My guess: the money went to build big houses and buy fancy cars and planes, and into lux vacations and that kind of thing. Assorted persons promised to repay loans. The upshot for the losers in this game is years of poverty and drudgery.
The people who built all that fancy stuff got paid wages, while they were doing the work. Were they able to build anything lasting for themselves with the money they earned?
The question is, what can we expect the future to look like?
Friday, February 27, 2009
letter to the president
Things I want the president to know about me:
I support raising the gas tax. I oppose toll roads in general, but want more information on the subject, since they might make sense in some instances.
I support President Obama's spending and taxation plans. They sound excellent, in part because they sound well considered, and in part because I think government for the people is a good thing.
I completely oppose any expansion of the use of coal for energy and completely support any possible reductions and limits on its use.
I strongly support the goal of an 80% reduction of energy use and believe it should be pursued vigorously with a very near term time target. Vigorous planning to minimize disruptive effects of such a program are clearly part of the equation. I believe that can be done. As long as the plan is balanced in that way, I will eagerly support any such effort.
I support raising the gas tax. I oppose toll roads in general, but want more information on the subject, since they might make sense in some instances.
I support President Obama's spending and taxation plans. They sound excellent, in part because they sound well considered, and in part because I think government for the people is a good thing.
I completely oppose any expansion of the use of coal for energy and completely support any possible reductions and limits on its use.
I strongly support the goal of an 80% reduction of energy use and believe it should be pursued vigorously with a very near term time target. Vigorous planning to minimize disruptive effects of such a program are clearly part of the equation. I believe that can be done. As long as the plan is balanced in that way, I will eagerly support any such effort.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
condensed reply to Judd Gregg's comments
If the government invests in the nation as proposed by President Obama, will there be a healthy return on that investment?
I'll go a little further. You seem to be saying, Senator Gregg, that there will not be a return on that investment. It can be argued that the decision whether to invest or not to invest can have significant consequences, and ought to be based on well considered - that is, thorough and detailed - assessments. I suppose I would like to hear more details from your side. As a matter of fact, you listed some numbers which sound to me like they might be misleading.
To me it sounds like conservatives conflate the interests of a relatively narrow segment of the population with the interests of the nation, and define the interests of that narrowly defined group in narrow terms. According to those criteria, the interests of that group may be harmed by the policies now being implemented, although I question whether even that is demonstrated. At any rate, I hope this can be more extensively documented.
The whole debate, to my mind, revolves around the question of whether action is appropriate or not. True, excessive action is likely to be harmful. Also, inadequate action is likely to be harmful. To be fair, I'll need to return to your comments to see if you provide guidance on what appropriate action is. Meanwhile, well, for one thing, there's lots of evidence that we are suffering harmful effects of too little action, and, for another, there's a big, very well written document from the President to study.
I'll go a little further. You seem to be saying, Senator Gregg, that there will not be a return on that investment. It can be argued that the decision whether to invest or not to invest can have significant consequences, and ought to be based on well considered - that is, thorough and detailed - assessments. I suppose I would like to hear more details from your side. As a matter of fact, you listed some numbers which sound to me like they might be misleading.
To me it sounds like conservatives conflate the interests of a relatively narrow segment of the population with the interests of the nation, and define the interests of that narrowly defined group in narrow terms. According to those criteria, the interests of that group may be harmed by the policies now being implemented, although I question whether even that is demonstrated. At any rate, I hope this can be more extensively documented.
The whole debate, to my mind, revolves around the question of whether action is appropriate or not. True, excessive action is likely to be harmful. Also, inadequate action is likely to be harmful. To be fair, I'll need to return to your comments to see if you provide guidance on what appropriate action is. Meanwhile, well, for one thing, there's lots of evidence that we are suffering harmful effects of too little action, and, for another, there's a big, very well written document from the President to study.
responding to Judd Gregg
We could say that Mr. Gregg's main argument is that government spending, if it is pursued, will bankrupt the nation. I take issue with that on this basis: the nation is likely to face bankruptcy regardless - government or no government - and the question is not how that can be avoided best be managed, or weathered.
If we look at an individual's financial history as analogous to the economy of a nation, or even to the world economy, I think it illustrates my point. Almost everyone faces some form of bankruptcy at some time in their lives. Why is that? It must be attributed to things like momentum, or inertia. If we then ask why such forces are in play, they end up being rooted in genetic strategies for survival. Readers who discount anything genetic can attribute these forces to genesis. In either case, there is a constructive aspect, which is an area of agreement with the conservative view.
Again, the question is not whether we will experience a financial pinch, at some point, as individuals, as nations, as a world population, it is how we will respond, and, too, it is how we are preparing, if we are in better times.
There are certain actions we can take, during what we can call economic contractions, of any of the listed types. For example, individuals sometimes respond with aggression or even violence, sometimes with patience or even generosity. To be a little less dramatic, individuals sometimes respond impulsively, and sometimes in considered ways. This actually sounds like a useful way to think about it. Let's ask what the likely effect of different kinds of actions is likely to be, given different kinds of circumstances.
