer money and operating less efficiently than possible (for now), but over the long term an investment in decentralized power production will return great rewards.

Right now collecting electricity from individual and plugging it into the grid starts with the local power company buying the energy and handling all of the redistribution of the power, as well all of the billing aspects - and most importantly - the pricing of said electricity. The last point is the most important.

If you were given the opportunity to buy electricity from your neighbor, but you had to pay more for the electricity, would you? If your neighbor were generating power via wind, solar, or other renewable "clean" sources would that change your logic? In the state of Florida through Florida Power & Light (FPL) more than 38,000 people paid an additional $9.75 a month to help develop renewable energy sources through the Sunshine Energy Program.

What I would like to see is a market for all of this individual energy creation. I don't want to be limited by the amount of money that the electricity company receives and I don't want the electricity company to have to buy my energy via tax payer sponsored programs. Already there are many programs to more intelligently monitor your electricity usage/production (the city of Boulder, Colorado has a big start). Next thing that needs to happen is that there needs to be platforms where individuals can put their produced energy up for sale and they can bid on the electricity of other people for their own usage.

Of course, the energy will still be moved on the grid built by the big companies, but paying a transmission fee should appease the capitalist. Another interesting thing that will happen is that there will be less energy loss. The WikiPedia folks found a source that showed we lost just over 7% of our electricity in transmission. Lessen the distance the power has to move and you lose less.

Energy. I never fully realized the importance of it in developing the world...and now I realize the importance of getting that production out of the hands of the centralized beasts and into you and my home.

Basic Science Research Needs Support

Study: Growth in Research Comes at a Steep Price

The basic concept of the article is that basic scientific research - the type of research that doesn't necessarily have a commercial point, but looks to acquire knowledge that may or may not make profits down the road - is of the utmost importance for the long term development of science but does not support itself in the short term, and truly, is very expensive.

Many investments in the business world are made that end up failing. The same goes for scientific research. Researchers come up with ideas (a hypothesis) and then test those ideas. The motivation for testing an idea might be financial, it might be evolutionary (help save mankind!), or it might simply be done because someone wants an answer to something. But those ideas take money and time to research and answer.

If you want to ask, "What benefit does this science research give me?" then look no further than this very machine that you are reading this blog post on. The first modern computer was invented somewhere in the 1940's by the military of the United States, Germany, or Great Britain. Billions in research went into the computer before they became the wonderful machines that sit in front of you.

There are good lessons to learn here. Patience is good. Investment in knowledge is good as so much (all?) of what we do today is dependent on knowledge gained from the past. And researching the future is important as we are an evolving organism that doesn't want to die.

Putin Suggest Caution on Obama

A quick piece of perspective from The Moscow Times: Be Cautious on Obama

Vladimir Putin, a leader who hasn't earned the highest of accolades in Russia, said,

"Obama looks like a sincere and open man and this of course attracts people. It is my deep belief that the most bitter disappointments usually result from excessive expectations. We need to see what happens in practice."

Great expectations are important. Without having expectations of potential greatness the motivation often isn't there to act. Without the possibility of foolish power, wealth, or societal benefit why should you risk so much?

But I see the other part of the quote as being more important, that being - "We need to see what happens in practice." Barack Obama is not coming into a clean slate of a world and building from the ground up with wonderful ideas. Obama is entering a world that is full of entrenched people who don't want to change. And truly, Obama himself, is nothing more than a human being who is flawed and without absolute power. Can Obama do it? We need to see what happens.

Obama to Order Lending Increase

Do we ever learn?

My response to this headline is a bit knee-jerk as I don't know the manner that Obama will "require" increased lending from banks. The rhetoric might be to motivate people or simply to build a facade, but saying what is being said is not good for the economy. The article basically says that in order to qualify for loans, banks will have to increase their lending instead of sitting on the money.

Why did we just go through a large housing bubble? From the economic side there are a lot of reasons but I want to focus on the politics. What were the driving political forces behind the explosion of home prices?

• In the late 1990's Congress mandated that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lower their lending standards. In baser language that means Congress mandated that those two create a loan class that would be guaranteed to lose money based upon all past experience. Instead of allowing bankers to be bankers, Congress took it in their own hands to become bankers - and we all know the results.
• Cheap and voluminous money. When money is given to banks at a rate so low, and in such quantities that bad investments can be hidden and shifted around in these large pools of cash for years things are bound to happen - things like economic collapses. In order for inflation and prices to stay normal the amount of money in the economy should increase at a rate relatively similar to the creation of value in society. For instance, if there are 1,000 people creating $100 worth of labor output every day then maybe there should be $100,000 more money in the world each day.The money has to represent something, it does not have value in and of itself - it represents value.

Now Obama has communicated that he wishes for banks to alter their lending in order to get more money into the economy. I understand the need to motivate the country, but please let us learn. Money should be loaned when the numbers add up to a profit for the bank. Money should not be loaned because politicians say it should be...

Gifted Children Have Special Needs

Gifted children need just as much attention as learning disabled children.

Why would a child of higher intellectual capabilities need more attention than your average students? I think back to a certain student in my 5th grade class. He took all of the reading material that was designed to educate for the entire year and covered them in about four weeks. Then he had a special project that he presented to the class on the SR-71 Blackbird. This person needed the special attention of the teachers and extra work simply to keep him busy, as the normal fare of education was quickly finished.

The FSU professor makes an interesting statement in the article:

"Giftedness is still not well understood, and children with advanced intellectual and academic abilities can perplex and challenge both educators and parents," Pfeiffer said.

The ability that some human beings have when contemplating the world at whole is strange and significant. Individuals (Einstein, Newton, Plato, and so on and so on) have the ability to pull society along behind them. These individuals who have such significant skills need to be supported and paid attention to. And not because it will make them feel better - but because all of us that are in the world with them will benefit.

"'Oh, they're smart, they'll do fine on their own' is what we often hear. And because of this anti-elitist attitude, it's often difficult to get funding for programs and services that help us to develop some of our brightest, most advanced kids -- America's most valuable resource," Pfeiffer.

Solar Panels to Drop in Price

As has been long said by industry analysts, the price of solar panels is expected to drop significantly over the next couple of years. This spells wonderful options for end users as one of the largest issues with solar panel uptake has been the significant upfront cash investment necessary.

Lets put it this way, the article states:

In California a typical 4 kilowatt, $32,000 solar energy system cost a homeowner about $23,000 last year after state and federal incentives. This year, if the price predictions come true, the price for the same system would be between $10,000 and $12,000.

What does this mean in other parts of the real world? In the state of Florida it takes, on average, about 14 years for a solar powered home to make back its initial investment. If these numbers hold, that time frame might fall to 7-10 years.

Why is the price of a solar installation dropping so much so quickly?

• There have been large investments in silicon production around the world. Folks have been predicting the price drop associated with silicon volume for a while now, and it seems to be coming together now.
• The manufacturing capability of solar panels in the industry has grown significantly over the past several years. In 2006, 2,204 MW of solar cells were produced. In 2007 that number jumped 60% to just over 3,600 MW. Energy can now be produced on an automated robotic production line.
• The Economic Crises of 2008. Demand is down. The price of oil fell from $147/barrel to a current in the range of $36/barrel. People can't get money for large investments. Homes aren't being built or updated as homeowners are hurting.
• Big projects the world over are beginning to benefit the masses. As countries like China, Spain, Germany, and Portugal blaze new trails in developing large solar power infrastructures expertise and experience are building. As stated in a recent article I read about Chinese solar investments, "As our technicians become more experienced, prices will drop."

Do I think solar will take over oil today? Of course not. Do I think it should? Absolutely. What will happen in the short to middle term future of solar? Who knows. I do believe the price of oil is lower than it should be based on past and future trends, but politicians affect that much more than true supply and demand do these days. And who is to say that society won't learn from the past and become significantly more energy efficient, thus pushing down the price of energy as demand waffles? I'm not that smart...

But, I do see the price of solar dropping. And I do see the horizon changing.

The Web of Us

The layers are growing. We fly over the surface. We lay our lines across the globe. We wire our countries. That African farmers can use cell phones to get the proper pricing of products in markets is nothing magical.

What is of significance is that there are people who can afford cell phones all over the world, and that there are companies who can get it done and profit. That means, maybe, somewhere in this we have found a sustainable marketplace. Humans benefit in sustainable marketplaces. It makes is comfortable. We blossom.

I read an article about ants recently that spoke of strict rule following and the societal benefit of that rule following. Ants are pretty cool aren't they? Then I read another article about testosterone and how it affects success on London trading desks. And I think back to posts about emotions, chemical patterns, and creativity and I suddenly disagree with basic tenets of rule following.

What if we followed all of the rules? Ants are still ants and they may rule this planet one day, but that super organism of ant society does not think about itself. Really, the article about ants is one of oppression! The story of a single ruler who reproduces millions. All others die.

Ideas were stolen the scrolls of the church and slowly fed the people with the press. The libraries now gives their secrets to everyone. It is progress and rule breaking and bending and life that is taking over this planet. We are life. We have a foothold. We must populate the universe.

Change is Constant

"The only constant is change." I say that a lot - other smarter people have said it before me as well. The world moves.

War today (Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, and maybe even certain aspects of the Iraqi resistance) might be among the smaller pieces of a bigger show - Iranian nuclear delivery capabilities and the American plan of containment (via Iraq and Afghanistan). Or maybe we are actually looking to keep from having three powerful countries (Iran, Pakistan, & India) right next door to each other from having painfully powerful weapons?

