.
I was given another book on how the brain works and how we think and misconceptions we've had. The title is Thinking. It's a compilation of several speeches or writings by experts in the field and was edited by John Brockman. I've read the book, marked passages as being especially interesting and then went back through my notes to select specifically those points which explain how we think and how (perhaps) we should consciously try to think to get our best results.
I organized these notes, not by author (I don't even give the specific author of each statement), but by the level of brain activity which it refers to. First is neuron-level, second is brain function or organization, third is the subconscious & conscious (and related functioning), fourth is advice on how to think, fifth is how it might relate to chess or other problem solving.
I've also collected some notes from other recent reading on the subject that I've done and it is incorporated where useful.
===============
Each brain neuron is an independent agent with its own goals. Think of that, about one trillion independent agents with their own individual goals, operating as one massively parallel machine.
A part of the brain (which I'd never heard of before) called the claustrum is connected with ALL parts of the brain and might be the reason we see ourselves as one being with an identity and it might also perhaps be the creator and seat of our consciousness and creator of our image or model of the world.
We are the output of a multitude of unconscious processes and we are often unaware of the real reason(s) for our actions. We are all strangers to ourselves. We're probably conscious less than 15% of the time. Conscious experience is really just a fraction of what's going on. The mind (your rational conscious) is a rider on an elephant (your subconscious), but the mind thinks he's the star of the movie while the elephant does most of the work.
The language of the mind is very similar to how the body takes in information & data.
Rational thought isn't such a central component of human life or why we do things. We're not so intellectual. More important are our interests, goals and needs, etc.
For example, the primary state of our mind is to observe and experience the world around us, to mentally wander and to notice anything which is of special interest. We're good at exploring, but we notice things on a 'need to know' basis. Uncommon or ambiguous things often go unnoticed. And, (I suppose) because early man didn't have to focus on anything for long, our short-term memories fade quickly. We must work quickly and focus to solve problems quickly.
The way our minds do this quickly and automatically is to take in a picture of our world and form a model. This model extends to our own sense of our body or to the Universe and a spiritual Heaven. In certain contexts we have known patterns and when something doesn't fit the pattern it comes to our attention. We are able to remember the past and imagine the future unlike anything else on Earth. Having knowledge of how to handle the common everyday patterns makes life easier and having a way to recognize and deal with the exceptions is the hard work.
Our automatic fast-acting mental processes (recently called System One) help us survive crises by generating almost instantaneous responses (mostly fight or flight, but others too). Our slower, more energy-consuming, conscious mental efforts (recently called System Two) helps us to deal with complex multi-issue multi-object problems requiring multiple steps and creativity and choice-making.
However, we aren't built to critique our own ideas & beliefs. That's where a social environment is useful. We're good at criticizing each other and exposing errors to better arrive at good solutions and "The Truth".
System One, our subconscious processes, doesn't remember lists very well, but it's very good with routes (and presumably stories). I would guess ancient hunters knew their hunting grounds and the routes there & home. Once they were home they told stories about the hunt. When did ancient man have to learn lists of any kind?
Ancient man knew his world and at some point developed beliefs about things beyond his personal knowledge. He never had to develop critical thinking to find flaws in his ideas & beliefs. We're not very good at it either, though we find humor in the odd beliefs our more recent ancestors had (witches, ghosts, etc.).
System One subconscious mental processes are automatically triggered and very fast to generate a response. The framing of situations to create patterns lets us also recognize the things which aren't part of those patterns and when we focus on the unusual we can infer intentions and causes, read human body language, ignore less relevant information and consider all possible responses by merely filtering out inappropriate or irrelevant information and responses. What remains, however surprising, is (probably) a reasonable response. This is one reason some people have thought the model of mind is an 'inference machine'. We complete the picture before us with a rapid automatic response.
If I say 'A', 'B', 'C', do you say 'D'? What if I say 'Z', 'Y', 'X', ... ? What's next? We do better with familiar patterns and have to work harder to get the less familiar.
Our minds also like to complete one task before beginning another. We're not built to multi-task. This implies recursion is very hard to manage.
Presumably our immediate need to survive developed earlier than conscious logical reasoning. The theory of triune mind that says there are three parts: reptilian, mamalian and primate and says sensual or visual clues of pleasure or pain or challenges to personal space, order and threats of domination would engage the reptilian brain and distract our higher thinking. This is a very fast-acting part of our mind while the primate brain is the slowest of the three.
The primate brain is used for language, goal setting, logic and complex problem solving.
We can also consciously choose to breathe slowly and deeply to send a signal to the reptilian brain to be calm.
System Two, our conscious rational thinking, lets us monitor our own behaviors, set goals and solve problems. In this way we can choose our direction and then let System One processes do most of the work to achieve that. System Two then evaluates the progress to determine when we're done with that task. It can also evaluate imagined potential solutions before we've taken the time and effort to do that work. Imagination helps free us from the sequential linear nature of routes and stories. Imagination and evaluation of imagined solutions is a powerful tool. When being creative think wordlessly. Mental images are more helpful.
For a good blending of use of parts of our brain we can visually take in information about the environment or situation and verbally describe it to ourselves, set goals and then use our conscious rational thinking to work through that. In some cases imagination to visualize a solution or talking ourselves through the problem-solving can be helpful. This part of our mind can deal with multiple objects and multi-step problem-solving and make choices, though it tires because this is very energy-consuming work.
When intuition and logic differ, try to incorporate both in your final solution!
When System Two is overloaded or tired our self-control weakens. This weakens our morality and choice-making in general. Oddly, a result of this is that when we're tired we may respond to a problem with a solution to some other task we give ourselves. We simply (and unconsciously) choose an easier task and give the solution to that. How odd!
With his limited critical thinking he (ancient man) was (and we are) over-confident. Oddly enough, as the problems we face become more complex we tend to become even more confident. Luckily, with regular practice we can strengthen our self-control like a muscle.
A lack of experience with critical thinking also left man vulnerable to embarassment when his inconsistencies (or presumably other flaws) were revealed.
You may think reasoning was created to help us solve problems, but that is not so. Reasoning is a way of creating arguments to support the view we hold and to convince other people we're right. It's for public relations & debate!
In response to reasoning we are not directly affected by facts or logic, but indirectly by the emotional impact the reasoning makes.
Bits of advice:
"Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next." -- Jonas Salk
More information isn't always helpful. It's key information we need.
To work on a problem you can write about it for about 15 minutes for 3-4 nights a week. That focuses the mind fully. Sleep on it!
You can re-write your life story or narrative to shape and improve the future parts.
After a lot of rational thought which is tiring you should sleep to let the reptilian brain do it's work. Once Grandmaster Tony Miles was asked his hobby and he said that like many masters it was sleeping! Yes, sleeping.
To become better at something you can emulate the behavior of someone else who is already competent. This may range from personal style and manners to sports techniques of the great to mental strategies of intellectuals or anyone who is successful.
To avoid errors there are several ideas, many developed in recent years. Two simple ones are to 'think small', aiming for small goals where you are more likely to find the correct solution and do blunder-checking by reviewing your proposed solution with 'the fresh eyes of an amateur'.
Two versions of best thinking practice:
1. Observe, Imagine (solutions), Deduce
2. Wander & perceive, decide on a Goal, Observe selectively, Imagine (a solution), Deduce
There's a lot of overlap in those two.
When considering what your emotional reaction may be to a trip or some kind of planned experience it's better to NOT trust your own imagination, but to ask another person what their experience was like -- did they enjoy it. People aren't very good at predicting their own future emotional states.
The Expert Process:
1. Identify the situation pattern.
2. Classify it.
3. Categorize it.
4. Rapid impulse for response solution
5. Make adjustments for the solution to be better.
6. Consider that 'solution' and evaluate it.
7. Rinse and repeat until the evaluation is good.
That's more of a design approach than an analytical approach.
Body Language
We tend to physically hide our most valuable part (including objects).
Hands communicate like our verbal language.
Faces communicate more universally.
Clenched hands, tapping fingers & feet indicate frustration & tension.
Nodding heads indicate interest, but not always agreement.
Hands on the chin indicate the person is evaluating something.
The right eye (connected to the left brain) reflects logical work & stress.
Chess-Related Observations and Advice
Willy Hendricks, author of Move First, Think Later
Learn what a good move looks like, so you can more easily spot them in your own games.
Look for moves and then decide which you like and what ideas they express.
Mark Dvoretsky, teacher
Explore!
Consider forcing moves first to see what can be made to happen.
Prophylactic thought is immensely valuable.
Precise calculation isn't always useful.
Register all the valuable resources for both players.
Blumenfeld
"Calculation is necessary only to verify that the ideas are correct."
Note: These three seem to be saying, explore for the moves which restrain and dominate your opponent, notice valuable resoruces for both players, consider forcing moves first, and calculate when necessary.
Use your opponent's favorite opening against him.
Destroy their position so they can never be comfortable. -- GM Rueben Fine
Don't let your opponent play *his* game.
Dictate events on the board. -- GM Tigran Petrosian
Note: These comments indicate it's helpful to disrupt your opponent's comfort and take him out of familiar territory.
Use continuous threats to break the (opponent's) will. -- GM Bobby Fischer
Create multiple threats to win. -- GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Rueben Fine
It's "useful to have a number of strategic threats at the same time."
But, most often "play logical, precise moves one after the other." -- GM Dolmatov
Note: These comments say threats, continuous and of a strategic nature are valuable.
"Total domination!" "First deprive the opponent of all reasonable moves, then finish him off." -- GM Dolmatov
Play all the generic moves, force a concrete reply, then plan the win. -- GM Yefim Geller
Engage with one unit, then when the lines are drawn and weaknesses become visible, attack with a second unit. -- Sun Tzu, in _The Art of War_
No plan survives the first battle. After that adapt. -- Napoleon Bonaparte
Note: These comments say you should try to block all of your opponent's useful moves and plans and then plan your offense to win.
Place the board, so your opponent's face is in the sun. -- a humorist
Finally, a bit of humor from Thinking:
A man was walking down the street when he saw a new place to eat. He went in and looked at their menu. They had five categories: brown sugars, honeys, molasses and artificials. He asked the waiter (who was the owner and only employee) what this was about and the owner/waiter told him he was a psychologist who knew people really only wanted one thing, sweetness, and he was going to give it to them. The customer asked how things were going and the owner said, "Terrible. But, better than for the chemists Salt Tasting place down the street."
[ Note he said there were 5 catetories, but only gave 4. I don't know why. ]
Friday, December 13, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Corporations and Workers in America
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A person could make a career out of bashing corporations and praising the American workers, but that's not my goal. I could do the same about handguns killing children and apparently few people would notice or care. No, I'm taking about pressing issues in America today and recently and sometimes I talk about other things from my own life (car problems, chess, psychology, money, etc.). For example, today we got quite a bit of snow, maybe 3-4". But then, not many people care about that.
Today I want to say the obstinacy of Republicans and the American Right are only narrowly a bigger problem than corporate America (including Wall St.). For years after World War II the economy thrived and everyone benefited. Beginning around 1974 that began to change and the top 5% of income earners began to take a larger share of the nation's income. That take increased and since the recent Great Recession it has taken nearly 100% of all the nation's increase in income. That's pretty astounding and it shows something about their greed, ambition and intellectual flaws. They're not stupid and yet the slow economy isn't seen by them as a problem, but as a good way to keep the unemployment rate high enough to hold wages down. Of course, on the Left, there are many who say that simply aiming to grow the entire economy at a faster rate would increase their incomes much more than this. So, are they stupid or have they gamed-out that alternative and found it lacking?
Here are some links discussing the current state of corporation & worker relations.
These few firms sell most of the things we buy:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/71255/10-corporations-control-almost-everything-you-buy-this-chart-shows-how
Who hides their money in the Cayman Islands?
http://rt.com/business/cayman-tax-report-agreement-505/
How do they steal pension monies?
http://truth-out.org/news/item/19672-pension-theft-crime-wave
Ironically, companies paying higher tax rates create more jobs.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/04/3017571/corporate-taxes-jobs/
The Koch brothers oppose raising the minimum wage. Duh.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/27/koch-brothers-mount-braveheart-like-stand-against-minimum-wage-increase-in-seatac/
How much would the minimum wage be if it had increased with inflation over the years?
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/01/3007011/minimum-wage-percent-leave-workers/
It's not fun working for peanuts and having bosses who feel they own you.
http://firedoglake.com/2013/12/05/late-night-wage-slavery/
Banks do a lot of good, but they also employ people at mediocre wages. Some even require public assistance (just like many state gov. workers and Walmart workers).
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/05/3026531/bank-employees-public-assistance/
Clearly there are corporations, and rich individuals, who prefer low wages and low taxes and they don't especially mind the lower growth rate. Why? I suspect it is that their own part of the economy is fully mature and going at its fastest already. Of course, some people think about themselves first and personal taxes or corporate taxes are their first concern.
A person could make a career out of bashing corporations and praising the American workers, but that's not my goal. I could do the same about handguns killing children and apparently few people would notice or care. No, I'm taking about pressing issues in America today and recently and sometimes I talk about other things from my own life (car problems, chess, psychology, money, etc.). For example, today we got quite a bit of snow, maybe 3-4". But then, not many people care about that.