President Obama represents, and recommends, a certain general approach, which I think we can call investment. Investment uses funds to create capital, the means of production. What is to be produced is, fundamentally, abundance, and abundance is, fundamentally, well being. Conservatives and liberals are likely to define well being and abundance in similar ways. What Judd Gregg is asking is whether, on the one hand, government spending is likely to produce abundance (whether it can be a good investment), and, on the other hand, whether the means by which funds are to be raised, for it, will not lead to disaster. This might be a good framework for further inquiry.
If we look at an individual's financial history as analogous to the economy of a nation, or even to the world economy, I think it illustrates my point. Almost everyone faces some form of bankruptcy at some time in their lives. Why is that? It must be attributed to things like momentum, or inertia. If we then ask why such forces are in play, they end up being rooted in genetic strategies for survival. Readers who discount anything genetic can attribute these forces to genesis. In either case, there is a constructive aspect, which is an area of agreement with the conservative view.
Again, the question is not whether we will experience a financial pinch, at some point, as individuals, as nations, as a world population, it is how we will respond, and, too, it is how we are preparing, if we are in better times.
There are certain actions we can take, during what we can call economic contractions, of any of the listed types. For example, individuals sometimes respond with aggression or even violence, sometimes with patience or even generosity. To be a little less dramatic, individuals sometimes respond impulsively, and sometimes in considered ways. This actually sounds like a useful way to think about it. Let's ask what the likely effect of different kinds of actions is likely to be, given different kinds of circumstances.
President Obama represents, and recommends, a certain general approach, which I think we can call investment. Investment uses funds to create capital, the means of production. What is to be produced is, fundamentally, abundance, and abundance is, fundamentally, well being. Conservatives and liberals are likely to define well being and abundance in similar ways. What Judd Gregg is asking is whether, on the one hand, government spending is likely to produce abundance (whether it can be a good investment), and, on the other hand, whether the means by which funds are to be raised, for it, will not lead to disaster. This might be a good framework for further inquiry.
what is good policy
First, we seem to be in good hands. The remaining question: what kind of longer term effect can be produced?
Policy is exactly like driving: there's such a thing as driving too slow, and there's such a thing as driving too fast. What is too slow and what is too fast depends on conditions. It can be assessed by asking what is likely to happen at a given speed, given existing conditions. The other factor is steering.
My comments respond to the Judd Gregg interview an hour ago on All Things Considered, where he argued that the Obama administrations budget overspends. It made me worry, because his comments are designed to influence a portion of the electorate in a particular direction, that is, to oppose government spending - and, more generally, government, or certain kinds of government - and they are likely to have the intended effect, if, at least, they are not effectively countered. Of course, this means the intended effect worries me. In terms of my analysis, what is the intended effect? I suspect it could be called driving fast, and that government, as an activity, can be equated with moderating society's speed. My feeling is we are probably driving too fast, and will benefit greatly from more moderate speed.
These, of course, are very general statements. From here we would want to move towards much more precise assessments. What would be a good way to do that?
Policy is exactly like driving: there's such a thing as driving too slow, and there's such a thing as driving too fast. What is too slow and what is too fast depends on conditions. It can be assessed by asking what is likely to happen at a given speed, given existing conditions. The other factor is steering.
My comments respond to the Judd Gregg interview an hour ago on All Things Considered, where he argued that the Obama administrations budget overspends. It made me worry, because his comments are designed to influence a portion of the electorate in a particular direction, that is, to oppose government spending - and, more generally, government, or certain kinds of government - and they are likely to have the intended effect, if, at least, they are not effectively countered. Of course, this means the intended effect worries me. In terms of my analysis, what is the intended effect? I suspect it could be called driving fast, and that government, as an activity, can be equated with moderating society's speed. My feeling is we are probably driving too fast, and will benefit greatly from more moderate speed.
These, of course, are very general statements. From here we would want to move towards much more precise assessments. What would be a good way to do that?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
eco-takeout case study #1
a small cake, very nice
(carrot cake, with a delicate cream cheese icing)
in the usual clear plastic clam shell bubble
with snaps
it's very nice to have the cake
it's very nasty to have the bubble
and throw it away
1) i want cakes that come in something like an enamel tin
that's mine, and i wash it
or something i can put on the compost pile
2) and i want media that walks me through the process of making my own pastries
in such minute detail ... scheduling the process over a period of days, in thirty minute
steps, for example ... and analyzing what i should need or want over a period of months,
and what my friends and neighbors and family can use
that i can really do it!