The United States is getting evicted from military bases. China is expanding its world position. Japan is evolving from being a pacifist nation to one of the most well defended countries on the planet. Africa is taking significantly more attention as its natural resources and competition with the Chinese increases. And instead of the President calling together the G7 or G8 nations together, Bush called on the G20 nations of the world to help solve the world crises. What

Maybe the final die has already been cast. Maybe these global troop movements are just a practice and placement run for the war with China. We have placed forward troops in South Korea and Japan. As well, we have significantly upgraded the defense systems of Taiwan - though I wouldn't expect a Taiwanese President to support an American cause versus China. The Russians would, at minimum, be a buffer zone for us - possibly even side with the US. The central Asian region is broad. Wide lines of travel in and out. Troops in Afghanistan give the American military a great position - one that of course will be attacked immediately.

This world is complicated. Some wars are needed, sadly. Politicians push war fare for their citizenry (and votes). A lot of people believe in war. Many people make money via the machines of war. And some people just want power.

This talk about change and upheaval reminds me of something I read about ants. It talked about ants who attempted to reproduce when they weren't of the reproducing caste. A certain chemical created in ant motherhood gives away the individual and other ants attack. The authors says it shows how rules and strict following of those rules have dictated societies for a long time.

I say I don't know about those rules. I say society has evolved in sputters due to those who were fearless enough to break down the walls of the rules. Those who didn't fear change.

We are animals. We fear each others motives. We can conceive for the long term and we know there are others who do the same. Change is constant, and as Charles Darwin said,

“It is not the strongest species that survive, or the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change.”

Thought of the Day

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation

In order to live, man must believe in that for which he lives.

Huston Smith

The International Space Stations Evolution

The ISS over Time

Do you find it amazing that there are people permanently living in a small ship that circles the earth at about 18,000 miles per hour, circling the earth every 90 minutes, and and can be seen by the naked eye? Yeah me too...

The link goes to a nice interactive show of the evolution of the space station as pieces have been added to it over time. Amazing.

The Magical Human Brain and Mind

Inside the Savant Mind: Tips for Thinking from an Extraordinary Thinker

Imagine being able to memorize 22,514 items in a row. Imagine those items being numbers. And think about how someone who can memorize that many numbers actually sees them:

As I have already mentioned, numbers to me have their own shapes, colors and textures. Various studies have long demonstrated that being able to visualize information makes it easier to remember. In addition, my number shapes are semantically meaningful, which is to say that I am able to visualize their relationship to other numbers. A simple example would be the number 37, which is lumpy like oatmeal, and 111 which is similarly lumpy but also round like the number three (being 37 x 3). Where you might see an endless string of random digits when looking at the decimals of Pi, my mind is able to “chunk” groups of these numbers spontaneously into meaningful visual images that constitute their own hierarchy of associations.

In a way, this does make sense that people see numbers as shapes. A number represents reality. Reality is a conglomeration of particles. Particles have shape. Two atoms don't represent something shaped like a "2" when you look at it. They might be two spherically shaped things (if we are talking about hydrogen atoms) or two completely oddly shaped things if we are looking at cows. And then, and this intrigues me more so.

Of course you must also think about how a number is stored inside of your brain. It is an electrochemical thing that is stored in a physical place inside of your head. Numbers are represented abstractly in our minds (itself a cloud beyond our physical brain) but they represent a physical place that has a physical shape.

This individual theorizes that his brain's physical structure directly leads to some of his creativity. I think I concur. Imagine a thought, an experience, a feeling, a memory, or whatever else that occurs. This item is stored in certain physical place(s) in your brain. There may be an exact copy of the thought or there may be just enough pieces of this thought and then certain associations with this thought that are stored elsewhere that allow us, via our experiences, to flesh our that certain experience with various built in standard expectations of situations. So for instance, while we may or may not remember 100% of what happened on that date, we do remember just enough that our brain can fill in a lot of other parts fairly accurately.

And all of this is occurring in a physical space governed by the basic laws of physics. In order for a brain to access a certain thought, a spark of electricity and chemicals must travel through a dense batch of neurons to certain place(s) and retrieve that data pattern. This path is probably the most efficient path that the brain can compute. And the path to this certain thought is probably consistent. This, I believe, is why thought association works so well for jogging our memory. In order to think of a certain thing our brain goes through the same path over and over because it is most efficient and things that occurred in a similar time frame, or are similar in who knows how many other ways, are stored along that same similar path. Why is it that you remember where your keys are when you think about your activities when you got home? If we are to believe hypnosis, we know exactly where those keys are we just have to jog our memories in some manner - in this case thinking about what we did in a certain similar time frame that is along that same highly efficient electrochemical path.

We remember because the associated thoughts are in a similar location.

And this leads to my second idea. Why are some people more creative than others? And more importantly, why are "crazies" more creative than others? Now, first off, for me to same some people are more creative than others I think is a bit of a leap because I have no idea what is going on inside of someone's head. And the definitions of creativity and other such related words are all very subjective. Why was Picasso more creative than me when it comes to art? Maybe it was because he grew up in a time that supported art and his parents pushed him toward it and so on and so on...that is my disclaimer - and, truly, I think it is bullshit. What I really believe is that creativity is a by-product of brain path variability.

Mentally unstable individuals happens to have brains that are chemically variable. Too much dopamine, not enough lithium, too much this or not enough that. And on top of high, maybe like a manic depressive, the patterns of those chemicals vary by time, or by food eaten, or by physical excertion level - who knows what the actual reason is - what we do know si that we are complicated chemistry sets that vary. And this variables expose themselves via our actions and our thoughts. So it seems to be that an individual who has a high level of variability in their chemical composition in the brain might also have a high level of variability in paths that the brain makes to certain thoughts. Because if one day a high electrically conductive chemical in lower in total amount the brain might take more of a straight shot to a thought, and as a result, it will trigger a different set of associated thoughts. And those different associated thoughts will mix with the final thought differently as well, creating, in the end, a greater variability of output.

What that means - the chemically active brain has the possibility for a greater potential variability in thought output. And variability in thought output is what makes magic. Maybe...

US Plans Mexican Border Defense Plans

U.S. plans border 'surge' against any Mexican drug wars

I am definitely one who believes in thinking about the future and what to do in certain situations. For instance, if all of this society of our goes into a bucket - if I am lucky - I am heading to Montana - far from people. However, the US Government has to think about things a little differently. For instance, just south of our border is the great nation of Mexico. And Mexico has a significant problem that is mostly created by American demand for drugs.

Recently a very significant anti-kidnapping expert was kidnapped. He was taken from a restaurant in broad daylight. The kidnappers are brazen because no one will speak about who did what because the government is powerless to stop these kidnappings.

The drug lords have taken advantage of these problems. The economics of the country, while improving significantly over time, are still at a level that people look for financial support elsewhere leading to large amounts of corruption. This in turn allows the drug lords to gain more power. It has gotten to the point now where the Mexican military has been called in to fight the drug families.

And how does that affect the southern US of A? Since we love our illegal narcotics and since Mexico has lax ability to enforce, the drugs try and get closer to the US because it is more efficient. And now they are on the border. The raging violence that follows such significant money and power around is threatening the border. The consequences have come home to roost.

Today we have military plans to defend the borders in case of an escalation. I am sure that a piece of these plans include going over into Mexico to mop things up if Mexico gives us permission. But what matters is the very fact that we have to draw these plans up. We have gotten to that point.

Scientists Learn to Levitate

U.S. Scientists Learn how to Levitate Tiny Objects

Gravity is only the interaction between particles in the universe. Gravity is a force. It is a force that acts within a certain set of rules. Rules can be learned, and most importantly, manipulated. One day - gravity will fall.

Now, these scientists are not breaking down the walls of gravity (mainly because we don't even know what gravity is). But these scientists have learned to take advantage of certain rules that occur when objects are amazingly tiny and have applied these rules to allow them to levitate objects. There is no energy that needs to be added. There is no structural damage that occurs.

The current application of this theory of levitation is only on the ultra-small level. The scientists say that they can see applications in nano-machines where a frictionless environment could allow for ultra-efficient movements.

The research moves forward!

Amateur Genetic Engineering

Amateurs and Genetic Engineering at Home

Have you ever watched Star Trek: The Next Generation? In it there is a character named Data. Data is an android. Data was built by a scientist in his lab. I know it is a television show, but it represents what has happened with many of the inventions that we have today. As the article states, Intel was started in someone's garage. So was Google. The first solar power installation in the world was built by a Frenchman in his home. And really if we think about it - all of science was started by someone who wasn't in a lab - because there were no labs!

So now as we watch the wonders of genetics slowly roll out in front of us, it does not surprise me to find that individuals are doing things with genetic engineering that are beyond belief.

It seems as if a majority of the responses from the people in this article are negative, and rightly so - genetically engineering a mutant that kills all of us peace loving humans is deadly scary. While such technical advances as using a rock, a sword, a boat, and eventually a nuclear bomb in war has killed many while bring benefit with it - the potential of genetic engineering to kill all of us is real. The greatest fear humans have these days seems to be from the great virus. Remember the Black Plague? It killed 1/4 of Europe. The Spanish Flu - WikiPedia says between 20 and 100 million people died. That is a lot of human life.

Here is to the hope that we create the animal that ends our need for food. And here is to the hope that we live through it.

True Love is Real

This is your Brain on Love

Do you believe in true, long lasting, passionate love with another human being? Do you believe that for a lifetime you can be infatuated with a person, so much to the point, that you get giddy every time you see them? I do.

Recently science put out articles that showed that after about 18-24 months the passion that one person feels for another fades. The chemical of another human being - the drug of love - fades. The logic is simple, and relatively sound. We chemically bond with another in order to procreate and raise a child. Nine months of pregnancy followed by a short period of time to raise a child to the point where the probability of life is great enough to move on and have another child. But what kind of romanticism is that?

Why would it not make sense for that passionate bond to strong enough to last a lifetime? Why wouldn't we bond together for life? A longer term relationship that binds two people together should bring evolutionary benefit as well? There need not only be an abstract concept of "love" and "commitment" (not to take away from these wonderful ideas). Nature has shown, that true, long term commitment is real, and part of the human process.

Romantics rejoice.

