Sunday, July 25, 2010

What am Watching...




Original PBS Link:


The Ascent of Money Episode 1: From Bullion to Bubbles | The Ascent of Money | PBS


The Ascent of money was supposed to be a historical background on money and capitalism by British Historian, and Rothschild specialist- Niall Ferguson. The first two episodes did just that. First two episodes was informative. Like the Godfather series, it should have stopped there. Time and time again, Mr. Ferguson fails to stick to what he does best- history. His delving into contemporary economics and  political economics was a disaster.


How he blatantly refuses to connect the dots between no regulation of the era of Reagan, Thatcher and Friedman (now dead, we hope) and the explosion of the market in boom-bursts, and the seeming insecurity of privatized pensions (undermining the very notion of a pension) smacks of willful ignorance. And how can his frontal attack on the welfare state willfully leave out the most successful ones of all? That is, the Nordic countries. I guess their seeming ability to be welfarist, yet not experience stagflation or be dormant does not fit into his half thesis.

Pray tell, is Japanese welfare state a disaster simply because it got stymied at number two economy behind the USA with just 120 million people, no resources and just the ingenuity of the Japanese people aptly helped by the security of mind in place to out innovate and out manufacture the US of A? When is growth enough? Won't every country or society at some point reach its elastic limit, where it can no more grow (due to various constraints including but not limited to demographics, resources etc.)?

I hope the sponsors (all from Wall Street- yeah, Templeton your would be privatized social security manager under GWB plan) dollars were worth it...at least for the last two episodes. The first two were masterpiece befitting of a historian. Niall is better when his focus is the Rothschilds

On a lighter note...

I also Watched Charlie Rose show (on Bloomberg TV ) at this link


This evening, he had 6 neuro surgeons discuss some advances in treatment of brain disease. Amazing stuff. In one instance, a totally paralyzed man had a tiny computer chip connected to his motor lobe in the front of his brain. The chip is then wirelessly connected (much like your computer to internet) to a chip in a wheelchair.  And just by thinking, he is able to move the wheel chair around

Again, just by thinking it - one actually can create motion. Well this is literally what we already know spiritually, the thought is powerful. Lesson number one..think positive, and it will happen positive.

Oyinbo wizardry amazes me o!



Reading: Dead Aid by Dr. Dambisa Moyo...Finished:  The Last of the Pirates....reviews will follow..

Waiting on (in the mail): Patton, the Miseducation of the Negro and It is our turn to Eat...

Queued: The White Man's Burden and the Bottom Billion (how they live)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Real Consequences of Starving the Beast

Just reading the ever insightful OPED piece of Professor Krugman on Voodoo economics and the conservatives peddling it. He makes a good point about the real motives of the perennial tax cut peddlers: they want to starve the beast, and force feed small government ingrained purely as an ideological proposition. But here I for one will accuse Prof. Krugman of an incomplete thought (very rare of his insightful pieces).

For one, why will republicans or conservatives for that matter hue to this "starve the beast" mentality? What do republicans gain by force feeding cuts in social security? What political or economic benefits flow from a smaller "beast" (as the government is perceived on the right)?

First the economic. The GOP hews closely to a pro-business line. It is all about the  money. A leaner beast, is a weakened government that cannot pay its bills, enforce regulations or make new ones. Business loves this. They can pollute your rivers, feed you paint and poison your toys- no questions asked. They can monopolize, cheat, price gouge and then feedback the money via Supreme Court judgement to their republican lilliputians and win by drowning the progressive message out with money. Get it? It makes sense

Second, the politics. Need I say more? Economic power begets political power..the republicans are only seeking to strengthen their message. A strong effective government, which provide social safety nets that encourage entrepreneurship, is bad for republican-conservative ideas. It dies a natural death. Check out Europe, where this small government nonsense simply don't fly. And you read me right- no single policy is more responsible for entrepreneurship in America as much as the Social Security Program. An assurance that you'll never die in penury is directly connected to your decision to strike out and take a bite at creating a business especially when you are younger. Go figure, and they say welfare is bad for capitalism?

It is left for the democrats , the liberals and the progressives to communicate the true intentions and the real life effect of starving the beast. Starving the best means leaner and meander social safety nets, a return to pre-depression era social construct where the super-rich and super-poor abound side by side. Where crime were through the roof because of social disparity. Where social inequality starved consumer spending and economic growth. Where economic speculation, and get-rich-quick schemes were rife, and where stability was substituted for gun-sling economic theories. Where few monopolists held the nation hostage, and permanently financed a politically conservative faction (sometimes, then the Democratic Party-imagine Prez Teddy a republican was the Trust buster!) in power and ensured no light of day for progressive policies. The height of this era was the Great Depression. Want another great depression?

Well my questions for Republics, what will Teddy think? And yes speaking of deficits, guess who piles them? You guessed right! Republicans!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Hand of Fa(ith)te?


A lame attempt at faith based ideological approach to fictional writing. If you desire to read a book that reinforces you own right wing ideological underpinnings about abortions (prohibited even after rape), government & politicians (not to be trusted) environmentalists (as terrorists and violent) and immigration (to be considered in family oriented terms), then Lis Wiehl's missive is the perfect read. For me, it was **yawn. Okay, after a few pages, the didactic melo-dramatic effects of who picked what, and what dropped and how and when gives way to the perfect reality that Lis was pushing a point of view.