(carrot cake, with a delicate cream cheese icing)
in the usual clear plastic clam shell bubble
with snaps
it's very nice to have the cake
it's very nasty to have the bubble
and throw it away
1) i want cakes that come in something like an enamel tin
that's mine, and i wash it
or something i can put on the compost pile
2) and i want media that walks me through the process of making my own pastries
in such minute detail ... scheduling the process over a period of days, in thirty minute
steps, for example ... and analyzing what i should need or want over a period of months,
and what my friends and neighbors and family can use
that i can really do it!
greatness
what makes a city or town great?
that it's a great place to be.
to the profoundest possible degree it revolves around pedestrianism
that is
walking
it revolves around the sidewalk, or walking space
and the scene there
how much of the citizen's time is spent in this space?
the more the better
there are three spaces
home, work, and the walking space
can we engineer an economy that demands less of the citizen's time for work
so that more of it can be spent in the walking space?
or
can we enhance the interaction between, the merging of
work space and walking space?
an economy built around less work? Scandalous!
but, why?
a frantic concern about working "a lot"
sounds a little like desperation
at the very least
getting a lot done seems like a more reasonable construct
we are talking, here, about a pr problem
1) how do we get the city, the body politic, to support greatly expanded efforts on behalf of walkable space?
1a) start mapping and sketching the kind of environment or landscape we want to generate
1b) start mapping and sketching the efforts creating that will require
that it's a great place to be.
to the profoundest possible degree it revolves around pedestrianism
that is
walking
it revolves around the sidewalk, or walking space
and the scene there
how much of the citizen's time is spent in this space?
the more the better
there are three spaces
home, work, and the walking space
can we engineer an economy that demands less of the citizen's time for work
so that more of it can be spent in the walking space?
or
can we enhance the interaction between, the merging of
work space and walking space?
an economy built around less work? Scandalous!
but, why?
a frantic concern about working "a lot"
sounds a little like desperation
at the very least
getting a lot done seems like a more reasonable construct
we are talking, here, about a pr problem
1) how do we get the city, the body politic, to support greatly expanded efforts on behalf of walkable space?
1a) start mapping and sketching the kind of environment or landscape we want to generate
1b) start mapping and sketching the efforts creating that will require
Monday, February 23, 2009
browser concept: enhanced tabs
the perennial problem on the web
is how to find our way back to a place we've been
the solution may be
maps of where we've been
but, how to construct them
my observation: a collection of tabs is almost the most helpful map of the web i encounter anywhere, and it forms on its own
the problem:
open pages in tabs seem to use a lot of system resources
the solution:
open pages in tabs that use almost no system resources
(and that survive system restarts, etc.)
so that dozens, even hundreds, can be kept open for days, weeks, months, even years
is how to find our way back to a place we've been
the solution may be
maps of where we've been
but, how to construct them
my observation: a collection of tabs is almost the most helpful map of the web i encounter anywhere, and it forms on its own
the problem:
open pages in tabs seem to use a lot of system resources
the solution:
open pages in tabs that use almost no system resources
(and that survive system restarts, etc.)
so that dozens, even hundreds, can be kept open for days, weeks, months, even years
coin(cidence)
at the faculty exhibit
there's "no image" for artist Susan Beiner
wondering what that means
i search for her at Yahoo!TM
it turns out i met her at her show
told her about my art survey web media concept
which only now exists
(this was months ago)
so here the first person
only person
i described the idea to
is now almost the first artist listed
there's "no image" for artist Susan Beiner
wondering what that means
i search for her at Yahoo!TM
it turns out i met her at her show
told her about my art survey web media concept
which only now exists
(this was months ago)
so here the first person
only person
i described the idea to
is now almost the first artist listed
accidental discovery
i tried to catch the name of a writer of gothic novels whose antique volumes were appraised on the antiques road show just now
i thought it was Sabrina Lee
when i searched for that name i found
http://www.sabrinalee.net/home.html
i thought it was Sabrina Lee
when i searched for that name i found
http://www.sabrinalee.net/home.html
Sunday, February 22, 2009
where's the bottom?
1)
let's focus on phoenix, as a sample
2)
2 million people
3)
let's say each has savings of $10,000
4)
that's $20,000,000,000, $20 billion
available for ongoing spending
even if all jobs are lost
5)
1,500,000 people with jobs?
6)
earning $30,000 a year each? no
earning $10,000 a year each?
7)
that's $15 billion a year in additional available funds for spending
8)
wow!
let's focus on phoenix, as a sample
2)
2 million people
3)
let's say each has savings of $10,000
4)
that's $20,000,000,000, $20 billion
available for ongoing spending
even if all jobs are lost
5)
1,500,000 people with jobs?
6)
earning $30,000 a year each? no
earning $10,000 a year each?
7)
that's $15 billion a year in additional available funds for spending
8)
wow!
fence
i want super-solid supports for my falling down fence
this is one concept
(doesn't require footings)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
is there a bottom?
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51K0A920090221
"Soros sees no bottom for world financial 'collapse.'
I'm skeptical.
What am I supposed to be getting from the world of finance that I'm not going to get?
What are my town, state, or country supposed to be getting ... ?
Or maybe Soros is talking about poor nations losing out?
