Here’s the short version of the rant I first wrote.
The debt ceiling will be raised but there will spending cuts and no tax increases or loophole closures. That is the way the people who run this country want it to be.
That is not what the majority of Americans want, it is not the right thing to do and it will not help the economy.
This will happen because the people in charge in Washington want spending cuts – Republicans and Democrats, Congress and the White House. It will hurt a lot of people, but the politicians have decided that this is the best way to get re-elected. They may be right. The problem is, politicians aren’t elected to get re-elected, they’re elected to do the best damn job they can do to help the country.
If all they did was raise the debt limit and allow the current tax cuts to expire the deficit will go down. It will do so slowly, but it will go down. With no spending cuts. But Washington is in love with spending cuts because they think it makes them look all grown up and serious. It’s despicable.
This is a great nation being ruined by small people.
I hope that I am wrong. I hope that something changes.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Borders and bookstores
I love books – printed on paper and bound together hold in your hand books. I am very discouraged that Borders is closing. They couldn’t get an investor who could outbid the liquidator so all remaining Borders stores will close starting most likely this Friday. They are expected to be completely out of business by the end of September.
There is a seeming contradiction in that people who like book stores did not like the idea of Borders and Barnes & Noble dominating the bookselling business but they will also bemoan the loss of Borders. It’s because of a love of diversity and options and also that any loss of book stores is a bad thing.
I wonder if this may, in a strange way and my wildest dreams, possibly lead to a good thing. There is now a dearth of book stores – well, there always was – as the Borders stores close. Presumably those areas are now underserved. From what I’ve read it was bad business decisions that led to the downfall of Borders, not a lack of customers. So, could this be an opportunity for independent book stores to move in, fill the vacuum and succeed?
I’d love to think that this was possible. I may not be optimistic enough to believe it completely, but I am optimistic enough to think that it’s a good opportunity. If I had the money I’d try it myself.
There is a seeming contradiction in that people who like book stores did not like the idea of Borders and Barnes & Noble dominating the bookselling business but they will also bemoan the loss of Borders. It’s because of a love of diversity and options and also that any loss of book stores is a bad thing.
I wonder if this may, in a strange way and my wildest dreams, possibly lead to a good thing. There is now a dearth of book stores – well, there always was – as the Borders stores close. Presumably those areas are now underserved. From what I’ve read it was bad business decisions that led to the downfall of Borders, not a lack of customers. So, could this be an opportunity for independent book stores to move in, fill the vacuum and succeed?
I’d love to think that this was possible. I may not be optimistic enough to believe it completely, but I am optimistic enough to think that it’s a good opportunity. If I had the money I’d try it myself.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Of secrets and food
There’s this secret dinner party. Well, it’s not secret. Everyone knows it happens and the city sort of just looks the other way. But the guest list is secret and so is the location. Yet 10,000 people attended the last one.
It’s called the Dîner en Blanc, the Dinner in White, and it happens in Paris each year. You can read about it here. There is one planned for New York City, with some modifications and not quite the same class distinctions.
The headline worked, because it made me want to know how 10k people keep a secret and just what the secret was – and obviously it was no longer a secret so, what gives. So I read the article and I was fascinated that something like that could be pulled off. It’s an intriguing idea. But as I read the article I realized that it wasn’t that unusual. At least it wasn’t unique. I know of something similar. I’ve even been there.
I’m not really sure I should give many details here, but I can say that I know of something like this, though it is much more casual. OK, it is extremely casual and it only slightly resembles this dinner. Actually, the dinner resembles it because the dinner is of more recent creation. One thing they have in common is a strange type of secrecy.
Somewhere in one of the 50 states there is a party held every year. People show up on a certain day, which is fixed, though the time is flexible as it is an all day, ongoing party. You bring whatever food you want to eat and to share and everyone partakes of whatever is brought. Meals are not set and seating is random.
The cool part is, if you know about the party you’re invited. It may not draw 10k people, but it is a more or less open invitation party and lots of people do show up. And it’s a secret, sort of. It’s also been going on for at least 30 years.
This and the dinner mentioned in the article have a few other things in common. The concepts of bringing food and seating and tables apply, as does the policy of cleaning up after yourself. But far from being fancy dress white this is more of a hippie cookout – tie-dye is more likely than tuxedo. Shorts and t-shirts are the order of the day and the food is pot luck, unpretentious and very good. There is a large portion of protein provided by the host, all else comes with the guests, as does the entertainment. There are few rules, no formality and lots of mingling and talk, music, some dance and even fireworks.
It’s a party.
I haven’t been able to attend in many years, but it’s pretty cool.
I wonder where else this sort of thing happens? How many open secrets are there in the world? How many dinners and dances and cookouts and parties happen all around us that we know nothing about, but would know if we just happened to stumble on them? There is magic in all of this. Everyday human magic, but no less potent for that. Humans can think up some pretty interesting ways to get together and have fun.