Few chapters are worth reading, and perhaps the book could be two-thirds shorter if it were written with those chapters alone. The unnecessary dramatization of law, order and jury was one of such boring moments I wished Liz had saved her reader. No wonder it took me three months to finish reading this. Keep this at the bottom of your pile. One star.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Monday, July 12, 2010

The most ridiculous award yet..GCFR

Just when I was fuming about his allocation of ten billion naira to celebrate some independence in London, as well as the ridiculous jumbo pay for FG Senators making the email rounds, I was greeted with this picture


Yes, you guessed it right..the President self-awarded himself the highest honor in the land i.e. GCFR! Grand Commander of the Federal Republic it should read, but definitely Grand Commander of Federal Rogues it actually is! For if a revolution takes place today, and we need to identify the first criminals to take to the guillotine , the National Honors Lists especially the GCFR and GCON section will be a great go-by! People who actually have done something in Nigeria don't ever get GCFR and GCON..they will be lucky to get OON or MON. Criminals, political jobbers and thieves like IBB, and Abacha occupy this list.


The ridiculous spectacle of a sitting President bowing to an old one- and an inept one for that matter just to justify his rather immoral conflict of interest in awarding himself this honor was the height of the ridiculousness of it all! Granted, it was legal (even though a now an extant law would have nullified such). Guess even in the face of the moral double standard of awarding yourself a honor, the President sought to moralize this by gathering his band of thieving brethren aka. political jobbers and former heads of states to award him the honor. Who gave Shagari the power? Under which constitution? By the way, is Gowon not a former coupists? does he still pick a pension? Our nation is long overdue..for a thorough house cleaning!


In any case, if you are not mad enough..here is how much your 109 Senators each make...in a nation notedL where two-thirds live below one dollar a day! Criminal!




__


Senator Earnings - N29, 479, 749.00 (  $193,945 ) Per Year.

Basic Salary - N2, 484, 245.50.

Hardship Allowance  @ 50% of Basic Salary - N1, 242, 122.70  ( I love this kind of hardship)

Consistuency allowance @ 200% of BS  -  N4, 968, 509.00

Furniture Allowance @ 300% of BS - N7, 452, 736.50

Newspaper allowance @  50% - N1, 242, 122.70 ( Which kind newspaper be this shey na online or hard copy).

Wardrobe allowance @ 25%  - N621, 061.37

Recess Allowance@ 10%: - N248, 424.55

Accommodation @ 200%  - N4, 968, 509.00.

Utilities @ 30%  - N828, 081.83.

Domestic Staff @ 35%  - N863, 184.12.

Entertainment @ 30% - N828, 081.83.

Personal Assistance @ 25%   - N621, 061.37.

Vehicle Maintenance Allowance @ 75%  - N1, 863, 184.12.     

Leave Allowance @10% - N248, 424.55.

One off payments (As advised by SagamiteSeverance gratuit)y @ 300%  - N7, 452, 736.50   (Once they get fired.)               

Motor Vehicle Allowance @ 400% of BS - N9, 936, 982.00  - Every Four Years

Senators Salary per month.                - N2, 456, 647.7

Total  = N29, 479, 749.00         i.e.  $193,945

* 109 Senators  Grand Total  = N 3, 264, 329, 264.10
                                                     i.e.  $21,475,850

A feeding frenzy!!!

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Jobs, Odds & Polls



Just been thinking lately of the general turmoil in the economy. Never in a long time since have been in the US have I known so many people out of jobs at the same time. And yes, I live in Texas..one of the states with a better economy. It is kinda weird. One friend is been on the job hunt for one and a half years, another for four months..another is just about starting. No one seem to be safe.

As this plays out, it is quite interesting to note the truism of the general wisdom. Men (especially black men) seem to be out of their work quicker than the women. In fact, I know at least three home girls that found a newer , better jobs in the midst of all this turmoil. Must be something about the genders unh? I guess it is how you treat your job when the going was good that determine how it treats you when it gets tough. Black men still have whiles to go when it comes to work ethic- and I speak as one who see this struggle everyday.

 And forget the ethic, they just tend to not play in the mainstream of workplace politics. They are more likely to be at the edges of such power plays, and outside the circle where such decisions on whom to keep or lay off is taken. I have learned practically that the most effective workplace attitude is "dynamism", especially when the going is good. It was better to move into better and more stable places when it was hot. The most unstable position in any company is the one they just hired for...gba o. So find a better place within the group. Move up, move higher..move sideways. Just move...

On the other hand, sisters arrive at the workplace with a "can do" attitude. Willing to muscle their way into these important places. And they are less threatening, and tend to play coy with the natural feminine mien that hides the struggle of the outside world beyond the office (which they also contend with..heck, they are married or her dating these black men that are struggling too). Speaking of unemployed husbands, two of my friends are one. One called me the other day expressing his feeling of worthlessness and frustration; must be hard for a man: especially the proud ones who value taking care of his family. God help us...I hope.

Even the fellas that are still with their jobs, are still struggling with the bills. The economic conditions just seem to be crushing everything on its path. And here we have the politics playing out. The democrat's timid stimulus did not have the big bang effect, and the republicans that shamed them into timidity is hoping to cash in on this effect and blame democrats; hoping to seize congress and get back to doing what they did in the first place: screw the country up. The dems are learning fast though; hope they do a good job of highlighting who is holding up the unemployment checks...because that seem like dumb politics if you ask me. Unemployed people vote; and they will know who denied them those checks.

Speaking about the checks, is it not time the deficit hawks pick up "Predator State" and get re-tutored on the myths of deficit spending and why it makes no sense to cut now. Hope we don't cut our nose, to spite our face..this world...and who is going to poll that?

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