I'm not asking as an expression of my skepticism, though. I'm asking because some information would help me understand what it all means.
"Soros sees no bottom for world financial 'collapse.'
I'm skeptical.
What am I supposed to be getting from the world of finance that I'm not going to get?
What are my town, state, or country supposed to be getting ... ?
Or maybe Soros is talking about poor nations losing out?
I'm not asking as an expression of my skepticism, though. I'm asking because some information would help me understand what it all means.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
why manga?
It's called manga dialog ... well, one reason is the story of how it got started, but now it has become a place for all sorts of stuff I'm thinking about ... what I kind of like is that, as I'm told, in Japan there are manga on every possible subject. It's like you can get a whole education from them. Just some I've seen: philosophy, food, mythical stories, archaeology. (This is not to say I'm not a pop culture fanatic.)
Topics: (at this juncture, it's more or less notes to myself)
http://www.azcommerce.com/EconInfo/Labor/ what Arizona does for a living
http://www.azcommerce.com/Home let's go into business (see Financing Guide, bottom right?) also, great AZ pictures!
http://www.arizonaindicators.org/index.html Know The State
sbux,ge,aapl,lmc,vm,vz,adsk
http://vacuum-cleaner-parts.com/index.asp
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/probes-of-bush-administration/obama-hires-another-lawyer-who-battled-bushs-secrecy/ (from Talking Points Memo)
http://www.arcosanti.org/main.html don't miss "Today@"!
http://www.etsy.com/faq_selling.php#becoming_a_seller
http://www.etsy.com/
http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/faculty2008/index.html Artist!!!
http://www.annapoliswinery.com/aboutus.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-kreig/why-the-president-stepped_b_159875.html President Obama and Urban Planning!
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2008/~/media/Files/events/2008/1121_mountain_mega/sun_corridor_event%20pdf.pdf Mountain Megas
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2008/1121_mountain_mega.aspx?rssid=metro Sun Corridor as Mountain Mega
http://www.brookings.edu/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vickie-karp/third-screen-an-interview_b_161970.html she's actually more liberal than I am (liberal means total respect for every point of view ... sometimes my respect is a bit grudging)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/28/starbucks-to-close-300-mo_n_161979.html
i just like news about starbucks
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html?_r=2&hp
I also like news about the White House.
http://www.carbon-vudu.us/index.html Holy Canoli
http://blog.stealthmode.com/ business hero
http://www.endeavorip.com/about.htm business last word
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/winter-2009/west-oakland-project photography last word (Alison Yin)
http://www.hsdent.com/store/economic-monthly-forecast-c-4.html markets last word
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/index.html manga last word
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ last word
Topics: (at this juncture, it's more or less notes to myself)
http://www.azcommerce.com/EconInfo/Labor/ what Arizona does for a living
http://www.azcommerce.com/Home let's go into business (see Financing Guide, bottom right?) also, great AZ pictures!
http://www.arizonaindicators.org/index.html Know The State
sbux,ge,aapl,lmc,vm,vz,adsk
http://vacuum-cleaner-parts.com/index.asp
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/probes-of-bush-administration/obama-hires-another-lawyer-who-battled-bushs-secrecy/ (from Talking Points Memo)
http://www.arcosanti.org/main.html don't miss "Today@"!
http://www.etsy.com/faq_selling.php#becoming_a_seller
http://www.etsy.com/
http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/faculty2008/index.html Artist!!!
http://www.annapoliswinery.com/aboutus.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-kreig/why-the-president-stepped_b_159875.html President Obama and Urban Planning!
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2008/~/media/Files/events/2008/1121_mountain_mega/sun_corridor_event%20pdf.pdf Mountain Megas
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2008/1121_mountain_mega.aspx?rssid=metro Sun Corridor as Mountain Mega
http://www.brookings.edu/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vickie-karp/third-screen-an-interview_b_161970.html she's actually more liberal than I am (liberal means total respect for every point of view ... sometimes my respect is a bit grudging)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/28/starbucks-to-close-300-mo_n_161979.html
i just like news about starbucks
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html?_r=2&hp
I also like news about the White House.
http://www.carbon-vudu.us/index.html Holy Canoli
http://blog.stealthmode.com/ business hero
http://www.endeavorip.com/about.htm business last word
http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/winter-2009/west-oakland-project photography last word (Alison Yin)
http://www.hsdent.com/store/economic-monthly-forecast-c-4.html markets last word
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/index.html manga last word
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ last word
Monday, February 9, 2009
what is the sweet environment?
i think a sweet environment is a very well furnished house
spent the day on my house
have that luxury
work as "home maker" while spouse works as "money maker'
i am not entirely good at it
and still, there's value in it
friends were stressed because one was making all the money
i thought they could benefit from trying out the two-mode model
just relax into it for a while
the home specialist can work at money goals, too
(and the money specialist does work on the home)
we'll see
evening is fast approaching
i may need to put off some of the house work until after dinner
spent the last half hour looking over arcosanti.org
for me, the heart of the site is the "today" section or "progress report"
(with "in the news" being also vital)
i'm looking for news about the future, where the project and concept are going
arrive, after a time, at news from November ('08), a conference
The Sun Corridor as "Mountain Mega"
a search for more takes me to brookings.edu
where there are links to other resources ...
