What are you thankful for?
I am so for naught to be thankful for.
Such that I am afforded the right to righteous anger for the contents of my life
My anger at life compels me forward, it compelled me to create this blog
I am thankful for the forward direction of my life
Hence I am thankful for my anger at naught to give thanks for it lends to drive and a direction to pursue.
P.S. Turkey with the family Thursday
Shopping Friday
Kalamazoo K Wings hockey Saturday
Working on my car Sunday
Back to work Monday.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Addendum to the Green Bank idea
There is a problem with the green bank idea.
How do you loan out money at a discounted rate when you are already on the hook for well over 10,000,000,000,000$ ten trillion dollars. The best way to loan out money at a rate not controlled by the markets is to front the money with out outside financing. This way you are loaning out money you already have and are able to avoid the market rate, because this money is not going through the market.
I.E. If your uncle has a bunch of money and you ask for a loan he can set what ever interest rate he wants for it because it is money he actually has, but if your uncle had to borrow the money to loan to you then suddenly he has to make sure the rate he charges you is at least the rate the market charged him.
This green bank is the same issue. The government is in the hole by well over ten trillion dollars so obviously they can't front the money without still having to pay the market rate on what they owe. In a way that has us, the tax payers, subsidizing the loans this green bank makes, in the form of interest payments on the national debt while the money we have loaned receives a poorer return on investment.
Of course this argument really doesn"t mean shit since the jobs and wealth that could be created by encouraging growth in eco-friendly industry would most likely outweigh the cost. What I am really trying to say here is that the national debt being at the size it is makes things harder to do...
..and by the way stop blaming Obama's spending programs for the deficit. Bush inherited budget surpluses and a red hot economy, and then handed out irresponsible tax cuts during war time and spent us in to oblivion on the war of aggression in Iraq.
How do you loan out money at a discounted rate when you are already on the hook for well over 10,000,000,000,000$ ten trillion dollars. The best way to loan out money at a rate not controlled by the markets is to front the money with out outside financing. This way you are loaning out money you already have and are able to avoid the market rate, because this money is not going through the market.
I.E. If your uncle has a bunch of money and you ask for a loan he can set what ever interest rate he wants for it because it is money he actually has, but if your uncle had to borrow the money to loan to you then suddenly he has to make sure the rate he charges you is at least the rate the market charged him.
This green bank is the same issue. The government is in the hole by well over ten trillion dollars so obviously they can't front the money without still having to pay the market rate on what they owe. In a way that has us, the tax payers, subsidizing the loans this green bank makes, in the form of interest payments on the national debt while the money we have loaned receives a poorer return on investment.
Of course this argument really doesn"t mean shit since the jobs and wealth that could be created by encouraging growth in eco-friendly industry would most likely outweigh the cost. What I am really trying to say here is that the national debt being at the size it is makes things harder to do...
..and by the way stop blaming Obama's spending programs for the deficit. Bush inherited budget surpluses and a red hot economy, and then handed out irresponsible tax cuts during war time and spent us in to oblivion on the war of aggression in Iraq.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
East Antarctic ice sheet may be losing mass
I have to admit, I am a big Al Gore fan, and look, it seems like he is right. I saw the headline above on news.bbc.co.uk and it seems kind of interesting.
Another entire sheet of ice that most people thought was totally stable is breaking up and losing mass. Unlike the sheets of ice they knew were breaking up this one alone could be responsible for twice the rise in ocean levels that the other two ice sheets would, the other two being West Antarctic and Greenland.
Where is the political where-with-all to start working on climate change in the United States, and why are there so many people in this country that are opposed to doing anything. I hate this argument that I keep hearing about why America should do anything while all the undeveloped countries don't have to.
Because it is the right thing to do. Because green industry doesn"t have to cost jobs. Green industry can create jobs!
In another great bit of information from NPR, our country has set precedent for making this happen.
In 1996 the Clinton administration created something of a bank, the only purpose of which was to issue cheap loans to communications companies to develop communications technology. All those 3G, 4G, and Direct Connect networks we all have came from that. It made your iPhone exist. The creation of that program started a massive investment in the telecommunications sector which was partly the cause of the huge economic boom of the late 90's.
Even now there are people that are pushing our government to create a new bank, the person being interviewed on NPR was calling it a green bank, that would provide cheap loans to companies willing to create a new green technology. You only need to see what impact hybrid technology and the Prius have had on the American auto industry to see that green is the future.