Today I want to say the obstinacy of Republicans and the American Right are only narrowly a bigger problem than corporate America (including Wall St.). For years after World War II the economy thrived and everyone benefited. Beginning around 1974 that began to change and the top 5% of income earners began to take a larger share of the nation's income. That take increased and since the recent Great Recession it has taken nearly 100% of all the nation's increase in income. That's pretty astounding and it shows something about their greed, ambition and intellectual flaws. They're not stupid and yet the slow economy isn't seen by them as a problem, but as a good way to keep the unemployment rate high enough to hold wages down. Of course, on the Left, there are many who say that simply aiming to grow the entire economy at a faster rate would increase their incomes much more than this. So, are they stupid or have they gamed-out that alternative and found it lacking?
Here are some links discussing the current state of corporation & worker relations.
These few firms sell most of the things we buy:
http://www.policymic.com/articles/71255/10-corporations-control-almost-everything-you-buy-this-chart-shows-how
Who hides their money in the Cayman Islands?
http://rt.com/business/cayman-tax-report-agreement-505/
How do they steal pension monies?
http://truth-out.org/news/item/19672-pension-theft-crime-wave
Ironically, companies paying higher tax rates create more jobs.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/04/3017571/corporate-taxes-jobs/
The Koch brothers oppose raising the minimum wage. Duh.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/27/koch-brothers-mount-braveheart-like-stand-against-minimum-wage-increase-in-seatac/
How much would the minimum wage be if it had increased with inflation over the years?
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/01/3007011/minimum-wage-percent-leave-workers/
It's not fun working for peanuts and having bosses who feel they own you.
http://firedoglake.com/2013/12/05/late-night-wage-slavery/
Banks do a lot of good, but they also employ people at mediocre wages. Some even require public assistance (just like many state gov. workers and Walmart workers).
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/12/05/3026531/bank-employees-public-assistance/
Clearly there are corporations, and rich individuals, who prefer low wages and low taxes and they don't especially mind the lower growth rate. Why? I suspect it is that their own part of the economy is fully mature and going at its fastest already. Of course, some people think about themselves first and personal taxes or corporate taxes are their first concern.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Finally, My Car is "Fixed"...Maybe
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In the article http://markshathaway.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-local-car-dealership-dead-battery.html I wrote about my car troubles. It wouldn't start and I took it to the dealership garage.
At first their computer analysis made a profound discovery: "the battery is dead" and they just wanted to replace it. Fortunately I bumped into the mechanic and mentioned I'd been having this trouble for years and there was very likely something else happening. His first reaction was "All I can do is deal with what's in front of me." But, then he added that after replacing the battery he would do another analysis. A ray of hope...
I think he and another mechanic looked around quite a bit and discovered something really amazing: when you open the passenger door the dome light wouldn't turn on. Wow! They said the switch in the door was broken. So, I said, "That can't be very expensive. Go ahead and fix it." It was over $ 100 for that switch. They also cleared out some leaves blocking drainage holes in the car door. It had been collecting water when it rained and that may have had an impact on the electrical system. Was the switch somehow affecting the electrical system and draining the battery (presumably overnight while the car sat unused)?
So, I told them to fix the broken things.
All-in all they replaced a dead battery and fixed the door switch.
Afterward, they said, "We can't guarantee this will solve your problems."
Cost of two garage visits for the car: greater than $ 800.
This is the state of affairs in America today: we pay and they refuse to give us assurance we're really getting anything. Doctors do the same. they say we must pay because they're god-like and then when asked to explain problems they say, "What can you expect? We're just human and medicine is more art than science." No era of personal responsibility here.
So, I have the car back and it's started so far. But, there's no guarantee it ever will again. Think of that. How many trips more than 10 miles would you make not knowing your car would start if you ever had to stop and turn it off?
Next, the transmission seems to be slow-shifting. How much could a little thing like a transmission cost? :-(
In the article http://markshathaway.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-local-car-dealership-dead-battery.html I wrote about my car troubles. It wouldn't start and I took it to the dealership garage.
At first their computer analysis made a profound discovery: "the battery is dead" and they just wanted to replace it. Fortunately I bumped into the mechanic and mentioned I'd been having this trouble for years and there was very likely something else happening. His first reaction was "All I can do is deal with what's in front of me." But, then he added that after replacing the battery he would do another analysis. A ray of hope...
I think he and another mechanic looked around quite a bit and discovered something really amazing: when you open the passenger door the dome light wouldn't turn on. Wow! They said the switch in the door was broken. So, I said, "That can't be very expensive. Go ahead and fix it." It was over $ 100 for that switch. They also cleared out some leaves blocking drainage holes in the car door. It had been collecting water when it rained and that may have had an impact on the electrical system. Was the switch somehow affecting the electrical system and draining the battery (presumably overnight while the car sat unused)?
So, I told them to fix the broken things.
All-in all they replaced a dead battery and fixed the door switch.
Afterward, they said, "We can't guarantee this will solve your problems."
Cost of two garage visits for the car: greater than $ 800.
This is the state of affairs in America today: we pay and they refuse to give us assurance we're really getting anything. Doctors do the same. they say we must pay because they're god-like and then when asked to explain problems they say, "What can you expect? We're just human and medicine is more art than science." No era of personal responsibility here.
So, I have the car back and it's started so far. But, there's no guarantee it ever will again. Think of that. How many trips more than 10 miles would you make not knowing your car would start if you ever had to stop and turn it off?
Next, the transmission seems to be slow-shifting. How much could a little thing like a transmission cost? :-(
Moving Forward or Not, it's Your Choice
.
Some people improve our lives:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/31/u-s-researchers-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-childhood-respiratory-virus/
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/15/2946641/whisky-biofuel/
And, of course, the Democrats are trying to get the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) going.
Some people would deny us health care insurance:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/17/1256235/--Destory-Obama-Care-Cyber-Attacks-on-Healthcare-gov-Revealed
http://www.examiner.com/article/right-wing-cyber-attacks-on-healthcare-gov-website-confirmed
You get to choose the leaders of our government, those who want America to "move forward" or those who refuse all positive changes.
Some people improve our lives:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/31/u-s-researchers-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-childhood-respiratory-virus/
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/15/2946641/whisky-biofuel/
And, of course, the Democrats are trying to get the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) going.
Some people would deny us health care insurance:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/17/1256235/--Destory-Obama-Care-Cyber-Attacks-on-Healthcare-gov-Revealed
http://www.examiner.com/article/right-wing-cyber-attacks-on-healthcare-gov-website-confirmed
You get to choose the leaders of our government, those who want America to "move forward" or those who refuse all positive changes.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Time For A Change of Economic Policies ?
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I have commented many times that there is a backlog of legislative work which needs to be done and that Republicans (for the most part) refuse to do the work. Perhaps, as the rich become more interested, there can still be a way forward.
Are the rich celebrating their huge financial gains?
http://toomuchonline.org/amid-record-pay-ceos-arent-celebrating/
Are they worried about the middle-class or just the lack of consumption in the economy?
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/11/chart-day-collapse-american-middle-class
Here's one recent indicator they are waking up.
Bill Gross, CEO of a large bond fund (PIMCO) wrote a letter on the topic.
I have commented many times that there is a backlog of legislative work which needs to be done and that Republicans (for the most part) refuse to do the work. Perhaps, as the rich become more interested, there can still be a way forward.
Are the rich celebrating their huge financial gains?
http://toomuchonline.org/amid-record-pay-ceos-arent-celebrating/
Are they worried about the middle-class or just the lack of consumption in the economy?
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/11/chart-day-collapse-american-middle-class
Here's one recent indicator they are waking up.
Bill Gross, CEO of a large bond fund (PIMCO) wrote a letter on the topic.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
America's Legislative Backlog
.
One thing Republican control of the presidency and Congress gave us was *nothing* -- no legislative progress on things important to America. Sure sure they gave us all tax cuts, but that gave us deficits and long-term debt. Sure sure they spent a lot on defense, but it wasn't (apparently) done right and we still got 9/11, war in Afghanistan against al Qaeda and war in Iraq. The debt grew, but at least the rich were paying lower taxes and were deregulated. But, of course that gave us the mortgage/banking crisis which nearly destroyed the entire world's economy.
Since then Democrats have done health care reform, fixed the worst parts of the economy to stop and reverse the recession, re-regulate banking and a few other important things (car companies saved, higher education student loan reform, investment in alternative energy, etc.).
What's the difference? Democrats are taking care of what needs to be done instead of letting the legislative backlog grow.
Today when we look at al Qaeda we know there is a continuing threat, but we have competent people on the job containing the threat. When we look at Afghanistan and Iraq we know we're out of Iraq and will be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. When we look at a lot of the problems which existed during the Bush presidencies they've been taken care of. This doesn't mean everything is perfect. The economy is still sluggish, when you take the government spending sequester into account. What needs to be done to make the economy grow? Lots of things: tax reform, more deficit cutting, further improvement of the energy sector (more alternative energy, more competition, less gov't tax subsidizing), a reduction and eventual reversal of the Federal Reserve's Quantitative Easing programs, a higher wage for the American worker, support for unions and more investment in infrastructure. The last item is becoming more apparent over time. The cut spending to reduce deficits is impacting it.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/11/01/2875921/infrastructure-spending/
So, how do we cut deficits and spend more on infrastructure?
The first thing to realize is that borrowing money today is at very low (nearly zero) interest rates. That's always handy and a lot better than a personal credit card with rates over 20%. The other important thing to recognize is that keeping infrastructure investment low will damage long-term growth of the economy -- it costs to do nothing.
So, beginning an infrastructure bank with small investments may be a big step forward. Looking at budget priorities and choosing wisely is the other main technique for finding a way. In any case we can't let it continue to drop without dire consequences.
One thing Republican control of the presidency and Congress gave us was *nothing* -- no legislative progress on things important to America. Sure sure they gave us all tax cuts, but that gave us deficits and long-term debt. Sure sure they spent a lot on defense, but it wasn't (apparently) done right and we still got 9/11, war in Afghanistan against al Qaeda and war in Iraq. The debt grew, but at least the rich were paying lower taxes and were deregulated. But, of course that gave us the mortgage/banking crisis which nearly destroyed the entire world's economy.
Since then Democrats have done health care reform, fixed the worst parts of the economy to stop and reverse the recession, re-regulate banking and a few other important things (car companies saved, higher education student loan reform, investment in alternative energy, etc.).
What's the difference? Democrats are taking care of what needs to be done instead of letting the legislative backlog grow.
Today when we look at al Qaeda we know there is a continuing threat, but we have competent people on the job containing the threat. When we look at Afghanistan and Iraq we know we're out of Iraq and will be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. When we look at a lot of the problems which existed during the Bush presidencies they've been taken care of. This doesn't mean everything is perfect. The economy is still sluggish, when you take the government spending sequester into account. What needs to be done to make the economy grow? Lots of things: tax reform, more deficit cutting, further improvement of the energy sector (more alternative energy, more competition, less gov't tax subsidizing), a reduction and eventual reversal of the Federal Reserve's Quantitative Easing programs, a higher wage for the American worker, support for unions and more investment in infrastructure. The last item is becoming more apparent over time. The cut spending to reduce deficits is impacting it.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/11/01/2875921/infrastructure-spending/
So, how do we cut deficits and spend more on infrastructure?
The first thing to realize is that borrowing money today is at very low (nearly zero) interest rates. That's always handy and a lot better than a personal credit card with rates over 20%. The other important thing to recognize is that keeping infrastructure investment low will damage long-term growth of the economy -- it costs to do nothing.
So, beginning an infrastructure bank with small investments may be a big step forward. Looking at budget priorities and choosing wisely is the other main technique for finding a way. In any case we can't let it continue to drop without dire consequences.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
The Language of Chess May Be Visualization
.
I was browsing the blogs at chess.com and found a few by an author who says he believes we need to learn the fundamentals of chess, but that those fundamentals are a bit different than most of us imagine. The following links go to several of his blog articles on this subject.
http://iplayoochess.com/2012/10/14/flaws-of-early-chess-cognition/
http://iplayoochess.com/2011/08/16/how-to-speed-up-learning-curve-in-chess/
http://iplayoochess.com/2011/08/18/how-to-build-a-better-chess-teacher/
http://iplayoochess.com/2012/09/13/superiority-of-visual-thinking-look-dont-think/
http://www.chess.com/blog/MomirRadovic/the-oldest-and-worst-chess-misconception-of-all-time
http://iplayoochess.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Expert-Chess-Memory-Revisiting-the-Chunking-Hypothesis-Gobet-and-Simon.pdf
Then, I was browsing another site and came across a video of Mikhail Tal giving a blindfold simultaneous exhibition for Soviet television.
There will not be a quiz later.
Enjoy!
I was browsing the blogs at chess.com and found a few by an author who says he believes we need to learn the fundamentals of chess, but that those fundamentals are a bit different than most of us imagine. The following links go to several of his blog articles on this subject.
http://iplayoochess.com/2012/10/14/flaws-of-early-chess-cognition/
http://iplayoochess.com/2011/08/16/how-to-speed-up-learning-curve-in-chess/
http://iplayoochess.com/2011/08/18/how-to-build-a-better-chess-teacher/
http://iplayoochess.com/2012/09/13/superiority-of-visual-thinking-look-dont-think/
http://www.chess.com/blog/MomirRadovic/the-oldest-and-worst-chess-misconception-of-all-time
http://iplayoochess.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Expert-Chess-Memory-Revisiting-the-Chunking-Hypothesis-Gobet-and-Simon.pdf
Then, I was browsing another site and came across a video of Mikhail Tal giving a blindfold simultaneous exhibition for Soviet television.
There will not be a quiz later.
Enjoy!
Low Wages For The Poor, Low Taxes For The Rich
.