Fundamental Physics Possibly Changing

IU Physicist Offers Foundation for Uprooting a Hallowed Principle of Physics

The most interesting part of this article, from my perspective, is:

The new violations change the gravitational properties of objects depending on their motion and composition. Objects on the Earth are always moving differently in different seasons because the Earth revolves around the Sun, so apples could fall faster in some seasons than others. Also, different objects like apples and oranges may fall differently.

Gravity could be different based upon structure. In my previous readings gravity is not based upon structure but upon mass. If your have a certain amount of mass then your weight, your movement in time and space, is at a certain rate. Apple's fall consistently.

This scientist says that there is the possibility that different objects move based upon their structure and the relative position to gravitational forces because of the affect that gravity has on space-time.

To be honest, a lot of this is above my head, as my education is limited. But what excites me the most, and what intrigues me, is that here - after greater than 100 years of Einstein - we have a sliver of possible changes in our fundamental physics.

Why is this aspect of the research interesting? It is interesting because it shows us that our knowledge is just beginning and that the potential of manipulating this universe are significant.

Human beings haven't been here all that long. And we haven't learned everything. There is an absolutely high probability, in fact, that we have learned only a small amount of what knowledge there is to learn. The future speaks brightly.

All right now people...

Since November 1st I have been traveling for 36 days. That makes me happy..and tired. But it also takes my focus from writing for you all! And now it is time to get back into it...I do want to start with a little bit of self interest first though.

The Meade Telescope - The ETX-LS

This telescope has it all! As the above link to Wired.com states:

The ETX-LS telescope automatically aligns itself to major celestial objects. The device's built-in magnetic compass, GPS, level sensor and CCD camera means users just have to turn it on and let the telescope do its work to zero in on the starry night. The device offers a tour of the night sky based off the pre-loaded information in its database.

I am not one to normally ask for stuff...in fact, I hate gifts...but, if anyone out there in the world feels the need to make me happy - then get on it!

What's Big is Small

Where, Oh Where, Shall the Troops Go?

Rice Blunt in Criticism of Mugabe

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that it was “well past time” for President Robert G. Mugabe to go.

Alter Built Near my Home - Need Help! :-)

So can anyone identify what going on here?

Six of several items (pennies, gourds, and little cups of syrup/blood/goblin reproductive fluid) - to cross the river hades? six people died here in the past? A major conspiracy that on the six millennium from the time of the Pharaohs the Gods will rise again on this land and spill the blood of all?

Just wondering...

Check out the pictures

The Alter



Six Pennies



Six Gourds



And Six Cups of Weird Stuff...

I am the Proudest Monkey

Sent to you via Google Reader

Thought for Wed, 03 Dec 2008

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. - Buddha...

This Needs to Be the Change in the Medical System

This would fix our health care issues. Change, fundamentally, how Doctors work with patients. Let the entire public be the doctor's patient. Force the patient to have more responsibility for their own health - we each pay more car insurance for bad driving. You can get good, cheap health care, at a super cheap price - as long as you are taking care of your body in a responsible manner. If you choose to wreck your body through eating habits, exercise habits, and whatever else it is that you do then the privilege of health care will be more expensive.

The reason this works - is that if we started being a simply healthier society we would eat less, hurt ourselves less, live better, work better, take care of our kids longer, and probably be doing things that are better for our minds as well. Additionally, one of those wonderful benefits of movement and exercise are the benefits in the brain - quicker, smarter, faster type of benefits.

Society would benefit. Individuals would benefit as well. So would businesses. Rich people. And poor people. The military would like it! Individuals benefit in that they are educated continually about health and looked after because of the system. Business would benefit in that they wouldn't have the responsibility of insurance, unless desired, their medicare taxes would be lower, but more importantly - their employees would be healthier, stronger, able to work better, and happier. Rich people benefit in that society has more healthy people, doctors will become more profitable investments, society would be more efficient, and those rich folks will have better employees - and thus - MORE MONEY! Poor people - health care, education, ...real health care...The military would love having a huge, healthy population of people to kill people in other countries. It is a strategically sound operation!

It benefits all of us much more if the system is an after thought - a commodity because of how good it takes care of us. If we let doctors focus on the cutting edge of medicine because of how healthy we are - we are going to push medicine so far, so fast in today's research and development world.

We are doing so well today because of the improved health of people. But the economics of the system are weighing down growth.

A long term plan that makes people pay for health insurance based upon their habits and measurable body changes. Government gives you are card and a set of rules - you want public health care - you act in the interest of the public. All the while - you as an individual are an amazingly healthy person! A patient level rating system based on data that is scored in a system. Doctors are rated based upon the quality of their patients.

A key here - we are talking about hurting those who currently are unhealthy and costly - because anyone can make themselves more healthy over the long term! As long as your health is improving your rates get better.

...I don't want to write anymore or edit...I have homework. :-)

A few old, interesting articles...

In scientific first, Einstein researchers correct decline in organ function associated with old age

So the next thing we do is learn how to make us stop running out of energy!

Zimbabwe: New Forms of "Money"

A coupon system based upon gas rations has arisen. And the general public has automatically assigned a standard value. New idea for a national currency system.


Internet: Last piece of fibre-optic jigsaw falls into place as cable links east Africa to grid

The Net grows a layer of wiring over the surface of its most recent capture. maybe it humans who have been evolved in order to transmit knowledge back to the central base? Maybe we are shot from a cannon far, far away for the purpose of growing a giant network of life and knowledge throughout the universe.

Social interactions alter gene expression

You can affect who you are going to become by changing who you are today.

Virus weaves itself into the DNA transferred from parents to babies

Another nuance of the most interesting strand of DNA that we are...

Seawater greenhouses to bring life to the desert

Someone's going to do it.


Had to clean out a folder of 100+ links to pick out these goodies and bookmark a few others for later following up.

I think I feel more confident in the United States now that we have dropped this monkey off of backs - this economy was whack. I feel a strong future. Much work to do - but a damn strong future!

Thought for the Day

But if you do not find an intelligent companion, a wise and well-behaved person going the same way as yourself, then go on your way alone, like a king abandoning a conquered kingdom, or like a great elephant in the deep forest. - Buddha...

Just unbelievable

This is the type of knowledge I would love to discover some day...

Most scientists have believed that the instant a quantum object was measured it would "collapse" from being in all the locations it could be, to just one location like a classical object. Jordan proposed that it would be possible to weakly measure the particle continuously, partially collapsing the quantum state, and then "unmeasure" it, causing the particle to revert back to its original quantum form, before it collapsed.

EurekAlert.com

Our trust is in your hands...

Imagine if George W. Bush had the same education in the Constitution as Barrack H. Obama does? Imagine, instead of running businesses, George had been trained in the law in the same manner Obama was while in Congress? imagine, that Bush didn't need people to tell him how to screw the nation over utilizing the overpowering ability of manipulation of words, ignorance of precedence, and the ultra-powerful executive branch?

Barack will know the Constitution and the laws. H. will have a lot of power in his hands that was created by W. We are trusting the man with a lot, just like we trusted that other fellow.

You better work, cus we're coming after you! You better listen, because we are going to speak!

Another Bailout?

Why are there so many damn bailouts? Sigh...ode to getting votes!

So, if we are going to do another damn bailout and we are going to loan money to banks at 1%, why don't we do the same thing to consumers? Why not instead give a $700,000,000,000 package to each individual? Each individual in the country would get about $2,295.08. You could even give this amount of money out in the opposite direction of the tax base? This way, the poor people - who will spend it quickest most likely - will pump all of this money back into the economy from the low levels - buildings the coffers of the system many times on its way up. Imagine a poor family who makes $25,0o0 a year getting a check for $5,000? How do you think that would be spent?

And that $4,000,000,000,000 (thats trillion by the way - 12 zeros - who are we? Zimbabwe?) that we are loaning out from all the other departments of the Treasury - well, we could offer loans to people all the United States at super low interest rates! That would be a $13,114 loan per person in this country. Add that to the average check of $2,295 in cash, and suddenly there is a $15,409 windfall for each citizen in the United States of America. I wonder, how that money, will be spent? Think about the amount of that money, that you - the Federal Governement will make off of it? I learned in my Economics course that the mutiplying effect of money in the US Ecnomogy was about 3. That means, the $4.7 trillion in money that would be loaned out to the people of the United States would be actually turn into $14.21 trillion in money from the governments point of view. And how much of that money would you, Uncle Sam, take from a tax perspective? 10% (I keep this number lower because individual income tax wont be included). That's almost $1,500,000,000. That also happens to be about 31% of the original loan amount - imagine we applied the taxes collected from the loan money and applied it to the original loan, minus the costs of operation (probably 50% of the taxes collected)?

This is a huge amount of money. This volume of zeros, in the past, has always been associated with hyper-inflation. This amount of money injected into the economy would turn out to be nearly the size of the annual economy. In essence, we could double the rate of growth of the United States, over the course of a year.

Of course, the very fact that we are bailing anybody out is a screw-up, in my opinion. Those who have savings, those who have sacrificed are now bearing the risk because of inflation. Gold is still around $700 for an ounce. All time highs and it is holding...

I just think bailing out the coporation is part of the problem. We are worried about a consumer led recession. House pricing drops. Lack of demand. Something like this might change that dynamic...course...we could all be screwed either way. :-)

Why didn't Bush get Credit?

Everyone wants to proclaim that Barack Obama is going to bring the large, public works projects like The Manhattan Project or the Tennessee Valley Authority, back into vogue with a green twist. Some people proclaim it and some people denounce it.

Why didn't George Walker Bush get credit for his New Deal? Since 2001, the U.S. economy has been running on the back of the Federal Reserve and cheap money, as well a huge government investment in technology - much of which is moved through military research and 9/11 protection. Not to mention the trillion(s?) dollar war. All of this money has been put into the world as an investment from a giant sovereign fund.