Another thing about that.... Do you know how Toyota developed the Prius and was thusly able to expand its market share. The Japanese government loaned Toyota, at a cheaper rate, the money they needed to develop the technology that became the Prius and the hybrid technology that has transformed the auto industry.
If Japan can do it and rapidly expand their global exports while making their cooperations stronger
, then why can't we.
DWE
Another entire sheet of ice that most people thought was totally stable is breaking up and losing mass. Unlike the sheets of ice they knew were breaking up this one alone could be responsible for twice the rise in ocean levels that the other two ice sheets would, the other two being West Antarctic and Greenland.
Where is the political where-with-all to start working on climate change in the United States, and why are there so many people in this country that are opposed to doing anything. I hate this argument that I keep hearing about why America should do anything while all the undeveloped countries don't have to.
Because it is the right thing to do. Because green industry doesn"t have to cost jobs. Green industry can create jobs!
In another great bit of information from NPR, our country has set precedent for making this happen.
In 1996 the Clinton administration created something of a bank, the only purpose of which was to issue cheap loans to communications companies to develop communications technology. All those 3G, 4G, and Direct Connect networks we all have came from that. It made your iPhone exist. The creation of that program started a massive investment in the telecommunications sector which was partly the cause of the huge economic boom of the late 90's.
Even now there are people that are pushing our government to create a new bank, the person being interviewed on NPR was calling it a green bank, that would provide cheap loans to companies willing to create a new green technology. You only need to see what impact hybrid technology and the Prius have had on the American auto industry to see that green is the future.
Another thing about that.... Do you know how Toyota developed the Prius and was thusly able to expand its market share. The Japanese government loaned Toyota, at a cheaper rate, the money they needed to develop the technology that became the Prius and the hybrid technology that has transformed the auto industry.
If Japan can do it and rapidly expand their global exports while making their cooperations stronger
, then why can't we.
DWE
Friday, November 20, 2009
Michigan unemployment
Next week is Thanksgiving. The plant I work in is partially shut down for the entire week and I was supposed to be part of the shut down. I would of gotten holiday pay for Thursday and Friday, a total of 160$ or about 120$ after taxes.
In an amazing twist of fate my holiday pay comes out to just enough to not be eligible to draw unemployment for the one week layoff, I know some states are different but in Michigan that is how unemployment works. My weekly unemployment is only 192$ a week, based on my last benefits determination from the last time I was laid-off. In Michigan the way unemployment works any income you make while on unemployment goes against your unemployment benefits, so.....
192-160=32 32-taxes=something like 25 i.e. just enough to be unable to claim unemployment for the week.
The only good news is that my boss understands my situation and found work for me to come in and do, which guarantees me a full week pay check.
It is just interesting that the unemployment system is set up in such a way that it would of been better to be unemployed with no holiday pay then to get holiday pay. This system would seem to be self defeating and discourages people from trying to make money.
In an amazing twist of fate my holiday pay comes out to just enough to not be eligible to draw unemployment for the one week layoff, I know some states are different but in Michigan that is how unemployment works. My weekly unemployment is only 192$ a week, based on my last benefits determination from the last time I was laid-off. In Michigan the way unemployment works any income you make while on unemployment goes against your unemployment benefits, so.....
192-160=32 32-taxes=something like 25 i.e. just enough to be unable to claim unemployment for the week.
The only good news is that my boss understands my situation and found work for me to come in and do, which guarantees me a full week pay check.
It is just interesting that the unemployment system is set up in such a way that it would of been better to be unemployed with no holiday pay then to get holiday pay. This system would seem to be self defeating and discourages people from trying to make money.
The musings of a small town liberal progressive.
More to come on this later and many things later. I just created this blog today. Rome wasn"t built in one day and I expect my views and ideas will take just as long to express clearly......
BUT.....
This twenty something, small town, gay, liberal, visionary, democrat, member of the U.A.W. (United Auto Workers), has a lot of ideas and a lot to say. Maybe just maybe you'll hear something in here you'll like.
BUT.....
This twenty something, small town, gay, liberal, visionary, democrat, member of the U.A.W. (United Auto Workers), has a lot of ideas and a lot to say. Maybe just maybe you'll hear something in here you'll like.
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