The government has cut "food stamps" SNAP benefits with the sequester plan, so the poor are indeed getting poorer.
Welfare isn't too high. Wages are too low.
Walmart employees mostly make less than $ 25,000 / year.
McOutrage: poverty wages for-workers, but corporate jet for execs
10 percent of America's largest companies pay ZERO percent tax rate
Jon Stewart says to media, don't cry for JP Morgan
Isn't GDP about the highest it's ever been in America? So, why are the working poor having such a hard time. Maybe they should just fly to the capitol in their private jets and their zero tax rate and tell their lobbyists to complain to their congressman.
The government has cut "food stamps" SNAP benefits with the sequester plan, so the poor are indeed getting poorer.
Welfare isn't too high. Wages are too low.
Walmart employees mostly make less than $ 25,000 / year.
McOutrage: poverty wages for-workers, but corporate jet for execs
10 percent of America's largest companies pay ZERO percent tax rate
Jon Stewart says to media, don't cry for JP Morgan
Isn't GDP about the highest it's ever been in America? So, why are the working poor having such a hard time. Maybe they should just fly to the capitol in their private jets and their zero tax rate and tell their lobbyists to complain to their congressman.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
A Local Car Dealership, A Dead Battery, A Volt and Strategy
.
I've had trouble with my car not starting for years. It's been entirely irregular. One time I had driven it to the Sears auto garage and parked it, but when the mechanics went to move it they couldn't start it. I got in, turned the key and it started. They thought I had some kind of trick.
Well, yesterday it wouldn't start (yet again). I waited and tried over & over, but no go. So, I relented, called AAA and had it towed to the local Chevy dealership. If they couldn't fix a Chevy then who could.
While I was there I looked at a Volt and talked to one of their salesmen about various vehicles. I found they sold a giant truck for about $68,000, but had only sold ONE Volt for about $42,000 (with $15,000 gov't rebate). Why I wondered?
So, on to the garage I went and got my car. They had to change the battery (oh the irony of the Volt full of batteries going unused and my batter being the one that died). I wonder if replacing the battery will really solve all the problems. But, naturally the first thing I noticed was the gigantic bill. Why should it cost so much to change a battery?
The next day I had an epiphany: the cost of maintenance is a profit center for the dealerships and if they sell you a car that doesn't break down (an electric car), then there's no profit by fixing it. This explains a lot about why they had only sold one Volt, and that to an electric company executive!
In other words, car companies in America don't get paid for selling you a great quality car that won't break down, but for selling stuff scheduled to fall apart so you have to get it fixed -- an electric car doesn't fit that mold.
The car companies which have invested billions in building internal combustion engine cars and in garages to fix them can't afford to change to electric cars (at least not quickly). This means the best way forward is for foreign makers or new companies to do it. Of course, they would receive tremendous competition from existing companies who don't want to lose business. Then, of course, they will have brought it on themselves by making the repair business a profit center instead of a dead cost.
Strategy comes into the picture when you want to devise something new which can succeed. Where are your profits and costs and how can a customer base afford it. The existing car companies spread it out by charging less up front and repair payments along the way. What can electric car companies do to spread the costs or just make them so low the existing companies get blown away?
It's easy to make small changes here and there and never quite get anywhere. What is the big picture which will succeed and how can you get to it without falling apart? You can't have a end product, but no way to get there and hope it will all work out. This is one reason I believe hybrids are the way to go. An existing company can build a hybrid with the internal combustion engine and transition to the all-electric (or perhaps bio-diesel with battery hybrid) without changing every single thing about their company and without having to compete against existing companies which have already sunk costs in infrastructure.
A new American car company which doesn't profit from repairs would be an amazing thing.
I've had trouble with my car not starting for years. It's been entirely irregular. One time I had driven it to the Sears auto garage and parked it, but when the mechanics went to move it they couldn't start it. I got in, turned the key and it started. They thought I had some kind of trick.
Well, yesterday it wouldn't start (yet again). I waited and tried over & over, but no go. So, I relented, called AAA and had it towed to the local Chevy dealership. If they couldn't fix a Chevy then who could.
While I was there I looked at a Volt and talked to one of their salesmen about various vehicles. I found they sold a giant truck for about $68,000, but had only sold ONE Volt for about $42,000 (with $15,000 gov't rebate). Why I wondered?
So, on to the garage I went and got my car. They had to change the battery (oh the irony of the Volt full of batteries going unused and my batter being the one that died). I wonder if replacing the battery will really solve all the problems. But, naturally the first thing I noticed was the gigantic bill. Why should it cost so much to change a battery?
The next day I had an epiphany: the cost of maintenance is a profit center for the dealerships and if they sell you a car that doesn't break down (an electric car), then there's no profit by fixing it. This explains a lot about why they had only sold one Volt, and that to an electric company executive!
In other words, car companies in America don't get paid for selling you a great quality car that won't break down, but for selling stuff scheduled to fall apart so you have to get it fixed -- an electric car doesn't fit that mold.
The car companies which have invested billions in building internal combustion engine cars and in garages to fix them can't afford to change to electric cars (at least not quickly). This means the best way forward is for foreign makers or new companies to do it. Of course, they would receive tremendous competition from existing companies who don't want to lose business. Then, of course, they will have brought it on themselves by making the repair business a profit center instead of a dead cost.
Strategy comes into the picture when you want to devise something new which can succeed. Where are your profits and costs and how can a customer base afford it. The existing car companies spread it out by charging less up front and repair payments along the way. What can electric car companies do to spread the costs or just make them so low the existing companies get blown away?
It's easy to make small changes here and there and never quite get anywhere. What is the big picture which will succeed and how can you get to it without falling apart? You can't have a end product, but no way to get there and hope it will all work out. This is one reason I believe hybrids are the way to go. An existing company can build a hybrid with the internal combustion engine and transition to the all-electric (or perhaps bio-diesel with battery hybrid) without changing every single thing about their company and without having to compete against existing companies which have already sunk costs in infrastructure.
A new American car company which doesn't profit from repairs would be an amazing thing.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Science Stories I find fascinating
.
Why do we sleep? Scientists now know.
Scientists discover DNA body clock
New super-waterproof material makes water drops bounce-off
Why are there giant mirrors installed on Norway mountainside?
Map shows global denial-of-service attacks
Here's the map alone: Denial-of-service map (it updates instantly)
Why do we sleep? Scientists now know.
Scientists discover DNA body clock
New super-waterproof material makes water drops bounce-off
Why are there giant mirrors installed on Norway mountainside?
Map shows global denial-of-service attacks
Here's the map alone: Denial-of-service map (it updates instantly)
Friday, October 18, 2013
Wendy Money Bomb and National Geographic Pictures
.
Give money to the campaign of Wendy Davis (D-Texas), running for governor!
DailyKos.com spreads the word about a National Money Bomb for Wendy Davis for Texas Governor -- Click here to give!
National Geographic asked its readers to send in pics from their vacations. They're fantastic.
Give money to the campaign of Wendy Davis (D-Texas), running for governor!
DailyKos.com spreads the word about a National Money Bomb for Wendy Davis for Texas Governor -- Click here to give!
National Geographic asked its readers to send in pics from their vacations. They're fantastic.
Energy, Science and Government Policy
.
Kevin Drum (at MotherJones.com) asks, can methanol save us all?
Arizona solar-power plant could revolutionize renewable energy
Study: renewable energy patents surge
A turning point in the treatment of Alzheimer's? (from the BBC)
Gun injuries - 630 million (from ThinkProgress.com)
The real reason we need to sleep (from BusinessInsider.com)
Kevin Drum (at MotherJones.com) asks, can methanol save us all?
Arizona solar-power plant could revolutionize renewable energy
Study: renewable energy patents surge
A turning point in the treatment of Alzheimer's? (from the BBC)
Gun injuries - 630 million (from ThinkProgress.com)
The real reason we need to sleep (from BusinessInsider.com)
Monday, October 14, 2013
Killing Government -- by the TEA party & Co.
.
The story begins long ago, not just a month or two. A cabal of organization leaders got together and decided enough was enough and they had to stop this government in its tracks.
Billionaires for Default
FreedomWorks joint letter on sequester savings (aka memo of agreement to shut down gov't)
Bill Moyers tells us who is behind it: ten hardline conservatives pulling the strings of the GOP shutdown
(from the Bill Moyer's article) Who's pulling the strings
When they tell you it's Pres. Obama and the Democrats who shut down government you can point to these articles as evidence the Republicans planned it long ago.
Daily Kos tells us about Mrs Ted Cruz, VP Goldman Sachs and Policy Advisor to Bush-Cheney
Is the shutdown going to end soon? The Atlantic tells us one answer.
How crazy are these anti-government people? CrooksandLiars.com explains.
BuzzFeed.com tells us FreedomWorks may be strapped for cash!
Robert Reich (Sec. of Labor in Clinton administration) tells us we shouldn't be magnanimous (yet).
I think the Right has to pay a price, but they're quickly arriving at the point where a deal may be made to move the country forward. There are a lot of things Congress needs to do which have been put on hold and once this episode is passed there may be new possibilities for progress.
The story begins long ago, not just a month or two. A cabal of organization leaders got together and decided enough was enough and they had to stop this government in its tracks.
Billionaires for Default
FreedomWorks joint letter on sequester savings (aka memo of agreement to shut down gov't)
Bill Moyers tells us who is behind it: ten hardline conservatives pulling the strings of the GOP shutdown
(from the Bill Moyer's article) Who's pulling the strings
When they tell you it's Pres. Obama and the Democrats who shut down government you can point to these articles as evidence the Republicans planned it long ago.
Daily Kos tells us about Mrs Ted Cruz, VP Goldman Sachs and Policy Advisor to Bush-Cheney
Is the shutdown going to end soon? The Atlantic tells us one answer.
How crazy are these anti-government people? CrooksandLiars.com explains.
BuzzFeed.com tells us FreedomWorks may be strapped for cash!
Robert Reich (Sec. of Labor in Clinton administration) tells us we shouldn't be magnanimous (yet).
I think the Right has to pay a price, but they're quickly arriving at the point where a deal may be made to move the country forward. There are a lot of things Congress needs to do which have been put on hold and once this episode is passed there may be new possibilities for progress.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Reports of Scientific Achievements and Poverty
.
Researchers find a way to transform all those waste plastic bags into something useful!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/02/researchers-transform-plastic-bags-into-high-tech-nanomaterial/
Scientists think they've found the issue in brains that cause schizophrenia!
http://www.businessinsider.com/brain-white-matter-and-schizophrenia-2013-10
Flu bug be gone!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/07/rutgers-scientists-find-molecules-that-could-knock-out-flu/
http://phoenixwoman.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/good-news-on-the-anti-bug-front/
Let there be (super-cheap) light, said the Canadian teen!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/03/canadian-teens-battery-free-hollow-flashlight-could-bring-light-to-developing-world/
And there there's this...about the American corporation
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/mcdonalds-worker-arrested-after-telling-comp
There has to be a better way.
Researchers find a way to transform all those waste plastic bags into something useful!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/02/researchers-transform-plastic-bags-into-high-tech-nanomaterial/
Scientists think they've found the issue in brains that cause schizophrenia!
http://www.businessinsider.com/brain-white-matter-and-schizophrenia-2013-10
Flu bug be gone!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/07/rutgers-scientists-find-molecules-that-could-knock-out-flu/
http://phoenixwoman.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/good-news-on-the-anti-bug-front/
Let there be (super-cheap) light, said the Canadian teen!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/03/canadian-teens-battery-free-hollow-flashlight-could-bring-light-to-developing-world/
And there there's this...about the American corporation
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/mcdonalds-worker-arrested-after-telling-comp
There has to be a better way.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Presidential Leadership wrt The Shutdown
.
The Republicans passed the Budget Control Act, so that in the event of a shutdown there would be a steady flow of money to pay interest on the debt. That lets them keep the gov't shut down as long as they like (despite whomever it may hurt) and yet claim they're not destroying "the good faith and credit" of the U.S. gov't.
The Republicans demanded Democrats negotiate with them on a budget. So, Senate Democrats DID, and conceded to accepting the Republican budget numbers. The bill was passed. That was a Dem concession.
The House had passed a budget, but then the House refused to appoint conferees, so the two budgets could be taken to conference and differences resolved. That was about SIX months ago. Republicans continue to refuse to negotiate.
The Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to continue spending at the present levels for a short time, so the House & Senate could negotiate a final budget bill. That's a second whack at the concession. It remains untouched by the House Republicans.
The House Republicans passed a resolution which suspends a normal House rule, so that no clean continuing resolution (CR) could be brought up by the Democrats to get a vote on spending which would keep the government going...in full. They refuse to allow progress in the House.
Now Republicans claim the president isn't supplying leadership. At the same time they say the federal government "purse" is in their hands. They are required to initiate spending and yet they say clearly they intend to NOT fund Obamacare. By defunding the ACA it would essentially negate the law. That's deciding a policy issue via funding. It's not what the founders wanted Congress to do and if the president, or the Democratically-controlled Senate goes along with that there will be no end to this kind of blackmailing in the future. The founders gave the House responsibility to raise taxes (or lower them) and to plan and authorize spending, but not to be able to override the Senate and Executive (the president). These Republicans think they control all of government when it comes to spending. They are WRONG.
Since the president can rise above partisanship this one has said he do just that and will stand for traditional lines of authority and resist the blackmail. The House is to initiate, but not to dictate spending levels to everyone else.