some onlookers thought the panelist (governor Napolitano, et al) looked
annoyed at Paolo's comments ... big surprise
Paolo wants the world to massively change direction, or says/suggests it should
why the resistance?
as reported here (Arcosanti today) Paolo is suggesting, if i understand it, instead of just a highway, an infrastructure undertaking something like a hundred times as massive ... like a hundred highways (in terms of scale, complexity) along the same route
the question is
who authorizes such things
or even
what does it mean to authorize such things, or to implement them
ultimately, it means people deciding to work
to go to work every day
in the dirt, in the hot sun, all day, long days
lifting, grinding, pounding, pouring
and
it means a big hulking something where today there is open desert, or quiet (too quiet) streets ...
thus
a case needs to made for it
that the result will be ... what? heavenly, isn't it? (or, too, correct, to borrow an Asian construct)
at least Paolo gives us something to look at
the conference just gives us a thing we need to read
to me, making a case means making at least an effort to show me what is being proposed
and to show it to me in detail ... what it's going to look like up close
but
i know, in planning, in government, things are done a little differently
the product is a document, with paragraphs describing parameter, things like that
so
i buckled down a little and read a few sentences
based upon which i get the impression what the organizers want most is good trains! which makes a lot of sense, as far as it goes
(the most important thing is for me to go back to it,
see if i can learn more about their work)
ok, so you've got, say, five hundred miles of rail line to build,
and let's say it takes a crew of a hundred a week to build a mile of rails,
and we want to build it all in ten years, so that's 50 miles a year,
so, we need 50,000 people working on the rails
we
also need 100 trains, say, and it takes a crew of 100 a year to build a train
just at a wild guess, so that's 10,000 people building trains
now
at the root of all economies is food and fun
i need to quit and make dinner!
spent the day on my house
have that luxury
work as "home maker" while spouse works as "money maker'
i am not entirely good at it
and still, there's value in it
friends were stressed because one was making all the money
i thought they could benefit from trying out the two-mode model
just relax into it for a while
the home specialist can work at money goals, too
(and the money specialist does work on the home)
we'll see
evening is fast approaching
i may need to put off some of the house work until after dinner
spent the last half hour looking over arcosanti.org
for me, the heart of the site is the "today" section or "progress report"
(with "in the news" being also vital)
i'm looking for news about the future, where the project and concept are going
arrive, after a time, at news from November ('08), a conference
The Sun Corridor as "Mountain Mega"
a search for more takes me to brookings.edu
where there are links to other resources ...
some onlookers thought the panelist (governor Napolitano, et al) looked
annoyed at Paolo's comments ... big surprise
Paolo wants the world to massively change direction, or says/suggests it should
why the resistance?
as reported here (Arcosanti today) Paolo is suggesting, if i understand it, instead of just a highway, an infrastructure undertaking something like a hundred times as massive ... like a hundred highways (in terms of scale, complexity) along the same route
the question is
who authorizes such things
or even
what does it mean to authorize such things, or to implement them
ultimately, it means people deciding to work
to go to work every day
in the dirt, in the hot sun, all day, long days
lifting, grinding, pounding, pouring
and
it means a big hulking something where today there is open desert, or quiet (too quiet) streets ...
thus
a case needs to made for it
that the result will be ... what? heavenly, isn't it? (or, too, correct, to borrow an Asian construct)
at least Paolo gives us something to look at
the conference just gives us a thing we need to read
to me, making a case means making at least an effort to show me what is being proposed
and to show it to me in detail ... what it's going to look like up close
but
i know, in planning, in government, things are done a little differently
the product is a document, with paragraphs describing parameter, things like that
so
i buckled down a little and read a few sentences
based upon which i get the impression what the organizers want most is good trains! which makes a lot of sense, as far as it goes
(the most important thing is for me to go back to it,
see if i can learn more about their work)
ok, so you've got, say, five hundred miles of rail line to build,
and let's say it takes a crew of a hundred a week to build a mile of rails,
and we want to build it all in ten years, so that's 50 miles a year,
so, we need 50,000 people working on the rails
we
also need 100 trains, say, and it takes a crew of 100 a year to build a train
just at a wild guess, so that's 10,000 people building trains
now
at the root of all economies is food and fun
i need to quit and make dinner!
news notes
1st Obama admin. Int. Sec. (Salazar) news conference
my question
can we transform the way the nation (as a whole) thinks about the environment
can we change the way that part of the nation that thinks thinking about the environment is heretical thinks about the environment
can we shift the balance
(toward ... ?)