What percentage of the GDP, over the last eight years, had fraudulent mortgages underwriting it? The Bush Doctrine included a New Deal for America that lasted about four years. And now, we are about to get another big "government" investment.

I wonder if a large influx of forceful investment dollars can jump start anyone to get beyond hurdles in a few industries to create some societal game changing technologies.

Adam Smith: The Wealth of Natioons

Quote from Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations but brought to my attention by The New York

"The necessaries of life occasion the great expense of the poor. . . . The luxuries and vanities of life occasion the principal expense of the rich, and a magnificent house embellishes and sets off to the best advantage all the other luxuries and vanities which they possess. . . . It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion."

Adam Smith

Capitalism, in order to work, needs a middle class that is functional and has significant wealth. No middle class means uprisings, war, and no capitalism for anyone. To steal from that middle class to feed the upper class, over the long term, benefits no one. To truly be wealthy, in this garden of existence, you need to be surrounded by a healthy field of flowers if you want to be the beautiful red rose.

I hate paying taxes, but I love that I have the opportunity to. Right now the system is out of sync and paying taxes to a central government that is foolish with the money is the true issue, not paying of taxes itself. When WE, THE PEOPLE, choose to educate ourselves and vote appropriately, only then can WE, THE PEOPLE, fix things.

Thought of the Day

Buddhism: Your Daily Meditation

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. - Buddha

Time Interview: Barack Obama

Just listen and watch for a few minutes...

Time Exclusive: Barack Obama

Solar Energy to Produce Hydrogen

MIT: Solar power storage discovery could mean energy nirvana

Solar power will be used to create hydrogen. Hydrogen will be used to power our lives. The energy of solar power will be used to split molecules. Those split molecules will then be stored, and when needed, recombined, or burnt and we will have energy. Energy not used during the daytime will be used at night, it will be used in your car, it will be used in your office building, or maybe you can sell it off to the big businesses and neighbors who weren't smart enough to make the move. Big Oil will not go anywhere - we still need significant amounts of oil and will need even more in the future - plastics!

Don't fret people...your lives will not be controlled by your energy. Your car will not dictate your lifestyle, and maybe, if we are smart we will not destroy our planet. Free the people!

Russia, Qatar & Iran Announce Gas Triumvirate

Russia, Iran and Qatar announce cartel that will control 60% of world's gas supplies

The purpose of this cartel would be to coordinate sales of gas around the world, most likely, to inflate prices so that the selling countries can make more money.

Thank you Russia, Iran and Qatar. The vehicle that I drive is a V6 and since I happen to drive, one might say, "aggressively" my gas mileage tends to be quite dismal for a small Asian vehicle. So at first glass, I should be one person who would be in significant support of lower fuel prices. Additionally, and this is for all people, every single good that I use has its price marked up because of the cost of the fuel that transports it. So in fact, like most of the human's on the world - I should be demanding lower fuel prices and aghast at the nerve of these evil countries and their non-capitalistic actions!

In fact, however, I am happy to see an action like this. Why? Because I long for higher fuel prices. I am hoping the price of flattens out around $90/barrel. I would like to see the price of gas increase stay at an aggressive price as well. Why would I want to transfer my hard earned wealth, and that same hard earned wealth of the common folk from around the world to evil dictatorial style countries?

Because the longer the price of fuel stays high, and the higher it is, the more money, time, patience, and expertise goes into developing environmentally sound energy sources. Solar power will change the rules in time - and I don't care what any of the naysayers chip about. We all hear the pretty statistic that the Sun sends down enough energy to power the world for a year in a day (or something like that). Well, the only way for us to get there is to be pushed by money - that is what I have learned motivates people. Geothermal power, wind power, ocean power, and a few others are just waiting for our scientific attention.

Right now, oil has fallen to around $73 per barrel and the stock price of renewable energy companies has dropped as well. This is because investors don't see renewable energy worth it if energy is cheap. In the early '80s when the price of oil fell through the ground all of the alternative energy initiatives that began in the 70's collapsed as well. The financial motivation dissipated. In order to keep investors and governments focused on the alternative prize oil needs to be a little more aggressively priced - thank you OPEC, and just for good measure, we should jack the price of gas up as well - thank you Russia, Iran, and Qatar! Keep up the monopolistic, short term thinking! We need more of you in this world...

ECB's Nowotny Sees Global `Tri-Polar' Currency System Evolving

European Central Bank's Nowotny Sees Global `Tri-Polar' Currency System Evolving

Diversity in the world is what many people seem to preach. Diversity in food, businesses, experience, plant and animal life, investing, and, above all, opinions. Diversity allows for a more stable overall environment - if one arm falls the others continue on their trajectory or, maybe, even pick up a little because of the other's fall. Diversity is good.

As an American, really, as any body/individual that is in the premier position of power, stepping aside from that position of preeminence is very hard. Fear of change. Fear of loss. Fear of retribution. It is a simple evolutionary trait that once you achieve a certain level within a group you want to hold onto that position because it is in your, and, you believe, in everyone's best interests for you to be there.

Well, the United States has chosen to put policies and long term practices in place that potentially weaken that position of preeminence. But maybe, just maybe, over the long term, sharing that power will benefit everyone involved. Maybe by giving away the big chair for a triumvirate everyone will benefit.

I hate it when people say its a brave new world...because everyday is a brave new world. Not a single one of us on this planet has ever lived today before. The dynamics is this world are unique. There are always parallels...but uniqueness is always the case. And, it is a brave new world. Opportunity is the name of the game now.

Camping out for Early Voting

People who camp out early have already amused me, and on a certain level dismayed me. The cynical side says we are a consumerist society and need to better focus our time elsewhere.

But today I saw something different. As I was driving home last night I saw people camping out in downtown West Palm Beach. I was confused - what had I missed? Is there a product out there? A concert? Whats going on? My little monkey brain wants to be in the know...

Then this morning I see in the local papers that people are camping out for early voting. I got chills. Are we excited about voting? Are we excited about taking care of our country? Are we educating ourselves (I know it may be a stretch...)?

Educating yourself and voting is so important. The reason the people in Washington can continue to do what they do is that we allow them to stay in office. When a fool does something that a fool does - it is your RESPONSIBILITY to act.

Get out and vote dammit!

Political Monopoly Power

Capitalism Magazine on brought me a new idea. In an article, "Political Monopoly Power," the author comments on the size of the representatives of the United States House of Representatives.

The House is currently capped at a value of 435 individuals that are distributed to the states based upon their percentage of the overall population. This idea, to base one house (the Representatives) on population and another house (the Senate) on a fixed value (two per state in this case) was called the , "Connecticut Compromise." The founders from the smaller states didn't want to be overrun by the large population centers in the larger states, the masses, if I may. The larger states felt that since they did have a larger portion of the population and they were attempting to build a representative democracy that it was only common sense to allow those individuals to have a greater voice. From this, came the idea of an upper house and a lower house. Good work gentlemen.

One of the nuances of the lower house was in how many representatives there were going to be. Originally, as the above article references on Thirty-Thousand.org, there were approximately 40,000 people per representative. A population of about two to three million during the countries founding years meant we needed to start with around 65 representatives (based on 2,500,000). As the population grew, the number of representatives grew. Why?

The more people that one person controls via their vote the more power that one person has and the more influential and influencible they become. Today the average number of persons per representative is around 700,000 (almost 20 times the original value wanted). One person controls the views of 700,000. In the Senate, a single person represents 3,000,000. The founders went so far as the specifically state the figure of 40,000 as the proper number of representatives because they saw the flaws in the system.

So, should we have 7,500 members of the House of Representatives? Should there be a much larger group of individuals with a much more varied set of values, and experiences and knowledge running our country? Would the House of Representatives be undermined by the Senate due to a relative lack of power on an individual level? The Senate and its 100 seats so high up might begin to carry more influence than it already does. Maybe the size of the Senate needs to be double or quadrupled. Would increasing the size of the Senate put more power in the hands of the President and Vice President?

Or maybe, as the CapMag article states, maybe having more people to influence to get a vote across, maybe having each of those people having less power, maybe allowing people of a different nature into the system would benefit it greatly. I think there is some validity to this thought.

Maybe the Senate should be expanded to 400 and maybe the House of Representative to 3,250. Maybe power concentrated in the hands of so few has hurt us.

Study: 38 Percent Of People Not Actually Entitled To Their Opinion

Study: 38 Percent Of People Not Actually Entitled To Their Opinion

Its true. Its science. I read it on the intarweb, you know - the tubes!

Help your creative, itelligent personalities! They are sensitive.

The Creative Personality

Individuals who think a little different have suffered the consequences of the thoughts, most often due to the fear associated with change. Someone named Alfred de Musset is credited with once saying, "How glorious it is - and also how painful - to be an exception." Upon the mountain peak you stand when you discover something so great, but if you are at odds with common thought of the day, you will be placed in the pit of societal disdain. I can often be heard saying (mostly in defense of myself), "Common sense is for common people." The rules were made as guidelines. The "truth" of everyday life changes. The masses move in various directions, sometimes correctly and sometimes not.

Love your creative people!

Creative people's openness and sensitivity often exposes them to suffering and pain, yet also to a great deal of enjoyment. Most would agree with Rabinow's words: "Inventors have a low threshold of pain. Things bother them." A badly designed machine causes pain to an inventive engineer, just as the creative writer is hurt when reading bad prose.

Being alone at the forefront of a discipline also leaves you exposed and vulnerable. Eminence invites criticism and often vicious attacks. When an artist has invested years in making a sculpture, or a scientist in developing a theory, it is devastating if nobody cares.

Deep interest and involvement in obscure subjects often goes unrewarded, or even brings on ridicule. Divergent thinking is often perceived as deviant by the majority, and so the creative person may feel isolated and misunderstood.

Perhaps the most difficult thing for creative individuals to bear is the sense of loss and emptiness they experience when, for some reason, they cannot work. This is especially painful when a person feels his or her creativity drying out.