Further, anyone who doesn't think the president and Democrats haven't negotiated on the deficit and how to reduce it haven't been paying attention. The size of the deficit is shrinking. That's what the sequester was about and the Democrats passed a CR with that level of spending.
Republicans have focused primarily on ending the ACA (Obamacare) while saying they want to negotiate on the ACA, the deficit, the budget, and anything that comes to their mind. It's time to fund government and send conferees to settle the budget, as the Congress is supposed to do. The president isn't part of that process.
The Republicans passed the Budget Control Act, so that in the event of a shutdown there would be a steady flow of money to pay interest on the debt. That lets them keep the gov't shut down as long as they like (despite whomever it may hurt) and yet claim they're not destroying "the good faith and credit" of the U.S. gov't.
The Republicans demanded Democrats negotiate with them on a budget. So, Senate Democrats DID, and conceded to accepting the Republican budget numbers. The bill was passed. That was a Dem concession.
The House had passed a budget, but then the House refused to appoint conferees, so the two budgets could be taken to conference and differences resolved. That was about SIX months ago. Republicans continue to refuse to negotiate.
The Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to continue spending at the present levels for a short time, so the House & Senate could negotiate a final budget bill. That's a second whack at the concession. It remains untouched by the House Republicans.
The House Republicans passed a resolution which suspends a normal House rule, so that no clean continuing resolution (CR) could be brought up by the Democrats to get a vote on spending which would keep the government going...in full. They refuse to allow progress in the House.
Now Republicans claim the president isn't supplying leadership. At the same time they say the federal government "purse" is in their hands. They are required to initiate spending and yet they say clearly they intend to NOT fund Obamacare. By defunding the ACA it would essentially negate the law. That's deciding a policy issue via funding. It's not what the founders wanted Congress to do and if the president, or the Democratically-controlled Senate goes along with that there will be no end to this kind of blackmailing in the future. The founders gave the House responsibility to raise taxes (or lower them) and to plan and authorize spending, but not to be able to override the Senate and Executive (the president). These Republicans think they control all of government when it comes to spending. They are WRONG.
Since the president can rise above partisanship this one has said he do just that and will stand for traditional lines of authority and resist the blackmail. The House is to initiate, but not to dictate spending levels to everyone else.
Further, anyone who doesn't think the president and Democrats haven't negotiated on the deficit and how to reduce it haven't been paying attention. The size of the deficit is shrinking. That's what the sequester was about and the Democrats passed a CR with that level of spending.
Republicans have focused primarily on ending the ACA (Obamacare) while saying they want to negotiate on the ACA, the deficit, the budget, and anything that comes to their mind. It's time to fund government and send conferees to settle the budget, as the Congress is supposed to do. The president isn't part of that process.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Some People Create Good Things, Republican Politicians Do Not
.
Good Things
Tricking HIV to kill itself !
Caging atoms to create electricity !
Korean scientists create biofuel from e-coli bacteria strain
Algae farm in a balloon could silence algae biofuel naysayers
Ikea solar panels for sale Britain (no assembly required)
Not so good things
Conservative radio host urges GOP to screw the stock market and shut down government
Who gets screwed by a shutdown: poor people, old people, basically everyone
Economists agree government shutdown will hurt economic growth
Impact of a government shutdown on the economy (from CNN)
Andrew Tobias talks about a shut-down
In other words, everybody gets hurt. What is the matter with these sick sadistic monsters? Does their oath of office (to uphold the Constitution and protect America) mean nothing to them?
Good Things
Tricking HIV to kill itself !
Caging atoms to create electricity !
Korean scientists create biofuel from e-coli bacteria strain
Algae farm in a balloon could silence algae biofuel naysayers
Ikea solar panels for sale Britain (no assembly required)
Not so good things
Conservative radio host urges GOP to screw the stock market and shut down government
Who gets screwed by a shutdown: poor people, old people, basically everyone
Economists agree government shutdown will hurt economic growth
Impact of a government shutdown on the economy (from CNN)
Andrew Tobias talks about a shut-down
In other words, everybody gets hurt. What is the matter with these sick sadistic monsters? Does their oath of office (to uphold the Constitution and protect America) mean nothing to them?
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
If People Can Buy More, Companies Can Sell More
.
I was listening a bit to a Senate committee hearing on the economy today and the Republicans were once again claiming that threatening to shut down the economy or actually doing it won't really be much of a problem for very long if nobody notices and that the federal government debt, corporate regulations, the cost of Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) to business and high tax rates are the real problem. I wonder what planet they're on.
The stock market's Dow Jones Index is doing quite well, despite the recession.
Corporate After Tax Profits are doing great.
Comparing the U.S. economy to the U.K. economy, where they've exerted more austerity with less government spending, we're doing very well.
And, corporations may be complaining of higher costs from regulations and Obamacare, but their effective tax rate is very very low.
They really don't have much to complain about. But, ordinary workers do. Since the mid-1970s the income of this country has been going more and more to a smaller number of people and those with smaller incomes are barely holding even.
You may be wondering, if they're making so much money, then why aren't they expanding their factories and hiring more the way companies have always done. They're employing foreigners at lower wages, even in Socialist countries, to avoid paying the U.S. tax rate and make more profit.
It would seem like a simple thing to fix -- just end the tax deduction they use to keep their overseas profits from being taxed at U.S. rates (or after some adjustment for the taxes they pay in that foreign country). Democrats tried to do just that a couple of years ago. Senator Mitch McConnell, and all the Republicans, said "No". They filibustered the bill and killed it.
They say we have to cut the budget deficit (and we do) and never raise taxes on the rich. But, Pres. Obama has been working with them to decrease spending to bring the deficit down.
Some people have been arguing for an increase of the minimum wage to restore it to the level of 1968 (adjusted for inflation). Conservatives (and unfortunately, some Democrats) have said "No".
If people have more money they could buy more and companies who can sell more will expand their plants and hire more people to produce. And, if companies didn't find it profitable to send jobs overseas they might hire more (currently unemployed) American workers.
So, if you want to know why the economy isn't doing better, ask Republicans when they'll stop holding it back.
I was listening a bit to a Senate committee hearing on the economy today and the Republicans were once again claiming that threatening to shut down the economy or actually doing it won't really be much of a problem for very long if nobody notices and that the federal government debt, corporate regulations, the cost of Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) to business and high tax rates are the real problem. I wonder what planet they're on.
The stock market's Dow Jones Index is doing quite well, despite the recession.
Corporate After Tax Profits are doing great.
Comparing the U.S. economy to the U.K. economy, where they've exerted more austerity with less government spending, we're doing very well.
And, corporations may be complaining of higher costs from regulations and Obamacare, but their effective tax rate is very very low.
They really don't have much to complain about. But, ordinary workers do. Since the mid-1970s the income of this country has been going more and more to a smaller number of people and those with smaller incomes are barely holding even.
You may be wondering, if they're making so much money, then why aren't they expanding their factories and hiring more the way companies have always done. They're employing foreigners at lower wages, even in Socialist countries, to avoid paying the U.S. tax rate and make more profit.
It would seem like a simple thing to fix -- just end the tax deduction they use to keep their overseas profits from being taxed at U.S. rates (or after some adjustment for the taxes they pay in that foreign country). Democrats tried to do just that a couple of years ago. Senator Mitch McConnell, and all the Republicans, said "No". They filibustered the bill and killed it.
They say we have to cut the budget deficit (and we do) and never raise taxes on the rich. But, Pres. Obama has been working with them to decrease spending to bring the deficit down.
Some people have been arguing for an increase of the minimum wage to restore it to the level of 1968 (adjusted for inflation). Conservatives (and unfortunately, some Democrats) have said "No".
If people have more money they could buy more and companies who can sell more will expand their plants and hire more people to produce. And, if companies didn't find it profitable to send jobs overseas they might hire more (currently unemployed) American workers.
So, if you want to know why the economy isn't doing better, ask Republicans when they'll stop holding it back.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Science & Technology Stories
.
Solar
Why are some big utilities embracing small scale solar power?
Cost of solar power in U.S. 60 percent lower than in early 2011
Solar and wind power now cheaper than coal power in the US
Algae biofuel use cuts carbon emissions 50 to 70 percent when-compared-to-petroleum says study
Transportation
New Tesla patent 400-mile battery-pack using metal air lithium-ion batteries
Solar Roadways update
That's the company making tiles which collect energy from the cars moving across them and feed it to the 'grid'. I don't remember off-hand if it also collects solar energy. Read the article and find out.
Recycling waste
Researchers create battery that recycles sewage into energy.
Maybe they can start in Washington D.C.
Scientists harness power of exoelectrogenic bacteria in wastewater to make renewable electricity.
Solar
Why are some big utilities embracing small scale solar power?
Cost of solar power in U.S. 60 percent lower than in early 2011
Solar and wind power now cheaper than coal power in the US
Algae biofuel use cuts carbon emissions 50 to 70 percent when-compared-to-petroleum says study
Transportation
New Tesla patent 400-mile battery-pack using metal air lithium-ion batteries
Solar Roadways update
That's the company making tiles which collect energy from the cars moving across them and feed it to the 'grid'. I don't remember off-hand if it also collects solar energy. Read the article and find out.
Recycling waste
Researchers create battery that recycles sewage into energy.
Maybe they can start in Washington D.C.
Scientists harness power of exoelectrogenic bacteria in wastewater to make renewable electricity.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
The Business of America is ... Business
.
Ehud Barak, and perhaps many others around the world, wonder about America's recent foreign policy. Is it accidental or planned, amateurish or sophisticated?
He said we established a kind of world order with stability in which everyone could do business and that recently we abandoned the leaders who kept that in place, in favor of peoples. I believe that is a slight misinterpretation, though sensible observation, of the foreign policy of America.
Consider that after World War I our president Woodrow Wilson wanted to establish an international organization which would enable diplomacy to reign and wars to end. Was that out of the goodness of his heart or self-interest for America? After World War II America implemented the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe. During the Cold War we utilized détente to keep the peace and the use of diplomacy to work toward a lasting peace. Was that for national glory or just to establish a stability for business? Why did America support Mubarak in Egypt for decades? Was it to have stability for business sake? How much business did we do with Egypt?
I believe America's vision in the area of foreign policy has always been a reflection of America itself. Our leaders have always had in mind commerce and an expansion of that to the world. But, we have also had an idealism in the area of human rights (here we call it 'civil rights') which is embedded in our Constitution and the spirit of the people to be free of European monarchy and wars. We sometimes preach about such things and forget our own excesses, but we are always reaching for the ideal when it comes to civil/human rights.
Thus, our policy has been to establish stability for business, to use diplomacy to spread the good news that our economic system, in league with the Western Europeans, was a great thing everyone should give a try. A very big part of our support for commerce is that it serves our material needs AND it gives us freedom to develop our individual interests and abilities. That's where the recent view that developments in China needn't begin with political revolution, but that if economic development leads to greater personal freedom and economic power for the populace that the country will eventually evolve to become benign, free, wealthier and happier in the world; that would also make us safer and more prosperous. Peace and prosperity can go hand-in-hand.
So, we did indeed support Mubarak for a long time, but it wasn't paying dividends for the Egyptian people beyond having time to develop their economy. Well, that time wasn't especially well-used, so it was time for another step forward. The people recognized that and so it began. That this time is full of conflict and confusion isn't surprising, but it doesn't mean America 'abandoned' the Egyptian people. It just means change is hard.
Have we 'abandoned' the Syrian people? We support their hopes to be free and prosperous, but it's hard in the middle of a civil war to recognize the secular Syrian groups we could trust to take power and those who are (in our opinion) dangerous. Thus, we are hesitant to step in to depose al Assad. We also have fewer natural national interests than we would usually hope for when involved overseas. The American public really isn't interested in an activist foreign policy just now and our government's budget isn't full of spare money for that.
However, when chemical weapons were used we had a different issue, and one which related directly to American interests. Any country which was involved or saw what happened in World War I or the Iraq-Iran wars knows chemical weapons should be banned from existence. We are seeking to eliminate the ones in Syria to keep everyone safe from them. This is self-interest and an interest in the people of the region and of seeking a new order for Syria where the people are not slaughtered by their own government. It's messy, as change often is.
Fortunately, this process has also shown the president was right during his recent election campaign when he disagreed with his competitor who said Russia was one main foreign opponent. It's shown now, as Ehud Barak recently said, that Putin and the Russians have national interests and they can be dealt with through normal diplomatic relations. The same has been true of China. This should renew the trust people have their leaders know how to advance our policy goals and that the world can be a place where people work together to achieve goals.
I think American foreign policy has been remarkably consistent as it is based on the very soul of the American people. This is naturally not the easiest thing for other peoples to grasp. I suppose the key thing to consider is that America is a place which has very high ideals and goals and we don't fear change (at least not all the time) to achieve a lot of things we want. That makes us 'leaders' and sometimes 'sanctimonious preachers'. It certainly makes us exceptional, for good or ill.
One other thing which I've noticed has been very confusing to the world is how our current president has managed the foreign policy with great respect for the limits of our Constitution and simple interests and domestic politics. This adds a layer of confusion here at home and I can only imagine foreigners being utterly frustrated with us. Some of our presidents haven't always worked this way and often our Congress has rubber-stamped the presidents plans. But, today we have great political division in the country, or at least in Washington, and ensuring we have a large degree of assent on foreign policy is essential -- even when it leaves everyone else confused.
My only suggestion to friends abroad is to talk with us and work with us on common interests. It's easier than trying to read between the lines or consulting a spiritual guide.
Ehud Barak, and perhaps many others around the world, wonder about America's recent foreign policy. Is it accidental or planned, amateurish or sophisticated?
