With all this talk of faux-environmentalism (carbon credits being one of the worst offenders) Here's a step in the right direction- the Tesla Roadster. 100% electric, 0-60 in 4 seconds, approx 220 miles per charge, zero emmisions. Doesn't look half bad either. Unfortunately it's a tad expensive for someone of my modest means ( $ 98,000.0!) But what's important is that the technology is there. It is feasible, and it is marketable. Admittedly not too many people will be able to afford a 98K c...
Did you know that Ipods and most cell phones are designed to break down from normal wear and tear within 2-3 years of manufacture? Engineers, business managers and bean counters sat down and figured out that they could make the most money for their companies if the products they sell you fall apart so you will have to buy new ones. Same goes for most other consumer goods. When something breaks, throw it away and buy the next generation model. All hail the mighty Gods of consumption! From a busin...
"Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it" -Winston Churchill, George Santayana among many others- There is an economic catastrophe that is coming our way. We are facing a depression, and those in the halls of power and the media are either too scared, too incompetent, or too selfish to let the people really know about it until it's too late. Yes, this problem is in part caused by the subprime housing bust but only in part and it goes much deeper than that.&...
I've come across an excellent article written by Albert Einstein in 1949- his thoughts on socialism, and the evil of modern-day capitalism. For a guy who's considered one of the brightest minds of the 20th century it is certainly worth the read!! http://www.monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm
For the past 7 years, the Bush Administration has been pursuing tax cuts and government outsourcing with dogmatic fervor. We have heard plenty about the benefits of these tax cuts; acting as a stimulus for the economy, giving business large and small extra capital to invest or expand their operations (hopefully) hiring more workers in-country. Giving extra money back to the little guy so he can afford to buy more goods and services, thereby acting as another primer for t...
Tonight I was watching an episode of one of my favourite shows and part way through I became incredibly happy. I couldn't quite put my finger on it as to why, and then it suddenly dawned on me. I was feeling good because the scene on the TV was of a bright sunny day in Florida. It was the fact that I was watching this sunny day on TV and it suddenly brought back memories of being in the sun on a warm day, that was making me elated! It struc...
In this article I would like to discuss my opinion of GWB. This is not a Bush-bashing article, nor an attack on the right. This is an explanation of why I believe some of the things I do. This may shock some people to hear, but I used to be a conservative and I rooted heavily for GW back in 2000. I have no problem with conservatives or their policies, although I do disagree with some of them. I have no problems with "the right" or even the republican party for that matter. Certain indivi...
A few nights ago I was sitting in my hotel room flipping through the channels and I happened to catch the democratic presidential debate on CNN. It was a complete gong show in which Wolf Blitzer would continually try to cut off the candidates in mid-answer and the questions were framed in such a way to try and force them to boil everything down to simple yes or no answers. "Are you saying that human rights are more important than national security?" is one such gem he asked. ...
What is a liberal? Well, the answer depends on who you ask. Rather than me sit here and drone on about ideology, I'd like to share with you good folks one of my favorite liberal authors; a fellow by the name of Joe Bageant, who is from Winchester Virginia. He's also a redneck, which doesn't usually fit into the typical stereotypes associated with such a political persuasion. If you believe that all liberals are flawed in their beliefs, check out his site, and if you're really...
Looks like the electric car is making a comeback- introducing the ZENN (zero emissions, no noise) there's a couple of detractors that prevent me from buying one right this instant but it sure as heck isn't the price. It's affordable, green and has specs that almost make me want to buy one tomorrow. Almost. Below I will give my pros and cons of the vehicle, check it out yourself at http://www.zenncars.com/ The reasons I will not buy this car today : maximum ...
Although I have been accused of being a "liberal alarmist" I would like to ask you to leave your political opinion at the door and take into consideration the following. As the old saying goes, money talks: 1) Gold has surpassed 800 $ an ounce in value. Adjusted for inflation, the last time it was this valuable was 1980. 2) Oil now costs $ 95.69 a barrel, which adjusted for inflation is pretty close to the cost of oil in the big crunch that happened during the shortage ...
Should the rich be taxed more heavily than the rest of society? Yes. Why? If they don't get taxed, then they'll have all the more money to invest in the economy which will create more jobs right? Maybe. The argument about taxation of the rich has been debated from an ideological standpoint many times, but when the great depression hit it wasn't "the rich" who helped put the world back on it's feet. It was Keynesian economics. Economics that the wealthy of the day were so incensed by they actual...
This is about money. Your money, and the current U.S presidential election. I'm also going to try and explain why your money, the coming election, and the "sub-prime housing bust" are all intimately tied together. FYI, the cause of the recent housing debacle is not because of "poor people with bad credit bit off more than they could chew, gol'darnit!" but goes much deeper and has far reaching implications for everyone. Two things have me scared out of my wits right now; 1) T...
During my time at JU I've seen repeated postings arguing against welfare, universal health care, and the role of the government in society proper. Obviously this is a real sticking point with many of the fine users here, and to be honest I've learned quite a bit from reading posts that come from the other side of the fence. To be fair, I do in fact agree with some of the main arguments against welfare. For example, it can definitely encourage complacency and some people will try to abuse the...
Many of my conservative friends love to carry on about how much of society's problems could be solved if only everyone had "the bootstrap mentality". How if everyone were a rugged, self-reliant individual who took the initiative rather than wait for a handout there would be little or no poverty and things would work much better. To be honest, I agree with them in a sense. The argument that people need to take personal responsibility for their actions and carry their own weight in order to su...