According to this article, the six people in the Walton family -- the heirs to the creator of Wal-Mart -- have the same amount of wealth as the poorest 90 million people in the US.
That's nuts.
What is even crazier is the fact that Alice Walton has created this art gallery containing art that celebrates the kinds of places in the US that have been wiped out thanks to Wal-Mart, and art that makes social commentary on the disparities between the rich and poor in the US, on money she and her family has made making the US a worse place to live.
13 December, 2011
03 November, 2011
This is Pretty Damn Cool: The E tests the Dodd-Frank (better late than never)
This surprises me that this hasn't been done before. But now the Economist has tested the Dodd-Frank with its usual aplomb and stylish reporting at the recent Buttonwood conference.
The Dodd-Frank has been around for more than a year, but ostensibly many hoped that the world economy would be in a better place than it is now. It was made to protect tax payers from having to bail out another big bank. But it's never been tested, because no one knows what would happen if another big bank failed, like Lehman Bros did in 2008.
The Economist created a scenario with a fictitious bank called the New Jefferson Bank: a big player in the global derivatives market, and an international commercial player in the US, UK and Brazil. A trillion-plus in assets, big investment player, big management turnover, big loan losses in past recessions, has capital ratios of adequate levels but lots of outside exposure to bad debt. Management has crapped out on everyone, and its strategy is questionable.
It's Friday, April 23rd 2013. Markets are again stressed as they were during the Lehman Bros. failure.
What's would happen under the Dodd-Frank, according to some of the biggest brains in US finance? Click on the link and watch.
Absolutely fascinating.
The Dodd-Frank has been around for more than a year, but ostensibly many hoped that the world economy would be in a better place than it is now. It was made to protect tax payers from having to bail out another big bank. But it's never been tested, because no one knows what would happen if another big bank failed, like Lehman Bros did in 2008.
The Economist created a scenario with a fictitious bank called the New Jefferson Bank: a big player in the global derivatives market, and an international commercial player in the US, UK and Brazil. A trillion-plus in assets, big investment player, big management turnover, big loan losses in past recessions, has capital ratios of adequate levels but lots of outside exposure to bad debt. Management has crapped out on everyone, and its strategy is questionable.
It's Friday, April 23rd 2013. Markets are again stressed as they were during the Lehman Bros. failure.
What's would happen under the Dodd-Frank, according to some of the biggest brains in US finance? Click on the link and watch.
Absolutely fascinating.
14 September, 2011
07 September, 2011
Trouble...
This is turning back into a personal blog. Don't know why... inspiration is a strange animal.
Against all defiance thus shall I stand fast.
I am defiant in my defiance, and I defy all those who say otherwise.
I deny victory to those who think they've won,
And I let those who haven't started yet, to begin another one.
Against all defiance thus shall I stand fast.
I am defiant in my defiance, and I defy all those who say otherwise.
I deny victory to those who think they've won,
And I let those who haven't started yet, to begin another one.
31 August, 2011
A bit of free advertising for Lore Croci
I miss Florence.
I still consider it more my home than Toronto in certain respects. People there understand me a bit better than people from Toronto, and just take me for who I am rather than second guessing me all the time.
I don't know if I could go back there to live right now, because it still has a small-town feel to it, and people there can be a bit parochial. Not everyone though.
Lore Croci is anything but parochial, and he has built an amazing spot near Fiesole that looks like a dream come true.
Lore, I will come to visit you next time I go see the fam!
I still consider it more my home than Toronto in certain respects. People there understand me a bit better than people from Toronto, and just take me for who I am rather than second guessing me all the time.
I don't know if I could go back there to live right now, because it still has a small-town feel to it, and people there can be a bit parochial. Not everyone though.
Lore Croci is anything but parochial, and he has built an amazing spot near Fiesole that looks like a dream come true.
Lore, I will come to visit you next time I go see the fam!
19 August, 2011
Learn, adapt, evolve. Repeat.
Pretty much self-explanatory, no? Probably not, but I don't feel like writing a full blog post right now. I will elucidate at a later date.
14 August, 2011
And, to continue, while the thought is still fresh...
A lot of the so-called "atypical anti-psychotics" are actually quite terrible for people. They make people fat, and are bad for the heart. There was a class-action suit in Alaska suing the makers of Olazapine, and for good reason.
A lot of people just can't deal with certain things. Certain impressions of society.
But if you let society dictate your actions, then of course you are going to feel crazy. We must all think for ourselves. Be independent thinkers. Not herd followers. We are humans, and animals... but human animals.
IF we learn to have more self-control, and just not do certain things that we know are bad for ourselves, and bad for others, then we will not feel so crazy.
We will just evolve.
And it will be good.
I feel that something good is going to happen...
A lot of people just can't deal with certain things. Certain impressions of society.
But if you let society dictate your actions, then of course you are going to feel crazy. We must all think for ourselves. Be independent thinkers. Not herd followers. We are humans, and animals... but human animals.
IF we learn to have more self-control, and just not do certain things that we know are bad for ourselves, and bad for others, then we will not feel so crazy.