He said we established a kind of world order with stability in which everyone could do business and that recently we abandoned the leaders who kept that in place, in favor of peoples. I believe that is a slight misinterpretation, though sensible observation, of the foreign policy of America.
Consider that after World War I our president Woodrow Wilson wanted to establish an international organization which would enable diplomacy to reign and wars to end. Was that out of the goodness of his heart or self-interest for America? After World War II America implemented the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe. During the Cold War we utilized détente to keep the peace and the use of diplomacy to work toward a lasting peace. Was that for national glory or just to establish a stability for business? Why did America support Mubarak in Egypt for decades? Was it to have stability for business sake? How much business did we do with Egypt?
I believe America's vision in the area of foreign policy has always been a reflection of America itself. Our leaders have always had in mind commerce and an expansion of that to the world. But, we have also had an idealism in the area of human rights (here we call it 'civil rights') which is embedded in our Constitution and the spirit of the people to be free of European monarchy and wars. We sometimes preach about such things and forget our own excesses, but we are always reaching for the ideal when it comes to civil/human rights.
Thus, our policy has been to establish stability for business, to use diplomacy to spread the good news that our economic system, in league with the Western Europeans, was a great thing everyone should give a try. A very big part of our support for commerce is that it serves our material needs AND it gives us freedom to develop our individual interests and abilities. That's where the recent view that developments in China needn't begin with political revolution, but that if economic development leads to greater personal freedom and economic power for the populace that the country will eventually evolve to become benign, free, wealthier and happier in the world; that would also make us safer and more prosperous. Peace and prosperity can go hand-in-hand.
So, we did indeed support Mubarak for a long time, but it wasn't paying dividends for the Egyptian people beyond having time to develop their economy. Well, that time wasn't especially well-used, so it was time for another step forward. The people recognized that and so it began. That this time is full of conflict and confusion isn't surprising, but it doesn't mean America 'abandoned' the Egyptian people. It just means change is hard.
Have we 'abandoned' the Syrian people? We support their hopes to be free and prosperous, but it's hard in the middle of a civil war to recognize the secular Syrian groups we could trust to take power and those who are (in our opinion) dangerous. Thus, we are hesitant to step in to depose al Assad. We also have fewer natural national interests than we would usually hope for when involved overseas. The American public really isn't interested in an activist foreign policy just now and our government's budget isn't full of spare money for that.
However, when chemical weapons were used we had a different issue, and one which related directly to American interests. Any country which was involved or saw what happened in World War I or the Iraq-Iran wars knows chemical weapons should be banned from existence. We are seeking to eliminate the ones in Syria to keep everyone safe from them. This is self-interest and an interest in the people of the region and of seeking a new order for Syria where the people are not slaughtered by their own government. It's messy, as change often is.
Fortunately, this process has also shown the president was right during his recent election campaign when he disagreed with his competitor who said Russia was one main foreign opponent. It's shown now, as Ehud Barak recently said, that Putin and the Russians have national interests and they can be dealt with through normal diplomatic relations. The same has been true of China. This should renew the trust people have their leaders know how to advance our policy goals and that the world can be a place where people work together to achieve goals.
I think American foreign policy has been remarkably consistent as it is based on the very soul of the American people. This is naturally not the easiest thing for other peoples to grasp. I suppose the key thing to consider is that America is a place which has very high ideals and goals and we don't fear change (at least not all the time) to achieve a lot of things we want. That makes us 'leaders' and sometimes 'sanctimonious preachers'. It certainly makes us exceptional, for good or ill.
One other thing which I've noticed has been very confusing to the world is how our current president has managed the foreign policy with great respect for the limits of our Constitution and simple interests and domestic politics. This adds a layer of confusion here at home and I can only imagine foreigners being utterly frustrated with us. Some of our presidents haven't always worked this way and often our Congress has rubber-stamped the presidents plans. But, today we have great political division in the country, or at least in Washington, and ensuring we have a large degree of assent on foreign policy is essential -- even when it leaves everyone else confused.
My only suggestion to friends abroad is to talk with us and work with us on common interests. It's easier than trying to read between the lines or consulting a spiritual guide.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Walmart Avoids Higher Minimum Wage in Washington, D.C.
.
The mayor of Washington, D.C. vetoed a bill requiring a higher minimum wage (a living wage) for the city. Walmart won.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/12/walmart-victorious-as-d-c-mayor-vetoes-living-wage-bill/
But, does America win when wages are held down, even as productivity goes up? America has done better in the past (post-World War II to 1980) growth in wealth was shared by everyone far more evenly than today and the economy grew. In 2007-8 it crashed after corporate taxes had been reduced and regulations on banking were reduced dramatically.
It's amazing the rich, and it is the rich who run major corporations, can see big government help during the recession as alright, but government interference with the minimum wage as destructive. They received trillions of dollars during the recession in bailouts and stimulus spending and now they begrudge working class receiving good wages. It's amazing and disgusting. But, more than that it isn't smart.
An economy which isn't doing well does better when propped up long enough for healing to take place -- and some of that healing is corrective legislation to regulate better. Even now the Federal Reserve is pouring billions of dollars into the economy to prop it up. When there's discussion about reducing that the Wall Street crowd cry bloody murder and claim the economy would crash without it. They love their big government when they benefit. Well, the economy could use more cash flow, but the government doesn't want to just increase quantitative easing. That money doesn't get into the hands of the consumers so much as Wall Street and corporations which are borrowing from big banks. Earlier in the recession the government gave some tax breaks to the working class and that helped. Those are (mostly) gone now.
Maybe it's time to remove the bandage from Wall Street and see how much healing has happened. If Walmart (and other big companies) think the working class doesn't need better pay and the economy is just fine, then maybe they think the healing has occurred and the economy is strong enough to stand on its own feet without big government supports.
Clearly it's time to cut back on the Quantitative Easing (QE) and quick, before America becomes a Socialist heaven for the rich.
The mayor of Washington, D.C. vetoed a bill requiring a higher minimum wage (a living wage) for the city. Walmart won.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/12/walmart-victorious-as-d-c-mayor-vetoes-living-wage-bill/
But, does America win when wages are held down, even as productivity goes up? America has done better in the past (post-World War II to 1980) growth in wealth was shared by everyone far more evenly than today and the economy grew. In 2007-8 it crashed after corporate taxes had been reduced and regulations on banking were reduced dramatically.
It's amazing the rich, and it is the rich who run major corporations, can see big government help during the recession as alright, but government interference with the minimum wage as destructive. They received trillions of dollars during the recession in bailouts and stimulus spending and now they begrudge working class receiving good wages. It's amazing and disgusting. But, more than that it isn't smart.
An economy which isn't doing well does better when propped up long enough for healing to take place -- and some of that healing is corrective legislation to regulate better. Even now the Federal Reserve is pouring billions of dollars into the economy to prop it up. When there's discussion about reducing that the Wall Street crowd cry bloody murder and claim the economy would crash without it. They love their big government when they benefit. Well, the economy could use more cash flow, but the government doesn't want to just increase quantitative easing. That money doesn't get into the hands of the consumers so much as Wall Street and corporations which are borrowing from big banks. Earlier in the recession the government gave some tax breaks to the working class and that helped. Those are (mostly) gone now.
Maybe it's time to remove the bandage from Wall Street and see how much healing has happened. If Walmart (and other big companies) think the working class doesn't need better pay and the economy is just fine, then maybe they think the healing has occurred and the economy is strong enough to stand on its own feet without big government supports.
Clearly it's time to cut back on the Quantitative Easing (QE) and quick, before America becomes a Socialist heaven for the rich.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
How We Think, Part XXLV
.
Did you know Romans who used numbers like XXLV didn't have a number for zero? Just a bit of trivia.
Recently I've been trying to blend all the different things about how we think into a smooth easy-to-use process for chess.
-- Position weaknesses & threats silently described (to see the parts and sequence for threats left-brain-wise).
-- Forcing variations seen as simply pieces moving on the board in your mind to engage the right-brain.
-- Strategic goals silently stated to provide direction for our imagination to find solutions.
-- Adjustments to move-sequences to find the best. It seems our first try is rarely best.
-- Breathe deeply and slowly to calm the inner beast. This is the one conscious way to influence it.
Your goal could be something abstract like "to get more and more advantage to win". However, one's goal could be something concrete like winning a pawn or controlling a file or leading the opponent to misplace a piece.
Saturday I played in a consultation game and realized that often I wasn't following this at all. Quite often I would quickly jump from position analysis and strategic goals to move selection instead of forcing moves/sequences. It seems that considering forcing moves isn't always the most natural. However, I would quickly add that when I did adhere to "position weaknesses & threats, forcing moves, strategic goals" order of things it went pretty well. It seemed always to be a question not of what forcing moves are possible, but what sequence could I/we use to achieve an immediate tactical/positional goal. That leads me to believe we need to have a good sense of the goals before considering any candidate solutions.
Position: weaknesses & threats
Goal(s): longer-term strategic things and shorter-term concrete positional things
Forcing-moves solution
Plan solution
Adjustments (to improve the quality of the line you will play)
Where the "connect the dots" intuition comes into play is in the forcing move sequence solution where we're intuiting candidate moves and guessing our opponents responses as we go. There's a bit of the "solitaire chess" where you guess moves for both sides.
A writer once sent a long letter to a friend and then apologized for its length. He said he just didn't have enough time to make it shorter. I think a lot of our initial move-sequences are overly long or convoluted because we need time to make them better (usually shorter too).
Did you know Romans who used numbers like XXLV didn't have a number for zero? Just a bit of trivia.
Recently I've been trying to blend all the different things about how we think into a smooth easy-to-use process for chess.
-- Position weaknesses & threats silently described (to see the parts and sequence for threats left-brain-wise).
-- Forcing variations seen as simply pieces moving on the board in your mind to engage the right-brain.
-- Strategic goals silently stated to provide direction for our imagination to find solutions.
-- Adjustments to move-sequences to find the best. It seems our first try is rarely best.
-- Breathe deeply and slowly to calm the inner beast. This is the one conscious way to influence it.
Your goal could be something abstract like "to get more and more advantage to win". However, one's goal could be something concrete like winning a pawn or controlling a file or leading the opponent to misplace a piece.
Saturday I played in a consultation game and realized that often I wasn't following this at all. Quite often I would quickly jump from position analysis and strategic goals to move selection instead of forcing moves/sequences. It seems that considering forcing moves isn't always the most natural. However, I would quickly add that when I did adhere to "position weaknesses & threats, forcing moves, strategic goals" order of things it went pretty well. It seemed always to be a question not of what forcing moves are possible, but what sequence could I/we use to achieve an immediate tactical/positional goal. That leads me to believe we need to have a good sense of the goals before considering any candidate solutions.
Position: weaknesses & threats
Goal(s): longer-term strategic things and shorter-term concrete positional things
Forcing-moves solution
Plan solution
Adjustments (to improve the quality of the line you will play)
Where the "connect the dots" intuition comes into play is in the forcing move sequence solution where we're intuiting candidate moves and guessing our opponents responses as we go. There's a bit of the "solitaire chess" where you guess moves for both sides.
A writer once sent a long letter to a friend and then apologized for its length. He said he just didn't have enough time to make it shorter. I think a lot of our initial move-sequences are overly long or convoluted because we need time to make them better (usually shorter too).
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Republicans Like to Say We Don't Need So Much Government
.
But, who will take care of massive problems like Syria, the Fukushima reactor problems, economic systemic problems leading to mass poverty, investment in basic science which corporations aren't going to do, bridge building and regulating people and companies from killing one another (or the honey bees)?
Economic System Woes
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-it-still-feels-like-a-recession-to-95-of-america-2013-8
http://www.epi.org/publication/a-decade-of-flat-wages-the-key-barrier-to-shared-prosperity-and-a-rising-middle-class/
http://inequality.org/ceo-pay-revealing-retrospective/
Basic Scientific Research
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/28/scientists-identify-protein-behind-age-related-memory-loss-in-mice/
Nuclear Reactor Meltdown Endangers Humanity
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/04/nuclear-disaster-radiation-levels-at-fukushima-would-now-be-fatal-within-hours/
Corporate Use of Pesticides Endangers Bees
http://grist.org/news/farm-kills-millions-of-bees-with-illegal-pesticide-spraying-gets-slap-on-wrist/
Bridges in Danger of Collapsing
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/09/04/engineers-thousands-us-bridges-dangerously-close-collapsing-matter-time/
Fortunately we know that putting people to work on these problems also boosts the economy when they spend their incomes on food, gas, health care and other things. It's a good thing to solve our problems for the obvious reasons and for the economy.
But, who will take care of massive problems like Syria, the Fukushima reactor problems, economic systemic problems leading to mass poverty, investment in basic science which corporations aren't going to do, bridge building and regulating people and companies from killing one another (or the honey bees)?
Economic System Woes
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-it-still-feels-like-a-recession-to-95-of-america-2013-8
http://www.epi.org/publication/a-decade-of-flat-wages-the-key-barrier-to-shared-prosperity-and-a-rising-middle-class/
http://inequality.org/ceo-pay-revealing-retrospective/
Basic Scientific Research
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/28/scientists-identify-protein-behind-age-related-memory-loss-in-mice/
Nuclear Reactor Meltdown Endangers Humanity
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/04/nuclear-disaster-radiation-levels-at-fukushima-would-now-be-fatal-within-hours/
Corporate Use of Pesticides Endangers Bees
http://grist.org/news/farm-kills-millions-of-bees-with-illegal-pesticide-spraying-gets-slap-on-wrist/
Bridges in Danger of Collapsing
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/09/04/engineers-thousands-us-bridges-dangerously-close-collapsing-matter-time/
Fortunately we know that putting people to work on these problems also boosts the economy when they spend their incomes on food, gas, health care and other things. It's a good thing to solve our problems for the obvious reasons and for the economy.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Dangers Near and Far: Chemical Weapons and Nuclear Waste
.