this new interior dept. promises to be active
my question
how can we track what it is doing so that we, the voters, the letter writers, know about it in a way that is fully textured and comprehensive in scope, at the same time
i picture a screen (a page) on which appears, through graphical ingenuity, actual reporting on hundreds of issues at the same time ...
for example, you can see where there is a lot of pollution being generated, and where there is work being done on watershed improvement, and how many people are involved ... different colors show whether the stream is muddy or clear, and little dots show the people at work, all, and little green dollar signs show how well funded the project is, and they can be seen moving from the funding source to the project ...
of course, you can zoom in on a given report to see more detail ...
can we pulse out conceptual splashes across the landscape of the body politic, and monitor and document the response (creating channels or media for responding)
these techniques aren't just for Interior ... you could visualize (for public access) the whole scope of Administration (the) on a single screen
meanwhile, Yahoo!TM coverage of The GrammiesTM made me cringe in all sorts of different ways ... i can't link you to it because Yahoo!TM doesn't archive its TV coverage ... i guess you could search on "2009 Grammies," or some such
SAY, are we going to regulate the media, now, so we can get some quality? (i rate US production values very high, but what's the purpose of it all?)
returning to politics
i think the Repubs. are digging in their heels in a mighty way ... just out of orneriness
this comes out very strong reading The Arizona Republic, now
is there anything to their arguments
i don't think so
because all they are saying is "danger, danger, danger"
i want to talk about what we can accomplish, period
but
a lot of people are inclined to take them seriously, and that gives their obstructionist actions weight, and makes it hard for the administration to move forward
like wading in mud
so i'm trying to think what to make of it, and decide to tell the president to be mightily patient
and talk about what we can accomplish
(as a matter of fact, i fault him for talking about danger so much, himself, these last weeks)
ok, then, what can we accomplish
i can see, now, why we turn to danger ... seeing possibilities is hard!
we'll get criticized this way and that
the city has its roots out far and wide
sucking nutrition from the land
and we are little insects in its branches
leaves on its branches
parenchyma
city as tree
tree as forest generator
forest as the benign environment, paradise
how do trees create the benign?
my question
can we transform the way the nation (as a whole) thinks about the environment
can we change the way that part of the nation that thinks thinking about the environment is heretical thinks about the environment
can we shift the balance
(toward ... ?)
this new interior dept. promises to be active
my question
how can we track what it is doing so that we, the voters, the letter writers, know about it in a way that is fully textured and comprehensive in scope, at the same time
i picture a screen (a page) on which appears, through graphical ingenuity, actual reporting on hundreds of issues at the same time ...
for example, you can see where there is a lot of pollution being generated, and where there is work being done on watershed improvement, and how many people are involved ... different colors show whether the stream is muddy or clear, and little dots show the people at work, all, and little green dollar signs show how well funded the project is, and they can be seen moving from the funding source to the project ...
of course, you can zoom in on a given report to see more detail ...
can we pulse out conceptual splashes across the landscape of the body politic, and monitor and document the response (creating channels or media for responding)
these techniques aren't just for Interior ... you could visualize (for public access) the whole scope of Administration (the) on a single screen
meanwhile, Yahoo!TM coverage of The GrammiesTM made me cringe in all sorts of different ways ... i can't link you to it because Yahoo!TM doesn't archive its TV coverage ... i guess you could search on "2009 Grammies," or some such
SAY, are we going to regulate the media, now, so we can get some quality? (i rate US production values very high, but what's the purpose of it all?)
returning to politics
i think the Repubs. are digging in their heels in a mighty way ... just out of orneriness
this comes out very strong reading The Arizona Republic, now
is there anything to their arguments
i don't think so
because all they are saying is "danger, danger, danger"
i want to talk about what we can accomplish, period
but
a lot of people are inclined to take them seriously, and that gives their obstructionist actions weight, and makes it hard for the administration to move forward
like wading in mud
so i'm trying to think what to make of it, and decide to tell the president to be mightily patient
and talk about what we can accomplish
(as a matter of fact, i fault him for talking about danger so much, himself, these last weeks)
ok, then, what can we accomplish
i can see, now, why we turn to danger ... seeing possibilities is hard!
we'll get criticized this way and that
the city has its roots out far and wide
sucking nutrition from the land
and we are little insects in its branches
leaves on its branches
parenchyma
city as tree
tree as forest generator
forest as the benign environment, paradise
how do trees create the benign?