We will just evolve.
And it will be good.
I feel that something good is going to happen...
I think perhaps perchance I just had an apple fall on my head...
You know all these "mental disorders" that everyone seems to have these days?
Could it just be evolution?
Could it be,
That our technology,
Has rapidly become part of we?
Could it be...
Reference: http://www.economist.com/node/18925787
I read it just today.
"THE unrelenting pace of scientific accomplishment often outstrips the progress of moral thought, leaving people struggling to make sense, initially at least, of whether heart transplants are ethical or test-tube babies desirable."
I too have always been concerned about the same thing. It has stalled my progress in life, simply because I am rather an adbuctive thinker, and I can see how technological advances can have unintended negative consequences, even when the inventors have noble intentions in mind. Look at Albert. He didn't want the nuclear bomb. But it happened.
SO.
How fast are we evolving? Why do I get along much better with children or people younger than me, than with "adults"?
Hmmm.... more on this later.
Could it just be evolution?
Could it be,
That our technology,
Has rapidly become part of we?
Could it be...
Reference: http://www.economist.com/node/18925787
I read it just today.
"THE unrelenting pace of scientific accomplishment often outstrips the progress of moral thought, leaving people struggling to make sense, initially at least, of whether heart transplants are ethical or test-tube babies desirable."
I too have always been concerned about the same thing. It has stalled my progress in life, simply because I am rather an adbuctive thinker, and I can see how technological advances can have unintended negative consequences, even when the inventors have noble intentions in mind. Look at Albert. He didn't want the nuclear bomb. But it happened.
SO.
How fast are we evolving? Why do I get along much better with children or people younger than me, than with "adults"?
Hmmm.... more on this later.
10 August, 2011
Hopefully my only UK riots post
I was FBing and Twittering like a madwoman today, hopping between sites and passing along info hopefully to the right people.
This site probably won't stay up for long, but maybe someone will see it, and maybe something good will happen.
This site probably won't stay up for long, but maybe someone will see it, and maybe something good will happen.
09 August, 2011
Disgusting
I am glad to see this guy go to jail. And in Texas. I hope he gets anally raped every day while he's in prison. Harsh, I know, but I have my reasons.
""If the world knew what I was doing, they would hang me from the highest tree," Jeffs wrote in notes, seized from his Texas ranch."
Oh, they will Jeffs. I am glad they are letting you live. You must live to suffer and truly pay for your sins. You cannot escape yourself.
""If the world knew what I was doing, they would hang me from the highest tree," Jeffs wrote in notes, seized from his Texas ranch."
Oh, they will Jeffs. I am glad they are letting you live. You must live to suffer and truly pay for your sins. You cannot escape yourself.
05 August, 2011
And this just makes me sick
The siege of Hama is part of a new government offensive to quell an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's authoritarian rule. Now in their fifth month, the protests have been gaining momentum in defiance of the military crackdown.
Hama, a city of 800,000 with a history of dissent, had fallen largely out of government control since June as residents turned on the regime and blockaded the streets against encroaching tanks.
But Syrian security forces launched a ferocious military offensive that left corpses in streets on Sunday and sent residents fleeing for their lives, according to residents.
In 1982, Assad's father, Hafez Assad, ordered the military to quell a rebellion by Syrian members of the conservative Muslim Brotherhood movement there. Hama was sealed off and bombs dropped from above smashed areas of the city and killed between 10,000 and 25,000 people, rights groups say.
Bashar al-Assad has sought to deal with the extraordinary revolt against his family's 40-year-dynasty through deadly force, but has also acknowledged the need for reform.
On Thursday, he issued two legislative decrees that will allow the formation of political parties alongside the Baath Party and enable newly formed parties to run for Parliament and local councils. Opposition figures dismiss the moves as tactics and insist they want regime change.
On Wednesday, Syrian tanks stormed Hama under heavy shelling, taking over a main city square. Activists said authorities have effectively imposed a news blackout on the city by cutting mobiles phones, landlines and internet.
About 1700 civilians have been killed since the uprising began in mid-March, according to tallies by activists.
Hama, a city of 800,000 with a history of dissent, had fallen largely out of government control since June as residents turned on the regime and blockaded the streets against encroaching tanks.
But Syrian security forces launched a ferocious military offensive that left corpses in streets on Sunday and sent residents fleeing for their lives, according to residents.
In 1982, Assad's father, Hafez Assad, ordered the military to quell a rebellion by Syrian members of the conservative Muslim Brotherhood movement there. Hama was sealed off and bombs dropped from above smashed areas of the city and killed between 10,000 and 25,000 people, rights groups say.
Bashar al-Assad has sought to deal with the extraordinary revolt against his family's 40-year-dynasty through deadly force, but has also acknowledged the need for reform.
On Thursday, he issued two legislative decrees that will allow the formation of political parties alongside the Baath Party and enable newly formed parties to run for Parliament and local councils. Opposition figures dismiss the moves as tactics and insist they want regime change.