Even as Congress debates a response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria there is another danger we need to recognize and respond to. The Fukushima nuclear reactor collapse when the tsunami hit created a big big problem which hasn't been solved (not by any measure).
http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/09/02/fukushima-radiation-levels-18-times-higher-than-thought/
http://enenews.com/global-threat-fukushima-4-fuel-pool-greatest-threat-humanity-faced-ceo
However annoying it may be to deal with Syria the threat to our long-term survivability has to have priority.
Even as Congress debates a response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria there is another danger we need to recognize and respond to. The Fukushima nuclear reactor collapse when the tsunami hit created a big big problem which hasn't been solved (not by any measure).
http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/09/02/fukushima-radiation-levels-18-times-higher-than-thought/
http://enenews.com/global-threat-fukushima-4-fuel-pool-greatest-threat-humanity-faced-ceo
However annoying it may be to deal with Syria the threat to our long-term survivability has to have priority.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Minimum Wage and Work at McDonald's
.
I recently spoke to a Libertarian friend of mine who has a college degree and is working at McDonald's. He recently had a bit of an accident and had hospital bills and he has a big student loan debt. I asked him how much he made and what it would take for him to be able to begin paying off his bills. He hadn't calculated that, but estimated it was about $ 0.50- 0.75 / hour more than he currently makes.
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-much-the-minimum-wage-would-be-today-if-the-original-marchers-on-washington-got-their-demands-2013-8
http://www.businessinsider.com/workers-of-america-are-getting-screwed-2013-8
http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/08/29/american-fast-food-workers-organize-nationwide-strikes-over-wages/
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/18521-finishing-the-march-for-livable-wages
I remember having a college degree and asking for $20 / hour (less than my union plumber brother makes) and getting laughed at. How much should a college grad make these days? How much does it take to live?
At the gym some people were discussing unemployment and gov't welfare and they seemed to think people should work for peanuts instead of getting more from welfare. I asked, why shouldn't someone do what gets them the most? Why should someone spend their time working for so little? If welfare pays so little then why are any employers paying even less?
People need to be paid enough to live and pay off bills.
I recently spoke to a Libertarian friend of mine who has a college degree and is working at McDonald's. He recently had a bit of an accident and had hospital bills and he has a big student loan debt. I asked him how much he made and what it would take for him to be able to begin paying off his bills. He hadn't calculated that, but estimated it was about $ 0.50- 0.75 / hour more than he currently makes.
http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-much-the-minimum-wage-would-be-today-if-the-original-marchers-on-washington-got-their-demands-2013-8
http://www.businessinsider.com/workers-of-america-are-getting-screwed-2013-8
http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/08/29/american-fast-food-workers-organize-nationwide-strikes-over-wages/
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/18521-finishing-the-march-for-livable-wages
I remember having a college degree and asking for $20 / hour (less than my union plumber brother makes) and getting laughed at. How much should a college grad make these days? How much does it take to live?
At the gym some people were discussing unemployment and gov't welfare and they seemed to think people should work for peanuts instead of getting more from welfare. I asked, why shouldn't someone do what gets them the most? Why should someone spend their time working for so little? If welfare pays so little then why are any employers paying even less?
People need to be paid enough to live and pay off bills.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
How to Think under Time Constraint
.
I've been looking at how we think, in its many ways, but when practicing that in blitz chess it doesn't seem very efficient and effective. It's too left-brain sequential and not fluid enough or fast enough. The following e-msg and my response explains.
A friend writes and points me to a Dan Heisman article on chess.com. Heisman is a national master in America, noted for being a great teacher of weaker players.
I responded...
I've been looking at how we think, in its many ways, but when practicing that in blitz chess it doesn't seem very efficient and effective. It's too left-brain sequential and not fluid enough or fast enough. The following e-msg and my response explains.
A friend writes and points me to a Dan Heisman article on chess.com. Heisman is a national master in America, noted for being a great teacher of weaker players.
I responded...
Yesterday at the club I tried to do the stuff I've been talking about and in blitz I couldn't focus well for a while and even when I did focus I found it impossible to go down the list of 'things to do'. It just seems too long and intricate. Perhaps in a slower game it could work, but it just doesn't work in blitz.
I had to adjust as the day went on and begin to rely more on my opening knowledge and general principles of positional play and all the standard things.
It seems to me we do have to be very familiar with the position before us and know its weaknesses (for both sides) and how we might try to exploit those without giving up the farm to do it. Thus, dividing the position into chunks and silently describing their weaknesses to ourselves just seems far too slow. However, knowing the weaknesses is crucial to focus our play. Likewise, "silently stating the goal" may be useful, but when considering various possibilities it's enough to realize which of them meets the broad general offensive goal best without destroying our own position. "Hurry slowly" as Kasparov and others have said is good advice. Where the biggest difference in blitz and tournament chess comes in is the time spent considering various plans or doing blunder-checking. I prefer these days to try to maintain a safe position rather than having to face unrelenting threats to my weak spots which I have to respond to. It's easier to have a safe stable base and be free to play offense. Considering a prototype plan and making alterations to improve it is probably very important, though the time spent on that would naturally vary as the clock allows.
In The Grandmaster's Mind Boris Gelfand said he just came up with a tactical or strategic idea and then tried to find a way to make it work. I think that about says the same thing as I got from watching a ChessBase magazine video of Shirov describing his analytic work. There has to be a lot of focus on concrete ways to get positional or material advantages or eventually mate and one can do that abstractly or concretely (with variations) and finding the best strongest idea has to somehow come very naturally (like intuition it comes from careful study of master games).
Heisman advocates a lengthy process, much as I and others have described (including Daniel King) with something Gelfand himself couldn't manage. I think the time the top GMs are spending on various moves and variations and their evaluations simply precludes so much on these other things. Or perhaps, it's somewhat the same except the GMs have streamlined the execution of it.
Heisman is teaching weaker players and needs to describe a lot of fundamentals as he goes and the GMs already know the fundamentals and practice them regularly, so for them it's just a matter of keeping their high level of objectivity and being mentally in shape to do the work at top speed and of course producing opening novelties.
Nigel Short today said one of the biggest things that has changed in his play as he aged has been that he simply doesn't do opening research any more. I suspect a lot of the rest of his play is still excellent. His analysis of these World Cup games has been spot on most of the time. Interestingly Short also said he had a few opponents who just regularly drubbed him: Kasparov, Ivanchuk & Shirov. Well, we know about Kasparov, but his problems with Ivanchuk and Shirov probably indicates their calculation skills were finding holes in Short's positional play & plans or they were just interfering enough to throw him off. That certainly teaches a valuable lesson in itself. Still, it was Short who got to the world championship and not Ivanchuk or Shirov (though he earned it). I wonder if Ivanchuk or Shirov could've beaten Karpov or Timman in 1991?
We can use pattern recognition and creation (when creating a safe structure for ourselves or recognizing weaknesses in the opponent's position) and good evaluation of theoretical weaknesses to see if they are in fact weaknesses we might seriously seek to exploit and good move selection & planning to generate good plans (for both sides).
Nuts & bolts make the car work, not the owner's manual.
Somewhere in the process there still must be a way to emphasize left- & right-brain utilization using silent verbalization of the position or goals or evaluations while also using visualization of positions and variations or revisions. Making our brain work at its best also has to require good eating & sleeping & exercise habits and knowing when to focus & work and when to walk about & relax. Breathe deeply & slowly to calm the reptile inside and feed the body to keep blood sugar steady.
A finely-tuned chess player has a lot of parts working as a whole.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Perspective, Paradigm and Thinking Outside of the Box
.
I don't have a lot of research to quote, but I think it's clear that a person's perspective is often a result of the paradigm they use or the culture they're part of and that seeing things from another person's point-of-view isn't easy. I know that a change of paradigm can be very very difficult, particularly when the new thing isn't well-defined or explained. Therefore, it is all the more difficult to "think outside of the box". But, there are events, situations and people who would confine us to their view of the world -- if only by simply repeated expression of their view -- and that makes it difficult for us to be free to think of anything without bias. Consider the way critics have viewed television as a dumbing-down medium and how its repeated selection of speakers shaped/shapes our view of the world and our evaluation of people and events. Consider that you can't go to a store and buy something that's not on their shelves -- they control those boxes. This is entirely different than not having money to buy something you know exists. If some product exists and we are never made aware of it by some advertising, then how can you even consider buying it?
Thinking outside the box requires imagination, creativity, rule-breaking (in a sense) and some degree of mental freedom to ignore other voices or to at least consider them without being overwhelmed by them.
Think of how you would hold contrary beliefs if you were in 1930s Germany and you heard that the Jews were the nation's problem. How would you feel about Capitalists and Capitalism if you were raised in Russia in the 1960s? How would you have felt about African-Americans or women if you were young in the Deep south of America in 1950? How would you have felt about slavery if you were an Egyptian in the era of Moses? The prominent point of view which respects no other is hard to ignore or to criticize.
My recent study of how we think has revealed several sources which indicate our minds tend to 'connect the dots' even when some aren't present. We fill in the gaps of past, causes, even the present and the future. We do that for historically important reasons of survival and it serves us well, but it can also mislead us. That's why some cynical people can attempt to push us to buy products or ideas by presenting some accepted facts and some dubious or nonsensical ideas. They are propagandists or liars disguised as salesmen or politicians or relatives asking for money. They lead us to believe something which, if we knew the truth, would make us laugh or be angry. Learning who does this is important, but learning HOW they do it is useful too. Learning how to avoid being boxed-in or how to simply develop your own beliefs is really quite necessary in this modern world.
I don't have a lot of research to quote, but I think it's clear that a person's perspective is often a result of the paradigm they use or the culture they're part of and that seeing things from another person's point-of-view isn't easy. I know that a change of paradigm can be very very difficult, particularly when the new thing isn't well-defined or explained. Therefore, it is all the more difficult to "think outside of the box". But, there are events, situations and people who would confine us to their view of the world -- if only by simply repeated expression of their view -- and that makes it difficult for us to be free to think of anything without bias. Consider the way critics have viewed television as a dumbing-down medium and how its repeated selection of speakers shaped/shapes our view of the world and our evaluation of people and events. Consider that you can't go to a store and buy something that's not on their shelves -- they control those boxes. This is entirely different than not having money to buy something you know exists. If some product exists and we are never made aware of it by some advertising, then how can you even consider buying it?
Thinking outside the box requires imagination, creativity, rule-breaking (in a sense) and some degree of mental freedom to ignore other voices or to at least consider them without being overwhelmed by them.
Think of how you would hold contrary beliefs if you were in 1930s Germany and you heard that the Jews were the nation's problem. How would you feel about Capitalists and Capitalism if you were raised in Russia in the 1960s? How would you have felt about African-Americans or women if you were young in the Deep south of America in 1950? How would you have felt about slavery if you were an Egyptian in the era of Moses? The prominent point of view which respects no other is hard to ignore or to criticize.
My recent study of how we think has revealed several sources which indicate our minds tend to 'connect the dots' even when some aren't present. We fill in the gaps of past, causes, even the present and the future. We do that for historically important reasons of survival and it serves us well, but it can also mislead us. That's why some cynical people can attempt to push us to buy products or ideas by presenting some accepted facts and some dubious or nonsensical ideas. They are propagandists or liars disguised as salesmen or politicians or relatives asking for money. They lead us to believe something which, if we knew the truth, would make us laugh or be angry. Learning who does this is important, but learning HOW they do it is useful too. Learning how to avoid being boxed-in or how to simply develop your own beliefs is really quite necessary in this modern world.
Monday, August 26, 2013
New Technology can do Wonders, but Republicans...
.
New Technology
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/08/06/2404071/habitat-decathalon-electricity-bill/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/22/new-crowdfunding-site-jumpstart-fund-hopes-to-launch-new-startups/
http://www.solarroadways.com/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/26/graphene-as-thin-as-an-atom-and-200-times-stronger-than-steel-is-the-worlds-new-wonder-material/
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/graphene-21st-century-miracle-cure-out-work-lawyers
The Republican Counter-offer
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/the-cost-of-solar-vs-bank-bailouts-and-iraq-war-39514
GOP Filibuster
and, of course, repealing Obamacare.
New Technology
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/08/06/2404071/habitat-decathalon-electricity-bill/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/22/new-crowdfunding-site-jumpstart-fund-hopes-to-launch-new-startups/
http://www.solarroadways.com/
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/26/graphene-as-thin-as-an-atom-and-200-times-stronger-than-steel-is-the-worlds-new-wonder-material/
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/graphene-21st-century-miracle-cure-out-work-lawyers
The Republican Counter-offer
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/the-cost-of-solar-vs-bank-bailouts-and-iraq-war-39514
GOP Filibuster
and, of course, repealing Obamacare.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Imagine a World Where Solar Power were Everywhere and FREE
.