Friday, February 6, 2009
why there is government
there is government for one simple reason
individuals and businesses focus on their business and pursue its interests
therefore, they cannot fully consider the inter-entity environment
authority, by its nature, is placed in one center
from there, it is exercised across a realm
authority in the life of an individual is placed in their person
authority in a company is placed in its chiefs
authority in a community is placed in its government
the entities which comprise an entity still exist
even though the entity they comprise exists
there is not even any lack of equality
so, it is true that government needs to respect the parts of the community it governs
and that it has parts
while the parts need to respect the community they comprise
(for, in some way, it is also in the nature of existence
that our sustenance originates in some measure in what we are part of)
individuals and businesses focus on their business and pursue its interests
therefore, they cannot fully consider the inter-entity environment
authority, by its nature, is placed in one center
from there, it is exercised across a realm
authority in the life of an individual is placed in their person
authority in a company is placed in its chiefs
authority in a community is placed in its government
the entities which comprise an entity still exist
even though the entity they comprise exists
there is not even any lack of equality
so, it is true that government needs to respect the parts of the community it governs
and that it has parts
while the parts need to respect the community they comprise
(for, in some way, it is also in the nature of existence
that our sustenance originates in some measure in what we are part of)
crisis control?
isn't the problem that all sorts of people are at risk of losing their homes? i'm not entirely sure i see the whole logic of stimulating demand to help those people. why not just help them get through, not, i guess, at in the same style the would enjoy if employed, but without being forced into poor housing? or, not "just," but can that be part of the plan?
what's happening is re-thinking, repositioning. can't that happen in a mild way?
what's happening is re-thinking, repositioning. can't that happen in a mild way?
to the president 2
I heard one thing I liked, that you are going to communicate with the people. That sounds like the very most important and powerful thing.
I looked at whitehouse.gov. I'm trying to make it a daily thing. It's a little dry for that, though. Maybe they could do something towards the daily visitor. With that said, I totally love it. Check out this post.
I looked at whitehouse.gov. I'm trying to make it a daily thing. It's a little dry for that, though. Maybe they could do something towards the daily visitor. With that said, I totally love it. Check out this post.
business concept 3
a web site with hundreds of virtual reality models of cars, houses, buildings of all kinds, and even appliances of all kinds ... gardens, towns, and on and on ... a (visual) resource for people who want to think about ... customizing their environments
thus, architect, engineer, and designer friends, get to work with your CAD skills, building models, posting them on line, and teaching us neophytes how to access them and how to make them ourselves
thus, architect, engineer, and designer friends, get to work with your CAD skills, building models, posting them on line, and teaching us neophytes how to access them and how to make them ourselves
business concept 2
liquid soaps (laundry, floor, tile and grout, dish, shampoo, etc.) in re-useable, biodegradeable, or, at any rate, non-plastic (non-polymer) containers ... local manufacturing, home-made ...
advising the president
Dear President Obama,
I just don't personally want to hear you talking about things that are "necessary." Let's talk about things we can do, and the beneficial effects we seek to produce, and why we think certain actions can produce those effects.
Tom S.
I just don't personally want to hear you talking about things that are "necessary." Let's talk about things we can do, and the beneficial effects we seek to produce, and why we think certain actions can produce those effects.
Tom S.
news aggregator
I'm moving my news aggregator here. I plan to update this post as the news comes in.
2-6-9
Lucas Foss.
Pres. Obama rides AF1.
StopBadware.org
2-6-9
Lucas Foss.
Pres. Obama rides AF1.
StopBadware.org
the economy - theme: poems
if i want to stay in a hotel for a week
a group of, say, five people needs to spend the week running the hotel
but there might be ten people staying there every night
so each of those people is spending the equivalent of
half a day taking care of me for that week
or
i have to work for half a day for each person or three days
to make it an even bargain
this, in a vague way, works out
economies can only be measured in the aggregate!
they are, as it is said, liquid
the parts move around independently
forming a changeable whole, or medium
a kind of fixed point is created when someone establishes a pattern of production
it becomes the equivalent of a well from which the waters flow
then the beasts come to drink
so this is not dependent on the flowing waters, the changeable currents, in the same way as some other things are
therefore i encourage attention to individual production, or even just the possibility of it, at all times, winter, spring, summer, and autumn
a group of, say, five people needs to spend the week running the hotel
but there might be ten people staying there every night
so each of those people is spending the equivalent of
half a day taking care of me for that week
or
i have to work for half a day for each person or three days
to make it an even bargain
this, in a vague way, works out
economies can only be measured in the aggregate!
they are, as it is said, liquid
the parts move around independently
forming a changeable whole, or medium
a kind of fixed point is created when someone establishes a pattern of production
it becomes the equivalent of a well from which the waters flow
then the beasts come to drink
so this is not dependent on the flowing waters, the changeable currents, in the same way as some other things are
therefore i encourage attention to individual production, or even just the possibility of it, at all times, winter, spring, summer, and autumn
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
virtual city
When I try to explore places on line, it often seems very confused. I've been thinking about doing virtual reality models of places, that can be accessed on line, so, if anyone can make suggestions about how to approach it, please do. At the same time, that's been slow going, and I may have come up with a pretty good alternative. I did some research on Tempe, just by running a web search, and started finding web sites with lots of pictures, and nice maps. Those started to give me a feeling for the city.
Combine that with the method I've been developing for organizing a number of web pages into a coherent group, and it could work.
totally un-modern but nice
comfortable sort of neighborhood, sort of
So far, this maps the city as a kind of cardboard box for mass consumption ... which, to a great extent, it is ... but, maybe, if I keep going, more texture will find its way to the surface.