It’s called the Dîner en Blanc, the Dinner in White, and it happens in Paris each year. You can read about it here. There is one planned for New York City, with some modifications and not quite the same class distinctions.
The headline worked, because it made me want to know how 10k people keep a secret and just what the secret was – and obviously it was no longer a secret so, what gives. So I read the article and I was fascinated that something like that could be pulled off. It’s an intriguing idea. But as I read the article I realized that it wasn’t that unusual. At least it wasn’t unique. I know of something similar. I’ve even been there.
I’m not really sure I should give many details here, but I can say that I know of something like this, though it is much more casual. OK, it is extremely casual and it only slightly resembles this dinner. Actually, the dinner resembles it because the dinner is of more recent creation. One thing they have in common is a strange type of secrecy.
Somewhere in one of the 50 states there is a party held every year. People show up on a certain day, which is fixed, though the time is flexible as it is an all day, ongoing party. You bring whatever food you want to eat and to share and everyone partakes of whatever is brought. Meals are not set and seating is random.
The cool part is, if you know about the party you’re invited. It may not draw 10k people, but it is a more or less open invitation party and lots of people do show up. And it’s a secret, sort of. It’s also been going on for at least 30 years.
This and the dinner mentioned in the article have a few other things in common. The concepts of bringing food and seating and tables apply, as does the policy of cleaning up after yourself. But far from being fancy dress white this is more of a hippie cookout – tie-dye is more likely than tuxedo. Shorts and t-shirts are the order of the day and the food is pot luck, unpretentious and very good. There is a large portion of protein provided by the host, all else comes with the guests, as does the entertainment. There are few rules, no formality and lots of mingling and talk, music, some dance and even fireworks.
It’s a party.
I haven’t been able to attend in many years, but it’s pretty cool.
I wonder where else this sort of thing happens? How many open secrets are there in the world? How many dinners and dances and cookouts and parties happen all around us that we know nothing about, but would know if we just happened to stumble on them? There is magic in all of this. Everyday human magic, but no less potent for that. Humans can think up some pretty interesting ways to get together and have fun.
Nothing new
Just for the record, everything that I say about Medicare and Social Security and taxes was my position before I got sick and would be the same were I to somehow make a full recovery and/or be a billionaire.
My position just gives me personal insight into how some of this works.
My position just gives me personal insight into how some of this works.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Watch those skies ...
or
Can we have some 20-20 foresight for a change?
OK, I won’t go on about how science is denigrated in this country and research is underfunded. I won’t go on about how we’re canceling programs and killing a space telescope that is almost finished. I’ll only briefly mention that NASA’s budget is being cut for what the scientists need but kept for what politicians want for their home districts.
And I’m sure you’re all aware that Friday saw the final launch of the Space Shuttle and there is no replacement even in the planning stages. This country has no manned spaceflight vehicle. If we want to get into space we have to hitch a ride with someone else.
Is anyone proud of this?
We are ceding scientific leadership to the rest of the world. That is not what a great nation does.
But instead of focusing on that I want to ask a question: who read science fiction in the 60s and 70s?
When the government doesn’t want to invest in manned space exploration it’s left to people who see a profit in it. That would probably mean mining the asteroid belt. Remember what happens if belter miners get upset?
When you have all the equipment needed to run mining operations in space you also have everything you need to drop an asteroid out of orbit and send it towards the Earth.
Can we get some more funding for NASA, please? I’d like some pure exploration in space that doesn’t end up dropping a huge rock on my head.
By the way, NASA has shown a profit for the country. Beyond employing thousands of people, if memory serves the Apollo program returned something like $600 into the economy for every $1 spent. Though I believe that we need to explore for the sake of knowledge not just profit. Besides, we don’t know where the next discovery will lead until we make it, and we’ll never make it if we’re too cheap to pay for it.
By limiting our vision we limit ourselves.
Can we have some 20-20 foresight for a change?
OK, I won’t go on about how science is denigrated in this country and research is underfunded. I won’t go on about how we’re canceling programs and killing a space telescope that is almost finished. I’ll only briefly mention that NASA’s budget is being cut for what the scientists need but kept for what politicians want for their home districts.
And I’m sure you’re all aware that Friday saw the final launch of the Space Shuttle and there is no replacement even in the planning stages. This country has no manned spaceflight vehicle. If we want to get into space we have to hitch a ride with someone else.
Is anyone proud of this?
We are ceding scientific leadership to the rest of the world. That is not what a great nation does.
But instead of focusing on that I want to ask a question: who read science fiction in the 60s and 70s?
When the government doesn’t want to invest in manned space exploration it’s left to people who see a profit in it. That would probably mean mining the asteroid belt. Remember what happens if belter miners get upset?
When you have all the equipment needed to run mining operations in space you also have everything you need to drop an asteroid out of orbit and send it towards the Earth.
Can we get some more funding for NASA, please? I’d like some pure exploration in space that doesn’t end up dropping a huge rock on my head.