The people at Solar Roadways intend to build roads of a material which is also a solar panel. This could possibly transmit power directly to cars (built for that purpose). Their current product is made of a glass, but they're hoping to develop one using recycled plastics. Imagine solving our self-pollution of plastics with our need for solar and our desire to use less petroleum (used to make asphalt roadways). We may be able to solve our problems.
http://firedoglake.com/2013/08/24/come-saturday-morning-these-guys-just-might-save-us-all/
http://www.solarroadways.com/
Somehow the world of science and technology is a lot more exciting and hopeful than that of politics and government seems to be.
The people at Solar Roadways intend to build roads of a material which is also a solar panel. This could possibly transmit power directly to cars (built for that purpose). Their current product is made of a glass, but they're hoping to develop one using recycled plastics. Imagine solving our self-pollution of plastics with our need for solar and our desire to use less petroleum (used to make asphalt roadways). We may be able to solve our problems.
http://firedoglake.com/2013/08/24/come-saturday-morning-these-guys-just-might-save-us-all/
http://www.solarroadways.com/
Somehow the world of science and technology is a lot more exciting and hopeful than that of politics and government seems to be.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Minimum Wage or Busted Economy
.
Republicans and business people have been saying you can't raise the minimum wage without job losses. Here's an example: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/08/22/2509161/mcdonalds-minimum-wage-kill-jobs/
Walmart says something similar: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/15/why-are-walmart-stores-underperforming-blame-their-terrible-wages.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=cheatsheet_afternoon&cid=newsletter%3Bemail%3Bcheatsheet_afternoon&utm_term=Cheat%20Sheet
[ I have no idea why that URL is so long. ]
These gas bags made me think of an old song and here's Tommy Emmanuel (perhaps the greatest guitar player of our era) via YouTube.com to play it on the geetar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-YBUgfNlhY
The fact is household incomes are lower now than when the recession ended in 2010 and they've been going down a long time: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/chart-day-stagnant-household-income
Without money to spend both Walmart and McDonald's will not sell as much and won't be hiring or expanding.
Raise the minimum wage!
Republicans and business people have been saying you can't raise the minimum wage without job losses. Here's an example: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/08/22/2509161/mcdonalds-minimum-wage-kill-jobs/
Walmart says something similar: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/15/why-are-walmart-stores-underperforming-blame-their-terrible-wages.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=cheatsheet_afternoon&cid=newsletter%3Bemail%3Bcheatsheet_afternoon&utm_term=Cheat%20Sheet
[ I have no idea why that URL is so long. ]
These gas bags made me think of an old song and here's Tommy Emmanuel (perhaps the greatest guitar player of our era) via YouTube.com to play it on the geetar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-YBUgfNlhY
The fact is household incomes are lower now than when the recession ended in 2010 and they've been going down a long time: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/chart-day-stagnant-household-income
Without money to spend both Walmart and McDonald's will not sell as much and won't be hiring or expanding.
Raise the minimum wage!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
How we Think: Curiosities and Important Things
.
Our intuition is terrific, if we have much knowledge and are perceiving the current situation well. But, if you don't have much knowledge your intuition is likely to be superficial (or as Andy Warhol used to say "I am deeply superficial") and if your perception of the current situation is incomplete your intuition will also be. The idea of using each, not to fight one another, but to inform the person in two different ways makes great sense.
Our imagination isn't nearly as strong as we would like to believe it is. In chess I have seen a zillion times a person picks up a piece, moves it to a square and the instant they release it they then realize it's a big mistake. Somehow, only when the fact is before their eyes, do they see. One of the key mental skills necessary for anyone to become a good player is to restrain that initial desire to play a move without some kind of confirming analysis (we generally call it 'blunder-check'). This isn't possible in action sports or extemporaneous speaking. But, how often do we hear a politician speaking very very slowly, as if mentally retarded, to avoid saying something embarrassing or wrong? They're doing blunder-check as they go. The effort to do this is very unnatural and tiring.
Mental focus is a peculiar thing since we think we're paying attention all the time. But, in fact, to solve a problem or to create a complex thing requires a specialized focus on smaller and smaller things rather than the general free-wheeling attention we normally use. This too is unnatural and tiring, so we shouldn't do it all the time. The way to avoid tiring from it is to shift in and out of focus to relax and then work. But, and this is the horrible catch, to shift out of focus and then back in can take about 15 minutes. Some situations don't allow us that luxury and so we have to stay focused for long stretches. That's where tiring happens and we can begin to lose control.
The Left-Brain Right-Brain model is interesting, but the Triarchic model is more correct and not much harder to understand. The Reptilian core, the Mammalian middle and the Primate outer brains have their own functions developed over millennia. For problem solving and other higher order thinking we definitely need the capabilities of the aloof intellectual Primate brain. That's where we do maths and all kind of logical thinking, including writing and planning and dealing with abstractions of all kinds. Thus, to distract someone it may be as easy as leading their brains to begin dealing with non-primate issues by engaging the other parts of their brain. Encroach on someone's territory, especially young men, and they'll become Reptilian. Another terribly unobvious thing is that the Primate brain is the newest and least capable, so using that thinking is slower and much more tiring. Overwork it and it may collapse and leave you responding only from emotional fear or sensual needs.
Perhaps on of the curious things is how there are prodigies. They only exist in a few areas: music, chess, mathematics and perhaps religious preaching. For most people the development of the Left-Brain Primate intellectual skills comes quickly (especially with some teaching), but knowledge takes time and experience. So, how do the prodigies get by without so much experience? Oftentimes they begin very young and practice like mad to gain the experience (some say 10,000 hours is necessary for mastery). But, how many very young kids are capable of that kind of sustained effort? It's rare.
An amazing thing I've heard of in the martial arts world is 'time stopping'. This is when a person is overwhelmed with objects and speed and their intellectual Left-Brain Primate brain isn't getting the job done, so something more primitive takes over. The Primate brain is slowest, though precise, but the Mammalian or Reptilian brains can handle billions of perceptions regularly and can 'take over' to deal with life & death issues in moments of crisis. During that, I've been told, time seems to slow or stop. Everything continues apace, but our sense of the events is that of a person who is super-focused and noticing everything without feeling rushed. This is definitely 'the zone'. How well we can perform in an intellectual way during that would depend upon practice I suppose. Anyway, they say time flies when you're having fun, so I suppose it makes sense that time slows when we're feeling threatened. Maybe we just lose interest in 'time' when we're really really into doing something.
Another area of our thinking which is peculiar is how we perceive without consciously realizing something. Some blind people can still perceive with their eyes. Some parents are said to have 'eyes in the back of their head'. The autistic savant in "Rain Man" could look at a pile of toothpicks and count them instantly. There have been numerous stories of sales personnel being able to read the body language of their customers very well and use that to help them close the deal. Much of this is done unconsciously and therefore it's a curious thing that one person might be able to move that to the conscious intellectual level and use it while another person might not realize anything is being perceived at all. This, among many things, shows how separate are our different brains and how we aren't so integrated as we generally believe.
One example from the political world: a friend of mine claims to be a Libertarian. They generally favor less government and more private individual freedom. We discussed the Obamacare law and one provision in particular where government subsidies for indigent care would go away (or at least shrink) as individuals got their own insurance to pay bills. He couldn't understand why a government program which was working should be changed. So, I asked him, if he is for small government and personal responsibility in theory, then why didn't he favor the Obamacare individual mandate (to buy insurance) instead of favoring the government involvement subsidizing indigent care? He had no answer because it had never occurred to him to compare his actual belief with his 'ideas'. He doesn't care to combine or compare his ideas with his 'real' beliefs. Peculiar that.
Enough for now.
Our intuition is terrific, if we have much knowledge and are perceiving the current situation well. But, if you don't have much knowledge your intuition is likely to be superficial (or as Andy Warhol used to say "I am deeply superficial") and if your perception of the current situation is incomplete your intuition will also be. The idea of using each, not to fight one another, but to inform the person in two different ways makes great sense.
Our imagination isn't nearly as strong as we would like to believe it is. In chess I have seen a zillion times a person picks up a piece, moves it to a square and the instant they release it they then realize it's a big mistake. Somehow, only when the fact is before their eyes, do they see. One of the key mental skills necessary for anyone to become a good player is to restrain that initial desire to play a move without some kind of confirming analysis (we generally call it 'blunder-check'). This isn't possible in action sports or extemporaneous speaking. But, how often do we hear a politician speaking very very slowly, as if mentally retarded, to avoid saying something embarrassing or wrong? They're doing blunder-check as they go. The effort to do this is very unnatural and tiring.
Mental focus is a peculiar thing since we think we're paying attention all the time. But, in fact, to solve a problem or to create a complex thing requires a specialized focus on smaller and smaller things rather than the general free-wheeling attention we normally use. This too is unnatural and tiring, so we shouldn't do it all the time. The way to avoid tiring from it is to shift in and out of focus to relax and then work. But, and this is the horrible catch, to shift out of focus and then back in can take about 15 minutes. Some situations don't allow us that luxury and so we have to stay focused for long stretches. That's where tiring happens and we can begin to lose control.
The Left-Brain Right-Brain model is interesting, but the Triarchic model is more correct and not much harder to understand. The Reptilian core, the Mammalian middle and the Primate outer brains have their own functions developed over millennia. For problem solving and other higher order thinking we definitely need the capabilities of the aloof intellectual Primate brain. That's where we do maths and all kind of logical thinking, including writing and planning and dealing with abstractions of all kinds. Thus, to distract someone it may be as easy as leading their brains to begin dealing with non-primate issues by engaging the other parts of their brain. Encroach on someone's territory, especially young men, and they'll become Reptilian. Another terribly unobvious thing is that the Primate brain is the newest and least capable, so using that thinking is slower and much more tiring. Overwork it and it may collapse and leave you responding only from emotional fear or sensual needs.
Perhaps on of the curious things is how there are prodigies. They only exist in a few areas: music, chess, mathematics and perhaps religious preaching. For most people the development of the Left-Brain Primate intellectual skills comes quickly (especially with some teaching), but knowledge takes time and experience. So, how do the prodigies get by without so much experience? Oftentimes they begin very young and practice like mad to gain the experience (some say 10,000 hours is necessary for mastery). But, how many very young kids are capable of that kind of sustained effort? It's rare.
An amazing thing I've heard of in the martial arts world is 'time stopping'. This is when a person is overwhelmed with objects and speed and their intellectual Left-Brain Primate brain isn't getting the job done, so something more primitive takes over. The Primate brain is slowest, though precise, but the Mammalian or Reptilian brains can handle billions of perceptions regularly and can 'take over' to deal with life & death issues in moments of crisis. During that, I've been told, time seems to slow or stop. Everything continues apace, but our sense of the events is that of a person who is super-focused and noticing everything without feeling rushed. This is definitely 'the zone'. How well we can perform in an intellectual way during that would depend upon practice I suppose. Anyway, they say time flies when you're having fun, so I suppose it makes sense that time slows when we're feeling threatened. Maybe we just lose interest in 'time' when we're really really into doing something.
Another area of our thinking which is peculiar is how we perceive without consciously realizing something. Some blind people can still perceive with their eyes. Some parents are said to have 'eyes in the back of their head'. The autistic savant in "Rain Man" could look at a pile of toothpicks and count them instantly. There have been numerous stories of sales personnel being able to read the body language of their customers very well and use that to help them close the deal. Much of this is done unconsciously and therefore it's a curious thing that one person might be able to move that to the conscious intellectual level and use it while another person might not realize anything is being perceived at all. This, among many things, shows how separate are our different brains and how we aren't so integrated as we generally believe.
One example from the political world: a friend of mine claims to be a Libertarian. They generally favor less government and more private individual freedom. We discussed the Obamacare law and one provision in particular where government subsidies for indigent care would go away (or at least shrink) as individuals got their own insurance to pay bills. He couldn't understand why a government program which was working should be changed. So, I asked him, if he is for small government and personal responsibility in theory, then why didn't he favor the Obamacare individual mandate (to buy insurance) instead of favoring the government involvement subsidizing indigent care? He had no answer because it had never occurred to him to compare his actual belief with his 'ideas'. He doesn't care to combine or compare his ideas with his 'real' beliefs. Peculiar that.
Enough for now.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Get the Lead Out! Stop supporting destructive drugs.
.
Sometimes the public, and government leaders, don't know as much as they think they do. Here are a couple of examples:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/murder-rate-down-40-Jamaica
Kevin Drum has been following an interesting correlation for a couple of years now: that the reduction of lead in gasoline and paint has led to the reduction of violence and this story shows it in Jamaica. No, Ray Kelly (police commissioner of NYC) it might not be 'stop & frisk'.
I haven't (and won't) read this next story. The idea is too depressing. But, if you live somewhere methamphetamines and other drugs area a big problem you might be interested. Congress certainly should take notice.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/08/meth-pseudoephedrine-big-pharma-lobby
Does the pharmaceutical industry actually support illegal drugs?
Another thing the public doesn't know much about is their own government. They regularly think 'foreign aid' is huge when it's tiny and they apparently don't know much about the way the Obama administration has been spending and cutting spending.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/deficit-opinion-reality-poll
I suppose this also shows how woefully inadequate our news media are at educating everyone.
Sometimes the public, and government leaders, don't know as much as they think they do. Here are a couple of examples:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/murder-rate-down-40-Jamaica
Kevin Drum has been following an interesting correlation for a couple of years now: that the reduction of lead in gasoline and paint has led to the reduction of violence and this story shows it in Jamaica. No, Ray Kelly (police commissioner of NYC) it might not be 'stop & frisk'.
I haven't (and won't) read this next story. The idea is too depressing. But, if you live somewhere methamphetamines and other drugs area a big problem you might be interested. Congress certainly should take notice.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/08/meth-pseudoephedrine-big-pharma-lobby
Does the pharmaceutical industry actually support illegal drugs?