Yet when a person is working in the area of his of her expertise, worries and cares fall away, replaced by a sense of bliss. Perhaps the most important quality, the one that is most consistently present in all creative individuals, is the ability to enjoy the process of creation for its own sake. Without this trait, poets would give up striving for perfection and would write commercial jingles, economists would work for banks where they would earn at least twice as much as they do at universities, and physicists would stop doing basic research and join industrial laboratories where the conditions are better and the expectations more predictable.

From Waste to Running your Car & iPod

New way proposed to make Energy from Waste

"This technique is more flexible than conventional methods because we can process a wider range of very different feedstocks and, at the same time, we can generate a wider range of end products -- not just gasoline and diesel. but ethanol and hydrogen," said Zhao. "Or we could generate electricity directly from the gas produced."

The scientists said their new system heats paper, wood, plastic and rubber into a gas. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases, referred to as synthesis gas or syngas, are separated and fuel a turbine that generates electricity, or are converted to gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel or biofuels.

One of the reasons I decided to go back to college to get a degree in engineering is because I see the world changing. I see the perception of energy and pollution in the minds of people changing. I see people wanting to save energy, I also see people becoming a little more cognizant about where their energy comes from. I also see the usage of energy, over the long term, increasing, even with all of the new conservation that will occur. Computers will consume more and more energy. Gadgets and buildings with gadgets built into them will consume more energy. And even though we will become more efficient, there will be, over the long term a need for more energy.

For all of the naysayers who don't believe we can get off of our oil addiction...well, a lot of people used to think the world was flat - and they are all dead now. And a lot of people used to believe we couldn't fly. They are dead too.

Government Isn't The Problem - Its the People!

Don't blame the damn system! The system isn't the problem. Its the damn people! The system is created by the people. The government is run by the people. The people fuck the system up.

Don't take it from me, the weird email list guy. Take it from your famous comedian - Lewis "The Pontificator" Black

Government Isn't The Problem - Its the People!

21st Century Green Farming with Wireless Soil Sensors

21st Century Green Farming with Wireless Soil Sensors

A system of sensors placed under the ground on a farm in a grid like pattern feeding various bits of information - like water flow and nutrient usage - back to a central computer to help the farmer decide how best to take care of the land.

This is what I want to see located in my home. "Your home?" you might ponder...why would you want to know this information in your home? Well, my home of the future has an additional floor that ours of today doesn't. The purpose of this floor is to grow food. The floor will be about two or three feet high and have a grid of sensors in the base of it reading continually about what is going on as well a small robotic system that will float above applying needed resources in an ultra focused manner - UltraFarming. Does Plant A look a little light in nitrogen? Does Plant B seem to be low on water? Whatever is going on, a neat little computer software package will communicate that information to a centralized database which will make judgment calls based on programmed variables and react accordingly.

Imagine perfectly planning out, not on a plot level or a square level, but a seed level, when to plant so that you have a continual food flow? I wonder how much pace would be needed to provide a decent amount of nutrition to a small family.

The revolution of the individual is going on right now.

re: Why the Critics of Globalization Are Mistaken

Three friends gave me three great responses to this posting via email and I wanted to take a minute to sent them out to the world and the respond to them as they all brought up interesting and important points.

Response #1: Case Study in Capitalism Run Amok

In hindsight, I think it would have been better policy to extend tax benefits to those corporations that kept jobs in the US. The wage gap between labor here and overseas is so great, however, that it might have been a futile effort. Tax breaks would have helped. It would have been better than lowering the tax rates for rich Americans whose incomes have sky-rocketed while Average Joe is out of work.

And we should have gone to war with the Middle East after 9-11 building energy efficient electric cars and hybrids, extending loans and more tax benefits to our car makers to do so. We could have led the charge in wind tech, nuclear, etc. Instead, we played right into the hands of the terrorists by invading Iraq, spending $10b a month on that war which would have been better spent on a Green Revolution in the States.

Now we have to fight to become the engine of economic growth for the Green Economy, and countries like China and Japan will be hot on our heels to compete for supremacy in that industry. At least Obama knows what time it is on this topic.

This whole mess is the logical end of an unregulated capitalistic society, where greedy corporations make every attempt to extend credit to borrowers who are incapable of meeting these obligations. The housing market was the last straw, but you can see the warning signs during the tech bubble (margin trading for a company with no revenues, anyone?), the run-up in commodities (nobody takes delivery of the oil they trade, do they?), the carry-trade (borrow cheap Yen and buy an internet stock in Zimbabwe), those checks sent-out with your credit card begging for your consumption. I could go on forever.

As Bush said the other night during an interview with the press, it's really sad that losers at the highest level of Corporate America were rewarded for failure. And the majority of the wealth created during that time went to those same managers and their closest employees thru bonuses and compensation. So fuck you Average Joe, and go find another job, if you can.

$1 trillion invested in the university's of the United States focusing on energy technology would hurt terrorism more than anything and, over the long term, would lead to a brand new technological revolution in the world.

Response #2: The long term hurt of outsourcing

What do you think about certain jobs being outsourced as a result of globalization, specifically those in the manufacturing sectors OVER THE LONG TERM? I do realize that companies will benefit in the short term from lower production wages and maybe even cheaper material costs. But when a country like the US develops, as it has, a significant amount of its jobs in a financial and service sector and those sectors suffer a crash or serious recession like we are experiencing, isn't there a need for that country in it's effort to re-employ those that have lost jobs to put them into more of a manufacturing or industrial role. I feel like there is a reverse-industrialization that happens in these economic situations, and when the most advanced industrial element, in this case, speculative financial instruments start to subside, those employees can't go back into that sector, they are forced to look in other areas. If they have an assembly line or manufacturing background, that would be their fall back; however, globalization will have already relocated that fall back position to another country.

I think from a fiscal standpoint you are right, but I am seeing a human resource element, a re-training element, that has to be addressed as a component of globalization. Right now I see a US economy that has outsourced the mining of raw materials and the production of final products. That leaves the financing and service industry that dominate the US, both of which are the most exposed in a recession. I think that is why we have a focus on "bailing" out and "stimulus" packages, instead of creating public works that got us out of the last depression.

I don't have a problem with globalization, just as I don't have a problem with anything that is done with measure and caution. I think there are benefits to be had for outsourcing some manufacturing, some resource mining. But I think in the long term too much globalization could bring us to a point where countries become the cogs in the machine, and we would be subject to negotiation with each "cog" that feels it's not getting enough foreign aid, etc. I like having some things be ALL AMERICAN, so shoot me!

The most interesting thing about this response was that it took me back to World War II and why the United States was able to fight off two machines in the form of Germany and Japan - industrial might. If we don't have the resources to produce to the goods to fight the battles what happens? What happens when we don't have a substantial number of factories? War is a terrible reason to change economic logic - but we still leave in a world in which small brained humans see murder and violence and an answer and the United Nations and sanctions cannot stop those who have guns.

Response #3 - You fool, global-whatever has long passed. We are already in the brave new world.

John..thanks for forwarding this very highminded almost irrelevant piece to me...it is not my intent by any means to make light of this issue but the world as we knew it has changed, not will change or in the process of changing but has changed!

In any event to complete the thought,what has happened before the last week of so and what will happen,be it Global--or---whatever izations is a totally new ball game.We are in a new world of doing..and with this fresh wind of change comes unleashed storms of opportunities for the young of mind and body---so there! You are in the catbird seat young man...

Why am I wasting time talking about the critics of globalization? Those critics and myself are talking of a wind long past...in fact, why am I not doing right now! Back to the books...

Why the Critics of Globalization Are Mistaken

Why the Critics of Globalization Are Mistaken

In the US I continually hear about how globalization is a false promise that has not and will not ever benefit the common working man in this country. And I struggle with this because I hear it continually while the arguments against that logic are in front of every single one of us every single day.

The major thing that I hear about globalization from Americans is how they have become poorer as a result of globalization. Certain jobs have left the US and headed elsewhere but in exchange for those jobs we have been able to keep the prices of our goods cheaper than they have ever been in this world. That little combination there makes it so we don't have to make as much money from a cash perspective to live the same lifestyle.

Now that simplistic argument above isn't much solace for the real people who have lost jobs in the auto industry, in the foundry industry, and so many others - and some of those people I know and it hurts to watch - but, and this is of such importance, over the long term we all win. Over the long term the system builds upon itself. There are pains at various points, like today with the US exporting our flawed economic policies, but imagine if something like this had happened 50 or 75 years ago. Bedlam, riots, and calls of the apocalypse. We are a stronger planet, we are more intertwined and we are managing a very significant loss of capital.

Globalization is good. To say it is bad is as foolish as an individual in the US saying that Florida should stop peach trade with Georgia because it takes away from the orange grower's ability to make money and keep jobs. Why haven't the orange growers begun to export to Georgia? Why hasn't the US gotten smarter and caught up with the world yet in manufacturing? Because it is a long process. The world is large and the shifts in the dynamics take time.

Be patient. We all will benefit.

Rough Times Make Us Healthier

When the rough gets going, the body feels better. Some social scientists have done a little research and have found that in certain circumstances around economic downturns people get healthier - in multiple manners. Their bodies get healthier - they eat better (the absolute best evidence that we are eating too much in our wealth). Their families get healthier - they spend more time with them. Their rates of suicide drop (caught me here). And a few other interesting little tid bits...

Our bodies are evolved to work in conditions of feast and famine. Maybe these economic bubbles aren't the work of bad policy or foolish Wall Streeters but the natural reactions of human beings in situation of plenty. When there is something to be gotten, as our history has dictated to us, you must get as much as you can because at some point it will stop flowing.

And maybe, those famines are important to us because they reeducate us. They refocus us. They teach us how to live within our means, how to appreciate a normal sized meal and how to live in a manner that made human beings so great.

Long live volatality!

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending - Sept. 30, 1999

Why are we having a home value based economic failure?