By the way, NASA has shown a profit for the country. Beyond employing thousands of people, if memory serves the Apollo program returned something like $600 into the economy for every $1 spent. Though I believe that we need to explore for the sake of knowledge not just profit. Besides, we don’t know where the next discovery will lead until we make it, and we’ll never make it if we’re too cheap to pay for it.
By limiting our vision we limit ourselves.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Reality
This is not a plea for sympathy, I’m just using myself as an example because I know the numbers. This is an explanation of how people find themselves living at the whim of others. A position I often see taken against Social Security and Medicare is that people should have the sense to save for the future.
Now, aside from the obvious problem that many people don’t earn enough to save let alone retire, there are other possibilities.
I was 46 when I got critically ill and almost died. Did you have enough saved for retirement at 46? I don’t mean enough to retire after 20 more years of work, I mean enough to retire at 46 and then live off of for the next 30 years or more.
So, I got sick at 46, I can’t work, I had 6 months at 40% pay (a benefit I appreciated, but not a way to get rich), I had a year where I had no money at all coming in (my insurance company didn’t believe my doctors), now I am dependent on various forms of insurance (that I paid for) that give me about the same amount as I made in the early 90s. I also have medical expenses that are more than 3000% higher than they used to be – that is not an exaggeration.
My out of pocket medical expenses are just over 28% of my income. That’s with two forms of decent insurance. Is it a surprise that people go bankrupt because of medical debt?
By the way, when I got sick it cost $1.3 million dollars to save my life. Does anyone honestly question a need for good insurance for everyone?
I haven’t given up trying to find a way to get back to some form of work, but I may not be able to and there are people who are in worse shape than I am.
Social Security and Medicare are called social safety nets for a reason. Sometimes, no matter how well you plan, illness and accident and age will catch up with you. My wife got cancer, was hit by a reckless driver and can’t work. I got sick and almost died and can’t work. Who can plan for that?
Do you know what your health will be like when you reach 65 or 70 or 80 – or tomorrow?
Are you ready for anything like this in your life?
Now, aside from the obvious problem that many people don’t earn enough to save let alone retire, there are other possibilities.
I was 46 when I got critically ill and almost died. Did you have enough saved for retirement at 46? I don’t mean enough to retire after 20 more years of work, I mean enough to retire at 46 and then live off of for the next 30 years or more.
So, I got sick at 46, I can’t work, I had 6 months at 40% pay (a benefit I appreciated, but not a way to get rich), I had a year where I had no money at all coming in (my insurance company didn’t believe my doctors), now I am dependent on various forms of insurance (that I paid for) that give me about the same amount as I made in the early 90s. I also have medical expenses that are more than 3000% higher than they used to be – that is not an exaggeration.
My out of pocket medical expenses are just over 28% of my income. That’s with two forms of decent insurance. Is it a surprise that people go bankrupt because of medical debt?
By the way, when I got sick it cost $1.3 million dollars to save my life. Does anyone honestly question a need for good insurance for everyone?
I haven’t given up trying to find a way to get back to some form of work, but I may not be able to and there are people who are in worse shape than I am.
Social Security and Medicare are called social safety nets for a reason. Sometimes, no matter how well you plan, illness and accident and age will catch up with you. My wife got cancer, was hit by a reckless driver and can’t work. I got sick and almost died and can’t work. Who can plan for that?
Do you know what your health will be like when you reach 65 or 70 or 80 – or tomorrow?
Are you ready for anything like this in your life?
Revenue vs spending
Say you’re married and then have a couple of kids. It’s nothing extravagant, it’s just life.
But when your family grows your cost of living rises. So what do you do? You don’t adjust the family budget by deciding who doesn’t get to eat. You don’t reduce spending on necessities. You don’t want to stop going to the doctor but you might have to. What you do is cut costs on luxuries and you look for ways to make more money.
The US has the lowest tax rates as well as the lowest revenue as a percent of GDP since the 1950s.
But we also have twice the population.
Cutting services is the wrong way to go. We need to increase government revenue. This would not hurt the economy (look at the history of this country for the proof). There’s a lot of money out there that is essentially just sitting around. And that money wasn’t magically created by the top 2% of the population. That wealth is generated by all 300 million of us and it needs to be used to support all 300 million of us.
But when your family grows your cost of living rises. So what do you do? You don’t adjust the family budget by deciding who doesn’t get to eat. You don’t reduce spending on necessities. You don’t want to stop going to the doctor but you might have to. What you do is cut costs on luxuries and you look for ways to make more money.
The US has the lowest tax rates as well as the lowest revenue as a percent of GDP since the 1950s.
But we also have twice the population.
Cutting services is the wrong way to go. We need to increase government revenue. This would not hurt the economy (look at the history of this country for the proof). There’s a lot of money out there that is essentially just sitting around. And that money wasn’t magically created by the top 2% of the population. That wealth is generated by all 300 million of us and it needs to be used to support all 300 million of us.
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