Then there's my Virtual Art World effort. Again, maybe I can link to pages, and here's one that fulfills certain valuable criteria: it shows assorted works, assorted artists ... and it's archived.
Combine that with the method I've been developing for organizing a number of web pages into a coherent group, and it could work.
totally un-modern but nice
comfortable sort of neighborhood, sort of
So far, this maps the city as a kind of cardboard box for mass consumption ... which, to a great extent, it is ... but, maybe, if I keep going, more texture will find its way to the surface.
Then there's my Virtual Art World effort. Again, maybe I can link to pages, and here's one that fulfills certain valuable criteria: it shows assorted works, assorted artists ... and it's archived.
comments for contributor Alec
Your blogs make interesting reading for sure, and are also fun.
Per your article on development in Tempe, I can't be that combative, but I've been looking for that kind of information! Yes, I'm sad about some real losses, terrific buildings that have been "replaced," some with rather poor ones. I do think documenting those losses* ... and documenting things in general ... is highly, highly desirable. I think, too, the core question is, what can we do with the city? Where's it headed, and where can we point it? (Same question.) The follies of the past inform that question - without them, any answer is impoverished - without, for me, being the central one.
Who is supposed to live in the condos? I've wondered about that, too. I'm very curious what the builders (planners/"developers") were thinking. I don't say that entirely as snark, though. Even if, as is clearly the case, folly was involved, that's human, that's life. I'm even enough of a capitalist to say it's essential to progress. (This is especially defensible if we use "essential" in the sense that it is "always going to be in the picture.") What I'm curious about is how they did their calculations, what projections they were using, who they actually thought were going to move in**? (Some of those people might end up moving in after all, for one thing, so I want to know.)
The other thing is, from my idealistic point of view, who moves in is something we can decide. My plan is to create and manage dozens of fantastic artists's studios. I hatched the plan even before it started to look like condos might end up selling for pennies on the dollar. Now I'm betting on that, meaning, it's my fantasy ... I could be one of those guys who seized an opportunity ... Plus, it's an example of how folly might create actual opportunities***. (Incidentally, I have sort of a thing for high rise condos, so, regardless of the absurdity and even half-assedness - meanness, even ... am I that crass? - of what is going on, I kind of like it.)
*and strategizing to prevent future ones
**i'm also really curious about their thought processes in general ... such as, re some of your other reporting, how they can be so ornery, etcetera (i'm interested in people's thought processes generally, too) ... although, maybe i'm more interested in whether we can get ahead while being more considerate ...
***meaning, resource that can be put to very legitimate uses ... it's like the derelict workshops that became the Soho art district, and other similar examples, have been re-created here out of whole cloth!
Per your article on development in Tempe, I can't be that combative, but I've been looking for that kind of information! Yes, I'm sad about some real losses, terrific buildings that have been "replaced," some with rather poor ones. I do think documenting those losses* ... and documenting things in general ... is highly, highly desirable. I think, too, the core question is, what can we do with the city? Where's it headed, and where can we point it? (Same question.) The follies of the past inform that question - without them, any answer is impoverished - without, for me, being the central one.
Who is supposed to live in the condos? I've wondered about that, too. I'm very curious what the builders (planners/"developers") were thinking. I don't say that entirely as snark, though. Even if, as is clearly the case, folly was involved, that's human, that's life. I'm even enough of a capitalist to say it's essential to progress. (This is especially defensible if we use "essential" in the sense that it is "always going to be in the picture.") What I'm curious about is how they did their calculations, what projections they were using, who they actually thought were going to move in**? (Some of those people might end up moving in after all, for one thing, so I want to know.)
The other thing is, from my idealistic point of view, who moves in is something we can decide. My plan is to create and manage dozens of fantastic artists's studios. I hatched the plan even before it started to look like condos might end up selling for pennies on the dollar. Now I'm betting on that, meaning, it's my fantasy ... I could be one of those guys who seized an opportunity ... Plus, it's an example of how folly might create actual opportunities***. (Incidentally, I have sort of a thing for high rise condos, so, regardless of the absurdity and even half-assedness - meanness, even ... am I that crass? - of what is going on, I kind of like it.)
*and strategizing to prevent future ones
**i'm also really curious about their thought processes in general ... such as, re some of your other reporting, how they can be so ornery, etcetera (i'm interested in people's thought processes generally, too) ... although, maybe i'm more interested in whether we can get ahead while being more considerate ...
***meaning, resource that can be put to very legitimate uses ... it's like the derelict workshops that became the Soho art district, and other similar examples, have been re-created here out of whole cloth!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
notes
Hi follower Alec Perkins! Thanks for reading!
General note: I'm tracking my blog reading at
http://ultra-e-news.blogspot.com/.
General note: I'm tracking my blog reading at
http://ultra-e-news.blogspot.com/.
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