I wonder if this has something to do with it...

Remember, this article is from 1999 - note the below paragraph:

"In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's."

There needs to be a balance between social support and free markets. To much in either direction causes issues as we know the limitations of human beings. This isn't fully eh fault of Democrats or Republicans, but definitely the fault of both of them.

Pretty

Man Covers Self in BBQ Sauce

If you don't believe me, read the article!

APPLETON, Wisc. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - A couple telephoned police in the middle of the night after finding a man in their basement covered head to toe in barbecue sauce.

"He told the officers that it was urban camouflage," said the homeowner.

This happened in Wisconsin.

The homeowners say they woke up to whistling sounds.

The husband grabbed his shotgun and headed toward the basement where he found the sauced-up intruder.

He held him at gunpoint until police arrived.

The guy told officers he covered himself in barbecue sauce because he wanted to hide from the government.

He now faces burglary charges.

More Solar Power Ingenuity

Solar Powered Curtains

The revolution in energy will come in many tiny dispersed pieces. There will be solar powered cars, solar powered cell phones, there will be solar powered backpacks that charge all kinds of things, and I believe there will be a little thing that someone makes for purpose of art that will make energy which I call the solar powered tree. The tree will simply have hundreds of little tiny solar panels hanging from it, spinning in the wind, and slowly we will populate large areas with these tiny and cheap little devices and suck the energy from vast landscapes.

CNN has an article about a scientist who is trying to get Solar Power Generating Curtains big time into the public consciousness. Solar power is all over. We'll get at it.

WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks has become big news recently. I have heard of it here and there in the news, it became part of my constant thought process when a judge in California tried to take it offline because of a banking scandal. It has suddenly become something of significance in that it is influencing and affects the various very powerful groups - the US Government, The Church of Scientology and eventually, maybe, it will affect how businesses decide to act.

The basic premise of WikiLeaks is that it is a website where whistleblowers can publish information without retribution as their identities will be hidden. The hope is that WikiLeaks can stay independent and defend its sources while creating enough of a presence that individuals will know where to go with information that should be shared with the public. There is a big quote on the front page from Time Magazine talking about how it upholds journalistic ideas.

I like it. I like the concept. I believe in these times of strengthening state governments and the technology they harness we individuals need a buffer to keep those powers that be acting in an appropriate manner.

Take a minute and read the Wired article that got me thinking again about WikiLeaks. Good writing.

Just a thought as we approach July 4th

from an article in "Capitalism Magazine"

"Put the "Independence" Back in Independence Day"

by Michael Berliner (June 26, 2008)

"Political independence is not a primary. It rests on a more fundamental type of independence: the independence of the human mind. It is the ability of a human being to think for himself and guide his own life that makes political independence possible and necessary. The government as envisaged by the Founding Fathers existed to protect the freedom to think and to act on one's thinking. If human beings were unable to reason, to think for themselves, there would be no autonomy or independence for a government to protect. It is this independence that defines the American Revolution and the American spirit."

Good & Expensive Gas

I am a student of economics. I believe that many of our issues in life can be attributed to economics. Obesity - cheap food. Pollution - unrecognized consequences (and thus no financial consequences). Waste - cheap whatever we are wasting. Lack of Education - cheap jobs. War - underpaid leadership. If things were to appropriately represent their cost and value then our habits would change as the cost of those things changed.

I know I may piss of people when I say this, but like mom or dad said, "You won't understand this until your older, but this is in your best interest." I am HAPPY to see the price of gas go up. We have gotten fat and lazy and because of this we are losing our edge. This "we" that I speak of is mostly aimed at the United States citizenry because that is where I see the consequences of cheap gas. Our electricity is cheap so we leave everything running all day long. Our gas is cheap so we drive down the street to the corner store and eat in our cars (with the AC on). So many things we do, just because we can.

Time.com wrote an article talking about 10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas and the best part is that none of the things on the list even talk about the international politics or the development of technology.

Lets get on the ball people - accountability pays for itself in the long term - just like mom and dad said.

The Individual Revolution

The Individual Revolution is upon us.

This isn't new under the sky, it seems more like it is the past reemerging (bell bottoms anyone?). But I see the future holding a lot more power for the individual to do things on their own. It isn't that we won't need big corporations to do certain things, but it is that we will be capable to do certain things on our own more efficiently (read: cheaper) than the big centralized systems. The means of production and distribution are moving.

1. Energy Production. This is a big one in my book. The ability to produce energy from your own home and, possibly, sell excess energy off into the grid to power business, local infrastructure and who knows what else. This is happening already.

2. Home Farming & Hunting. And I am not only talking about the ability to use the backyard to grow tomatoes, but something a little more revolutionary - growing your own meat in the refrigerator. The act of growing your own tomatoes in the back yard is awesome, there are companies who will create an organic farm in your backyard for you, or you can go it the traditional route and do it yourself in a square garden, you can do it "naturally," or in the big cities maybe you will buy an indoor farm plot to go along with your apartment.

What is really interesting though is when we begin to learn to grow meat. Already, scientists have grown meat in the lab. We aren't eating it yet, but give it time. Recently there has been a big push to get some of this lab grown food to be palatable (you'd like to enjoy it wouldn't you?). As soon as we get good at this in the lab, it will then move to industrial production and, like all good things, will slowly move to the level of the individual so that you an I can have a Home Meat Producer.

3. Working from Home. This one is has been happening for a while now, and is slowly getting stronger as our technologies and understanding of the processes gets better. Small businesses made up greater than 50% of the workforce in the United States, with greater than 1/3rd of those companies having fewer than 100 employees, according the the US Census Bureau in 2005. As well, in those business that are bigger more and more of these companies are allowing telecommuting because it saves office space, electricity, increases productivity and as a bonus does wonderful things for the environment.

4. Desktop/Home Manufacturing. Imagine printing your iPod? Apple will no longer handle manufacturing and distribution (sorta how they are now a days) but instead will manage design and marketing (we are there already?). We have been using printers for 20 years already in heavy industrial settings but more recently these printers have gotten into the news again because of the dropping price. Most HomeFab units today are envisioned for much more mundane tasks - creating a new knob for a broken stereo or maybe making add-ons for a cell phone.

Who knows what is next in our evolution. One thing we do know is that it will be different from yesterday.

If ______, then ______

If I have demand and I have the technical capability, then is it safe to assume that something will follow?

I am optimistic. So are the people who are doing these things.

Meanderings...

I recently resigned from a position and during that process came to the jarring conclusion that I have no idea what I want to do in this world from a professional standpoint. It would be nice to have a single focus that drives me. I know someone who I went to high school with who became an anesthesiologist. Now, I don't think this person was thinking about that specific job when they left for the world of university, but I do think they now have a wondrous focus.

In my search (yearning) for purpose beyond simply generating money I have looked at a lot of different career courses. In the last couple of days I applied to join the Peace Corps. What would it be like?

I have a degree in political science and have given considerable thought to getting a Masters Degree in Economics (there is a program with the University of Illinois which might let me combine both). Unfortunately I would have to spend a year on a campus in Illinois before I left for the world, but I could deal if I saw a greater purpose.

Something that does interest me though and I wonder where it could lead to -

Research and build a cheap receiving and distribution tower that could be dropped in the middle of nowhere and powered with renewable resources? Then connect as many technologies to get the signal out as possible (WiFi, Cellular, WiMax and all the other smart things). While doing this work with the local groups to find ways to benefit from this signal. Already cell phones are used to help farmers get the best price for their goods. With training a few individuals could quickly become nurse assistants communicating information out in a professional manner. A few individuals could be trained to write code and possibly be paid by far away companies for their services. A few people could be trained in the customer service industry and utilize VOIP resources. Maybe an eBay expert could be trained to sell the hand carved wares of villagers.

If a certain educated population could be created over the course of several years with the support of local government, NGOs and self interested corporate parties an economic structure could be build around a single tower that could change a village, then a region and, eventually, a world.

Of course, I am unemployed and rambling at 4 AM...

Interrogator Redux

To get secrets from a hard-core terrorist, One interrogator spoke softly

I looked closely at the word "interrogate" this evening as I browsed which news articles to comment on and began to wonder where the word comes from. The reason I wondered is that smack dab in the middle of this word is "terror." "In" "terror" "gate."

From the perspective of the word's roots - in Latin interro means, roughly, to question closely, to question while in the presence of, to question while accusing of doing something. In essence, you are questioning with a very particular purpose, not just the random type of small talk that goes on in the world. -gate simply means to set something in motion - so adding gate to the end of a word means it is being done, in the present tense.

The reason this word looked caught my attention was because of the content of the article. The United States has chosen to move away from the Geneva Convention over the past seven years because we believed that we knew answers that no one else knew. We knew that in order to protect ourselves we had to torture people into giving us the answers that we wanted.

The United States has been attacking and being attacked in the Middle East and Mediterranean region since our country was founded. Our CIA has funded and trained various groups that we believe benefited us for many purposes (we put Hussein and bin Ladin in positions of power) since at least the 1950s. Unfortunately, 9/11 was the sowing of what we had reaped.

All of this is a confusing, continual issue that, if we could solve we might not because of the individuals in power who are after financial gain. The United States did approve a plan in the 1960s to create an incident which might incite a public reaction to allow for military actions to occur against a specific target.

And now, after all of these actions in our past we come back to speaking clearly, and slowly to someone who attacked us to learn about them. I can never agree with the fundamentalist ideologies of the world because they are out of touch and reaching for a time that is no longer here. As well, I cannot fully accept and believe in the patterns of economic development that the world has taken because of the costs that we aren't calculating. We really are stealing from future generations in exchange for current ease of living. If we really are capitalists then we would be considering these future generations in our equations because that is in our long term best interests.

Confusing and scary subjects that, today, are real life and need to be paid attention to and dealt with.