Another thing the public doesn't know much about is their own government. They regularly think 'foreign aid' is huge when it's tiny and they apparently don't know much about the way the Obama administration has been spending and cutting spending.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/08/deficit-opinion-reality-poll
I suppose this also shows how woefully inadequate our news media are at educating everyone.
Technology Stories
.
Are you interested in how well your car does in your state with regards to carbon pollution?
http://www.climatecentral.org/wgts/filetracker.php?file2dl=ClimateFriendlyCarsReport_Final.pdf
This is a great report and it's easy to read with plenty of lists and graphs & visuals. It shows that my state West Virginia uses coal for nearly all energy production and that there are some traditional gasoline-powered internal combustion engine cars which are about as good as hybrids. But, not quite as good since hybrids using gasoline are still going to be better. Vermont and Rhode Island are quite the opposite, using practically no coal for energy and therefore great places to use all-electric cars.
Have you ever wondered when (or if) wind & solar and other non carbon-based energy sources would take over? Here's one indication of where things stand: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/14/top-u-s-nuclear-weapons-facility-to-be-powered-by-the-wind/
Sometimes the government can take the lead on things when the general public can't afford to or simply isn't ready to. In World War II and soon after the U.S. military had African-American units and was integrated. The public fought it for quite some time after that. Today the government is doing more with non-carbon energy sources and the corporate world is gradually finding it economically advantageous to do the same. Apple Corp, for example, has built non-carbon source energy supplies next to their various data-storage sites around the country. They use a tremendous amount of energy and this way they can provide their own.
We're not the only people moving this direction.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/18/fossil-fuel-power-plants-to-be-shut-down-in-germany-because-theyre-no-longer-competitive/
Recently Congress hasn't been very active in any useful way, but there are some old laws which might need to be updated: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/07/3-most-outdated-tech-laws
Are you interested in how well your car does in your state with regards to carbon pollution?
http://www.climatecentral.org/wgts/filetracker.php?file2dl=ClimateFriendlyCarsReport_Final.pdf
This is a great report and it's easy to read with plenty of lists and graphs & visuals. It shows that my state West Virginia uses coal for nearly all energy production and that there are some traditional gasoline-powered internal combustion engine cars which are about as good as hybrids. But, not quite as good since hybrids using gasoline are still going to be better. Vermont and Rhode Island are quite the opposite, using practically no coal for energy and therefore great places to use all-electric cars.
Have you ever wondered when (or if) wind & solar and other non carbon-based energy sources would take over? Here's one indication of where things stand: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/14/top-u-s-nuclear-weapons-facility-to-be-powered-by-the-wind/
Sometimes the government can take the lead on things when the general public can't afford to or simply isn't ready to. In World War II and soon after the U.S. military had African-American units and was integrated. The public fought it for quite some time after that. Today the government is doing more with non-carbon energy sources and the corporate world is gradually finding it economically advantageous to do the same. Apple Corp, for example, has built non-carbon source energy supplies next to their various data-storage sites around the country. They use a tremendous amount of energy and this way they can provide their own.
We're not the only people moving this direction.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/18/fossil-fuel-power-plants-to-be-shut-down-in-germany-because-theyre-no-longer-competitive/
Recently Congress hasn't been very active in any useful way, but there are some old laws which might need to be updated: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/07/3-most-outdated-tech-laws
Worker Productivity, Corporate Profits, Minimum Wage
.
Listening a minute to FOX News today I heard one of their regular show hosts and a guest saying there have been many studies showing that when minimum wage is increased companies don't have money for more hiring and sometimes have to lay off workers ... (and then the key point) ... when productivity doesn't increase.
What happens when worker productivity goes up and corporate profits increase?
Should the minimum wage also be increased?
Listening a minute to FOX News today I heard one of their regular show hosts and a guest saying there have been many studies showing that when minimum wage is increased companies don't have money for more hiring and sometimes have to lay off workers ... (and then the key point) ... when productivity doesn't increase.
What happens when worker productivity goes up and corporate profits increase?
Should the minimum wage also be increased?
Sunday, August 18, 2013
My View of the Middle East from Far Away
.
There is apparently a deep split between the Islamic and even secular groups in the Middle East. It's unfortunate this causes them as much trouble as their recent revolutionary search for better government which can give them some prosperity. Though Americans have seen the Israeli-Palestinian 'conflict' for decades they haven't always focused on the surrounding countries.
I think the revolutions are entirely justifiable, though they need resolution and not just continued fighting. Oddly, the Israelis and Palestinians are now in the ideal "fly on the wall" situation to watch how their neighbors in Iraq (first) and Libya and Syria and Egypt handle this. Sure, the religious differences with the Israeli Jews is different than between Islamists and non-religious groups or between the militant jihadists and the non-militants, but leaving that aside there is the immediate forcible change from dictatorship (or monarchy) to something else.
In Iraq America put its feet on the ground and made a mess. Sure, they deposed Saddam Hussein, but they also killed a lot of people when a quicker end to the fighting would have been better. Ignoring that to focus on the present we see the Iraqis are still fighting among themselves and trying to establish some kind of national identity in terms of its international relations: for America's taste they're too close to Iran. Why can't they settle things? Well, how long did it take the Irish and British? Or the countries of the Yugoslav confederation after the Soviet Union fell? Some feuds are very old and some political fights are just very difficult to settle.
Libya seems to have settled down a bit. Certainly we haven't heard much from Tunisia recently. Perhaps the bigger problem for Syria and Iraq are outside influences, the flow of arms and simply the major split in the people in the streets.
In Syria the split is mostly between the powerful Syrian leader Assad and the people who outnumber him, but who are split among themselves and simply don't have as much money & armaments. In Egypt the people are divided and the military is playing an odd role as the third leg of the 3-leg stool. I suspect in Egypt it's the will of the people which will eventually prevail. So far the military hasn't shown much interest in forming a military government. That's good. Hopefully the people will do more than kill one another and will find peace to be preferable. For that to happen they need a government which is not "winner take all" as Morsi appears to have tried to do. This, to me, is one of the best lessons for the Iraqis, Syrians and Israelis & Palestinians to observe.
We in America have a system which, from it's creation, enables all interest groups in the public to have a voice and for those who vote to exercise that from within the halls of Congress or the White House. We don't have winner-take-all government (even in exceptional circumstances) and at times it appears nothing can get done because of that. But, this is as the founders of our government planned. The figured that nothing happening is better than many bad things happening.
I hope the Israelis and Palestinians, in particular, recognize the real experiences they've had with Democratic elements of their governments and can use that to build some kind of long-term peace with a formal arrangement (instead of the current disarrangement). I hope this might even serve as a guide for the other peoples of the Middle East, the Iraqis are close to this, but don't have great experience with multi-group governance. The Egyptians are far from this and need every bit of guidance that can be provided.
The alternative is bloody civil war forever and everyone should view this with horror and a feeling they must seize the moment, recognize the urgency of now, to work quickly toward solutions they can live with.
As always, America stands ready to help anyone who wants peace and prosperity, so I would hope Sec. of State John Kerry and his assistants would be very busy in coming years to work on and solve these problems. Everyone can look to others who have succeeded and build on that experience.
There is apparently a deep split between the Islamic and even secular groups in the Middle East. It's unfortunate this causes them as much trouble as their recent revolutionary search for better government which can give them some prosperity. Though Americans have seen the Israeli-Palestinian 'conflict' for decades they haven't always focused on the surrounding countries.
I think the revolutions are entirely justifiable, though they need resolution and not just continued fighting. Oddly, the Israelis and Palestinians are now in the ideal "fly on the wall" situation to watch how their neighbors in Iraq (first) and Libya and Syria and Egypt handle this. Sure, the religious differences with the Israeli Jews is different than between Islamists and non-religious groups or between the militant jihadists and the non-militants, but leaving that aside there is the immediate forcible change from dictatorship (or monarchy) to something else.
In Iraq America put its feet on the ground and made a mess. Sure, they deposed Saddam Hussein, but they also killed a lot of people when a quicker end to the fighting would have been better. Ignoring that to focus on the present we see the Iraqis are still fighting among themselves and trying to establish some kind of national identity in terms of its international relations: for America's taste they're too close to Iran. Why can't they settle things? Well, how long did it take the Irish and British? Or the countries of the Yugoslav confederation after the Soviet Union fell? Some feuds are very old and some political fights are just very difficult to settle.
Libya seems to have settled down a bit. Certainly we haven't heard much from Tunisia recently. Perhaps the bigger problem for Syria and Iraq are outside influences, the flow of arms and simply the major split in the people in the streets.
In Syria the split is mostly between the powerful Syrian leader Assad and the people who outnumber him, but who are split among themselves and simply don't have as much money & armaments. In Egypt the people are divided and the military is playing an odd role as the third leg of the 3-leg stool. I suspect in Egypt it's the will of the people which will eventually prevail. So far the military hasn't shown much interest in forming a military government. That's good. Hopefully the people will do more than kill one another and will find peace to be preferable. For that to happen they need a government which is not "winner take all" as Morsi appears to have tried to do. This, to me, is one of the best lessons for the Iraqis, Syrians and Israelis & Palestinians to observe.
We in America have a system which, from it's creation, enables all interest groups in the public to have a voice and for those who vote to exercise that from within the halls of Congress or the White House. We don't have winner-take-all government (even in exceptional circumstances) and at times it appears nothing can get done because of that. But, this is as the founders of our government planned. The figured that nothing happening is better than many bad things happening.
I hope the Israelis and Palestinians, in particular, recognize the real experiences they've had with Democratic elements of their governments and can use that to build some kind of long-term peace with a formal arrangement (instead of the current disarrangement). I hope this might even serve as a guide for the other peoples of the Middle East, the Iraqis are close to this, but don't have great experience with multi-group governance. The Egyptians are far from this and need every bit of guidance that can be provided.
The alternative is bloody civil war forever and everyone should view this with horror and a feeling they must seize the moment, recognize the urgency of now, to work quickly toward solutions they can live with.
As always, America stands ready to help anyone who wants peace and prosperity, so I would hope Sec. of State John Kerry and his assistants would be very busy in coming years to work on and solve these problems. Everyone can look to others who have succeeded and build on that experience.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Saving Energy
.
I've been interested for many years in various means of building houses to conserve energy. It has seemed to me there is enough technology to do that to save energy without having to invest a lot in something new or complicated. Now there is a Passive House which does just that.
And, there is always new technology which can be used: window coating that electrically regulates heat and light passing through.
Not all technological change has to be scary or confusing. Sometimes all you have to do is read a chart to pick the car with better fuel mileage or better clean energy consumption rate.
http://www.climatecentral.org/wgts/filetracker.php?file2dl=ClimateFriendlyCarsReport_Final.pdf
What's the best-fit car for where you live?
I've been interested for many years in various means of building houses to conserve energy. It has seemed to me there is enough technology to do that to save energy without having to invest a lot in something new or complicated. Now there is a Passive House which does just that.
And, there is always new technology which can be used: window coating that electrically regulates heat and light passing through.
Not all technological change has to be scary or confusing. Sometimes all you have to do is read a chart to pick the car with better fuel mileage or better clean energy consumption rate.
http://www.climatecentral.org/wgts/filetracker.php?file2dl=ClimateFriendlyCarsReport_Final.pdf
What's the best-fit car for where you live?
More on the Minimum Wage
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Most of my life the argument Conservatives, and indeed even some Democrats, is that raising the minimum wage takes money from companies which prevents them from increasing employment (if only a bit). In today's economy that has to be counterbalanced against the fact the minimum wage, or more appropriately household incomes, haven't been going up very fast for a very long time. This isn't the 1960s or 1970s when household incomes were already going up pretty quickly. Today household incomes are flat, people work with less than full-time and thus have fewer benefits and both adults in a family of four generally work to earn the income one person earned in 1979. I know that for a summer I worked at a local glass plant I earned $ 15 / hour in the 1970s. That was a long time ago and today my niece earns just over $ 10 / hour with less than 40 hours / week. Something is wrong.
http://www.nextnewdeal.net/rediscovering-government/debunking-minimum-wage-myth-higher-wages-will-not-reduce-jobs
http://www.upworthy.com/one-fact-about-raising-the-minimum-wage-is-so-unbelievable-i-had-to-fact-check-it-like-5-times?c=tkp1
Let's renew the American Dream for everyone, not just the 0.1 % who are super-rich.
Most of my life the argument Conservatives, and indeed even some Democrats, is that raising the minimum wage takes money from companies which prevents them from increasing employment (if only a bit). In today's economy that has to be counterbalanced against the fact the minimum wage, or more appropriately household incomes, haven't been going up very fast for a very long time. This isn't the 1960s or 1970s when household incomes were already going up pretty quickly. Today household incomes are flat, people work with less than full-time and thus have fewer benefits and both adults in a family of four generally work to earn the income one person earned in 1979. I know that for a summer I worked at a local glass plant I earned $ 15 / hour in the 1970s. That was a long time ago and today my niece earns just over $ 10 / hour with less than 40 hours / week. Something is wrong.
http://www.nextnewdeal.net/rediscovering-government/debunking-minimum-wage-myth-higher-wages-will-not-reduce-jobs
http://www.upworthy.com/one-fact-about-raising-the-minimum-wage-is-so-unbelievable-i-had-to-fact-check-it-like-5-times?c=tkp1
Let's renew the American Dream for everyone, not just the 0.1 % who are super-rich.
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