The Untold Life of a Lizard

Herpetologists discover that a Malagasy chameleon spends most of its short life in an egg

How would you like to reformat your existence on Earth? Instead of spending nine months on the womb and 80 years walking and talking and doing what we do, why not spend 60 years inside of the womb and then spend 20 years fighting, living, having sex and doing what we do?

You know...now that I write it out, I am interested. Where do I sign up?

This is an interesting little chameleon. Every year 100% of the population dies. They are born in November during the rainy season. They triple and quadruple in size during their lifetime (four months). They live in a blaze of glory and then the females, sensing the oncoming dry season, lay eggs buried under the sand. Nine months later the little guys come out and start the process over.

So, again, lets go back to the imagination part of this post.
1. Be born.
2. Grow to be full size in a month or two.
3. Sex, war, feeding, living, death.
4. Start over.

Well...I guess this really isn't imagination, it seems kinda like how we are these days (cept for the growing to full size in a month or two part).

Another Conspiracy Deflated

I know some of us want ot believe that the US government created AIDS, and I know some of us who want to associate it with the G~d's will, but all of you are wrong.

AIDs has been with human beings longer than we realize and maybe hasn't been with animals as long as we thought. Either way...history is unraveling in front of us (again).

Did you know there are people who don't believe in the moon landing or believe in an all powerful...never mind that one.

Global Gain

A very well written article...

"But the very idea that we need to fear the global rise of living standards is flawed, because it assumes that everything else stays the same. It insists we are playing some sort of zero-sum game, and that for the developing world to rise, those in the West must fall."

A rising tide lifts all boats in a truly long term Capitalist world. People have been attacking Capitalism recently, but in reality, they should be attacking individuals.

Don't let simple minded people push you away from truth.

Examples of society at work on a problem

Just because there is a lot of talk, it doesn't mean there is much sense to it (wtf?), but here I think we have something going on.

• Cheaper Solar Power

• US Halts Applications For Solar Energy Projects

• Solar Sell: Companies that Mass Marketed PCs Turn to Photovoltaics [News]

• The Economics of Solar Power

• Energy bills could triple to meet climate goal

• Africa: Solar Energy the Way to Go - Report

• Utility-Scale Solar Thermal Growing Fast

• METI plans subsidies for home solar power

• Lack of new power lines threatens renewable growth

• Cheaper Solar Power

Economics in the 21st Century

Two separate articles caught my attention on a similar topic - our gaining intelligence in the world of finance and economics.

The first involves a new breed of websites like Prosper.com (by the way I happen to be a lender on this website) which is a peer to peer lending website. Peer to Peer Lending is a form of lending that brings the lenders and the borrowers directly in contact with each other, removing the banks from the equation. The purpose of banks are to use their expertise to do exactly what these sites are doing - find people with capital to invest and find those with a need for loans and then, using their ability to value risk, make loans that bring profit to everyone involved. The study, titled "The Democratization of Personal Consumer Loans?", showed that lenders might be benefiting more from these sites because of higher rates of return than their traditional manner of savings and that borrowers might be benefiting more because of lower rates of interest that are available.

For those of us who believe in The Long Tail this is simply a logical procession. Banks came into being because they were needed - how do we pool resources and find people needing loans on a widespread area? For those of us who have learned to save (and there aren't many) the benefits of long-term compounding interest are significant.

The second article that I found speaks of altruism and how it applies to Economics.

"Sam Bowlers...points to new experimental evidence that people do often act against their own personal self-interest in favor of the common good, and they do so in predictable, understandable ways. Poorly-designed economic institutions fail to take advantage of intrinsic moral behavior and often undermine it."

Our default view on human beings is that we are all self-interested, short minded beasts looking out only for number one, and to a certain level there is some truth to this with a lot of people. But wonderfully things like morals have been ingrained in our culture and society and these things greatly affect how we choose to act. Of course you can argue that that those of us who are following morals are acting in our own interests as we are attempting to help ourselves in the long term by impressing our friends, making ourselves happy, doing it for our religious reasons or a million other excuses - but I see it being closer to human beings looking to benefit their society, which over the long term, benefits them. So long term self beneficial altruism?

A certain phrase comes to mind - "A rising tide lifts all boats."

A Whole New Set of Problems

Mauritius: Call-Centre And BPO Sector Needs Lower International Bandwidth Prices to Stay Competitive

The "great" thing about this article is that the reason for stress here is that competing in the international business world is the greatest concern. Mauritius is a island nation located off of the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean which itself is a much larger island nation located off of the coast of southeast Africa.

"Bandwidth is the petrol of the new global economy and as the price of actual petrol continues to go through the roof, it is an essential component of being able to sell "smart exports" based on "think-work" rather than simply minerals, produce or tourism."

Getting into these "smart exports" for a nation that is lacking in resources, land space or the traditional development path seems to be a very intelligent way to go - Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore focused on education, services, exports to wealthy nations and high tech manufacturing to make their moves.

With internet cables being run all over the world there are going to be quite a few groups who will have the potential to create whole new paths to development. Skip the manufacturing and head straight to the knowledge economies. Might we skip the ravaging of the environment that occurs as so many countries develop? And since one key of the knowledge economy is that the populace must be decently educated and one potential trait is a generally higher standard of living- might there also be lesser political strife with that combination of education and wealth?

This is the firt time human beings on Earth have ever developed this world. This is the first time we have built out this planet. This is the first time we have done any of this. You and I are both part of the experiment.

Ice on Mars (officially)

NASA has officially found ice on Mars.

"It is with great pride and a lot of joy that I announce today that we have found proof that this hard bright material is really water ice and not some other substance," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona.

We still haven't found official life anywhere else in the universe, but we do know that on Earth everywhere that we have found water-ice we have found life. Whether it be at the bottom of the ocean feeding off of sulfur, pulled from 100,000 to 8 million year old ice cores from Antarctica or bacteria living in the sky and potentially having significant affect on rain cycles.

The goal of the Phoenix Lander was to find a spot where they might find organic molecules and to do that they aimed for what seemed to be large amounts of water ice just below the surface of the dirt. Well, before they even began to dig for ice they found it and quite possibly are standing on top of a sea of frozen water.

Energy Independent

How would you like to make 100% of your energy (car and home)? This man did and he is starting a business. I know the first round of things cost him $500,000 to complete his ideas and he had significant help from industry, but I also know that the first of many things costs a significant amount of money to make before we figure out how to do them economically (I know the first calculator developed by Hewlett-Packard was almost $5000).

The ideas here are the most significant things -

What do we do when there is no sun?

"The remaining 80 kilowatt-hours recharge the batteries—which provide electricity for the house at night—and power the electrolyzer, which splits the molecules of purified tap water into hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen is vented and the hydrogen goes into the tanks where it is stored for use in the cold, dark winter months."

What about my TV and microwave and washer/dryer?

"On a typical summer day, the solar panels drink in and convert sunlight to about 90 kilowatt-hours of electricity, according to Strizki. He consumes about 10 kilowatt-hours daily to run the family's appliances, including a 50-inch plasma television, along with his three computers and stereo equipment, among other modern conveniences."

Where do I get the fuel to make all this happen?

"I can make fuel out of sunlight and water—and I don't even use the water," he notes. "If it's raining, it's fuel. If it's sunny, it's fuel. It's all fuel."

Don't fear! For those of you who happen to be rich - lets get on this and set an example so we poor folk can get into this energy creation business.

The Web Time Forgot

The internet in 1934?

"In 1934, Otlet sketched out plans for a global network of computers (or “electric telescopes,” as he called them) that would allow people to search and browse through millions of interlinked documents, images, audio and video files. He described how people would use the devices to send messages to one another, share files and even congregate in online social networks. He called the whole thing a “réseau,” which might be translated as “network” — or arguably, “web.”

What I find interesting about this article is that we forgot about this person. His revolutionary ideas fell to the wayside in a volatile society that was at war and not yet ready for his concepts. It makes me think about other great ideas that may have been lost and never found again. There are a few ideas and objects that were seemingly lost forever - the Earth being round and how large it is, the Rosetta Stone, Japanese sword making techniques, and who knows what that was dreamed up by Leonardo da Vinci.

One of the thing that sets human beings apart from our competitors on this planet was that our ancestors collected and passed down significant knowledge to us. This collection of knowledge over time builds up and we no longer have to rediscover our reality every few generations.

What else is out there?

The United States of Advertising

Pharmaceutical Advertising on TV

How many drugs do we allow to be advertised on television? Well, there is alcohol. That is a big driver of revenue for the networks (especially sporting events). In 1971 the last cigarette ad was run on television. And since all of the other drugs were outlawed long before television was invented we never experienced cocaine or opium or marijuana. Remember, "the whole point of them is that it is not considered safe to let us simply buy them over the counter."

Do you wake up in the morning tired? Are you tired before you go to bed? Do you have hunger? Do you sometimes get stressed out by life's real issues? Do I get drugs now doctor?

It'll Never Work

Oftentimes, I am mocked for my "overly optimistic" view of the world. I believe that solar energy will power our world (even though technically it already does), I believe that life can be extended to make us near-immortal, I believe in alien beings floating around out there wondering about us and I believe that the common person will create their own products and throw off the shackles of "the man." And this is only since the beginning of June...

But I don't think that I am optimistic, I think I am a realist. I think this because I am logical. The universe is a place with rules. And, for the most part, I have seen most of these rules stay constant. Within these rules various things are happening - atoms spinning, planets building, stars exploding and life coming into being on this planet. I also happen to be living at the most recent point in human history (so are all of the living folks on this planet) and am able to see into the past to view our history of failure and success. Human beings have done some amazing things - fire, society, culture, writing, agriculture, mechanization, electricity, suffrage, going to the moon and so on and so forth. I take these various points of knowledge and combine that with the aforementioned universe with rules and comes to a conclusion:

Anything that could be possible is possible.

Now, that is a funny phrase. What could be possible? Well...quite a lot. First off - the rules of physics and quantum mechanics and thermodynamics and all these things that we are still learning - are unfinished. We haven't found all of the rules yet. Secondly - the universe that we live in is causal. If (x) happens then (y) results. Of course we don't know all of what happens (y) when (x) occurs - we are still learning and I don't mind not having all of the knowledge of the universe just yet. But with knowing that I do live in a universe where there is no magic and no truly unconnected occurrences happening I also suddenly know that every rule can be analyzed and manipulated.

For instance, me learning that the world is not made of water, fire, phlegm and dirt but of the periodic table allows me to begin to build a much sharper picture of the world. I begin to use individual materials on their own and learn how each one of those items acts in the world. Copper is a conductor of electricity, oxygen is what we breath, mercury is liquid at room temperate and uranium is highly unstable. Once I learn that atoms can be broken apart into smaller pieces I then began to think about those tiny pieces - what are they? what do they do? And then an individual comes along and shakes up everything we know about the universe because of what he has been reading. He predicts light (space) bending around heavy objects and he says something very scary about breaking atoms apart and the equation e=mc^2.

This knowledge means something. This knowledge has continued on today toward things like a fusion reactor being built in the south of France, a giant particle accelerator that might make black holes and nanotechnology that is going to rewrite all of the rules.

I found a website in the last couple of days that told me all of the quotes by famous and smart people about how something wouldn't and couldn't work. And so many of them were proven wrong. With the knowledge we have acquired, with the things we have done and with the patterns that are out there - there is no reason to believe that anything can't be done. Gravity can be manipulated. Human beings can be tweaked to be smarter and faster and stronger, and, possibly even live forever. And we will overcome our limitations on this planet to make it a better planet and then we will apply that knowledge to other planets.

We just have to be patient and wait and learn.

Globalization: The Ever Evolving Beast Begins Moving Manufacturing Home

The Cost of Shipping Goods is Rising

"The cost of shipping a standard, 40-foot container from Asia to the East Coast has already tripled since 2000 and will double again as oil prices head toward $200 a barrel, says Jeff Rubin, chief economist at CIBC World Markets in Toronto."

A company moved its manufacturing center to Kentucky from China after seeing the cost of shipping increase and keep increasing. This bodes well for globalization, and in the long term for you and I. Why?

To truly have fair & equal trade between countries you need to have fair & equal rules. The key point in this are taxes and government regulations in the various regions of the world. Most countries don't have the same environmental regulation (make note that for all of the past we have ravaged our country and only now are we pushing hard environmentally) or the same legal framework that increases costs of American firms.

When the costs associated with damaging the environment (more expensive food due to lost land and damaged water supplies, destruction of pristine lands that lessen revenue from tourism, unsustainable mining practices that increase the long term costs of retrieval of goods) are added back into the equation, when the costs of the ailing population (lower individual productivity due to more missed work days because of sickness, lower general production because of mental well being associated with the stresses of lack of nature and open spaces) are added back into the equation the costs begin to rise for these producers. It took America a long time to recognize, or stop ignoring these things and we are now paying our own price for our unsustainable long term development.

Now a days some of the more common economic issues are showing up - the American currency has fallen about 15% against the Chinese Yuan since 2006. That means that Chinese goods have increased in cost by 22% since 2006. Chinese inflation is roaring ahead well into the double digits due to wage increases, competition from firms eating valuable resources and - very importantly - the Chinese government is removing some of the subsidies it places on fuel.

With the cost of fuel increasing 40% alone in 2008 the containers that ship goods across the country are turning out to be much dearer in price to producers of goods. The above article mentions per container prices increasing 15% already in 2008 and another 5% hike is expected shortly. This will wear away at the financial benefit of shipping goods long distance.

This is the beauty of global trade. The imbalances that exist in the world - lower labor costs, incorrectly valued currency, undervalued fuel and unaccounted for costs - are slowly evened out. It will take a long time because it took 75 years for the United States to become dominant and over valued, but as long as we are patient we will all benefit.

Solar Power Updates

A couple of news updates from the solar power world...

Nanosolar Achieves 1GW CIGS Deposition Throughput
What this actually means is that Nanosolar is able to print out 1GW worth of solar power sheets in a single year for about $1.65 million of hardware investment plus cost of materials, energy, labor and who knows what else - so lets quintuple the cost of these machines to get to 1GW of printing ability. Now, 1GW of power generates about enough electricity to power about 700,000 homes. According to the 2001 census there were about 120,000,000 homes in the United States. Lets say that number is now...140,000,000 (I have no idea really, and I am pretty sure the number of homes in the US hasn't grown 14% in seven years, but this is just fun remember?). That means to power the homes in the United States we need to produce about 200 GW worth of solar power.

So we could produce enough thin film solar cells to power all of the homes in the USA for about $1.65 billion. We spend more than that each day (yes, that is right - each day) on oil. Every building in the United States need to have mandatory solar films placed on their roof. Every window needs to have mandatory solar films covering them. Every car on its roof and every potential surface you can conceive of need have solar films covering them. Barack, you listening?

By Adding Impefections We Increase Efficiency
While talking about flaws and how they make the world better we could get into long philosophical discussions (the human frailty is what makes us so wonderful and if we were "perfect" to where would be evolve and what would we change?), in physics we have a very nice experiment that shows we can increase the efficiency of a solar panel by adding imperfections to it. By making a surface rougher you increase the surface area increasing the number of places for the chemical reactions to occur.

Just another discovery...

Psychology based upon Environment

In an insane society the sane populate the prisons.

ADHD in Kenyan nomads is shown to be beneficial to those who are still living in the bush whereas those with ADHD who have settled down into modern life are hurt by the "disorder."

Something interesting I heard from a PhD psychology student friend of mine recently - something is only a disorder when it affects your life in a negative manner. An individual who happens to be a modern day paranoid living in the time of the 1950's Communist witch hunt might actually be considered quite a normal member of society back in the day - because the logic says that paranoia isn't an issue until it negatively affects your life. And back then paranoia might have actually benefited you because there is the chance of greater social esteem for talking to the cops or FBI about every person who showed a tinge of socialist leaning (cus dammit - those reds needed to be taken down!). Yet today, that paranoid gets medication and therapy sessions.

What this really says to me is that psychology supports conformity because it benefits the individual. Is this true though? Isn't it true that those who fight against the tide, those who have looked at the naysayers and said down with your close minded logic, those who have stood up against the masses - haven't those people brought the most benefit to society? And in the end, doesn't an advancing society benefit the individual the most? The changing perceptions of mental disorders based upon societal norms troubles me. It is a system designed to to push the status quo and it seems to fly in the face of evolution.

When the Powerless Rise Up

The Legitimacy of your Power Affects how you use it.

"The research shows that when given legitimate power, participants were more likely to take action than those legitimately assigned to a position of powerlessness. When power was conceived illegitimately, the powerful no longer took more action and risks than the powerless."

Those who should be in positions of power were smarter with that power and actually acted with that power. Those who were not in power when they were supposed to be in power tended to act as if they had power when illegitimates were in power. And, very importantly, those who were in power but weren't supposed to be tended to not use that power well or not even use the power at all; in essence they were afraid of the tool they had and didn't yield it.

Another study I read showed that people who had power were more able cognitively because of being assigned that power, whereas those who were assigned to low power positions lost some of their cognitive abilities.

What the first studies say is that human beings innately know when we should or shouldn't be in a position of power. The second study shows that simply being put in a powerless positions tends to make us less able. This lends credence to the theory that success breeds success and also explains a little the continuance of power.

But another interesting thing was shown, and this interests me even more. Those who were supposed to be in power but weren't tended to act as if they were in power more so. This gives me a sense of joy about the human species, which in essence is like any other animal on the planet. You take away my evolutionarily given rights and I will find you and take them back.

Obama: I Support You, but I Fear You

Barack, you said something that scared me recently. First, let me say that I think Obama is the best candidate that is running for office, so this is more of a constructive criticism than anything. But this verbal gaffe resonated around the world, so it is a harsh criticism.

The first thing that I heard was regarding Middle Eastern policy. On Wednesday, June 4th, Obama attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference. There had been negative feedback in the media that Obama wasn't pro-Israel "enough" and that is a tough thing to take while running for President with a state like Florida having considerable affect on who gets into office. At this conference Obama gave a speech that touched on many topics - the evil of the Holocaust, the increased threat of violence against Israel by Iran & Syria, Hamas & Hizbullah, and the very important the need for a Palestinian state. But one key statement caught the attention of the world:

"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided."

Now, as we are all arm chair analysts to what is actually going on in Mr. Obama's mind, we are making a bit of a leap as to what he meant. Does Obama believe that the city of Jerusalem ought to be completely controlled by Israel for Israel and populated only by Israelites? Does Obama believe that Jerusalem should be a city peacefully populated by people of two countries without "barbed wire and checkpoints" but absolutely one city and an invisible legal line?

The JPost.com article quoted responses from an Obama advisor that attempted to clarify the meaning of the phrase. The damage was done. As quoted in the article:

"In the current context, everyone understands that saying 'Jerusalem... must remain undivided' means that the holy city must remain unified under Israeli rule, as it has been since 1967," Nathan Diament, director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, explained.

The reaction by others was just as strong:

"Of one thing I am certain: Obama's declarations at the AIPAC conference are very, very bad for peace. And what is bad for peace is bad for Israel, bad for the world and bad for the Palestinian people," Uri Avenry.

The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said, "This statement is totally rejected. The whole world knows that holy Jerusalem was occupied in 1967, and we will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state."

Do we all dream that a city as important to human history should be peaceful and taken care of and represent all that is good in us? Of course, we all do. As the President of the United States of America you have a responsibility to know the consequences of your words. You have a responsibility to know who you are saying them to. Barack, please, continue to pay attention to the words you speak and let us know, without delay, exactly what they mean because you now have that responsibility to us. Us being the world.