On Wednesday, Syrian tanks stormed Hama under heavy shelling, taking over a main city square. Activists said authorities have effectively imposed a news blackout on the city by cutting mobiles phones, landlines and internet.
About 1700 civilians have been killed since the uprising began in mid-March, according to tallies by activists.
04 August, 2011
I feel kinda sick... happy about this, but sick at the same time
Sellafield is closing. According to some, the Irish Sea is the most radioactively contaminated in the world.
I swam in it a couple of times... not many, but still. A lot of people swim in the clear waters of Dublin Bay.
I'm glad I'm chicken about cold water, otherwise I would have swum more often. Yikes. No wonder I glow in the dark. ;)
I swam in it a couple of times... not many, but still. A lot of people swim in the clear waters of Dublin Bay.
I'm glad I'm chicken about cold water, otherwise I would have swum more often. Yikes. No wonder I glow in the dark. ;)
24 July, 2011
Going on ye olde family canoe trip
Should be goooooood fun. Going back to my roots. For once. Maybe after this, I shall find the impetus that I need. Si stara' a vede'.
20 July, 2011
29 June, 2011
BIS report out as of two days ago...
And I almost missed it.
Almost.
This is a very interesting report to come out right now.
I have admittedly not read all of it, and I became aware of it only via the Economist. But I think the BIS should continue its path, and not waver until a more clear direction can be followed. Because at the moment, nobody knows where to go. I have a slight incling, but I am neither an economist nor a political science person, so... what do I know? Well...
This is my diluted, Economist commented viewpoint:
I don't think you can switch to the rules of the New New Economy overnight. A drip feed is still necessary, until new models emerge and people are able to make more sense of what is occurring right at this moment.
But by backing the proverbial straight and narrow, the BIS is indeed doing its job. That is what it is there for. To rein in whoever it feels needs be reined in.
I feel it is the ECB that needs to be reined in. It is the more politically invested of the two bodies, in that sense. But it has as its goal to preserve the euro, does it not? Or am I mistaken? And that is not necessarily what is best for the European economy as a whole, and as a political entity. It seemed like an excellent idea at the time, but it could not take into consideration the level of interconnectedness that the current world economy now has.
Obviously the BIS is involved in political economy. Do they really need to acknowledge that? It is already on the table, I feel.
... but what do I know... I am just a little person, an observer, and a critic. But one who cares deeply. And not for my own interest.
Almost.
This is a very interesting report to come out right now.
I have admittedly not read all of it, and I became aware of it only via the Economist. But I think the BIS should continue its path, and not waver until a more clear direction can be followed. Because at the moment, nobody knows where to go. I have a slight incling, but I am neither an economist nor a political science person, so... what do I know? Well...
This is my diluted, Economist commented viewpoint:
I don't think you can switch to the rules of the New New Economy overnight. A drip feed is still necessary, until new models emerge and people are able to make more sense of what is occurring right at this moment.
But by backing the proverbial straight and narrow, the BIS is indeed doing its job. That is what it is there for. To rein in whoever it feels needs be reined in.
I feel it is the ECB that needs to be reined in. It is the more politically invested of the two bodies, in that sense. But it has as its goal to preserve the euro, does it not? Or am I mistaken? And that is not necessarily what is best for the European economy as a whole, and as a political entity. It seemed like an excellent idea at the time, but it could not take into consideration the level of interconnectedness that the current world economy now has.
Obviously the BIS is involved in political economy. Do they really need to acknowledge that? It is already on the table, I feel.
... but what do I know... I am just a little person, an observer, and a critic. But one who cares deeply. And not for my own interest.
28 June, 2011
Argh, life issues, problems
My ex-boyfriend has hacked into my gmail and my facebook accounts. He is acting quite strange. It is strange to know that you're being spied on. At the same time, I don't really feel preturbed, and I am doing everything exactly as I normally would. It's just... a tad strange. I can't write to anyone about this, don't have anyone to talk with over here in Canada, and I have a feeling no one reads this -- especially not him -- so I am venting a bit here.
Pardon. I don't like to use this blog for personal things, but I am making an exception.
Jules. What. The. Feck. Stop it now, please. Thanks.
Never send emails to people froma a personal account who you think might be "dangerous" to you.
Pardon. I don't like to use this blog for personal things, but I am making an exception.
Jules. What. The. Feck. Stop it now, please. Thanks.
Never send emails to people froma a personal account who you think might be "dangerous" to you.
20 June, 2011
Today is World Refugee Day.
I have been going back to my old, over-facebooking habits, but today is a special day for me so it has propelled me back here.
I have a lot of thoughts about being a refugee. I would like to share them... I will ... eventually.
I have a lot of thoughts about being a refugee. I would like to share them... I will ... eventually.
14 June, 2011
Population density and a VERY cool blog
This has me thinking about urban centres and how important it will be to utilise all the spaces in an urban environment, on the ground and in the air.
Amazing how much more dense Paris is than Houston. Amazing how vulnerable we will be... sorry, how vulnerable we are.
I'm glad I grew up in a city, and I'm glad that city was Toronto. But I want to live in the country. Fortunately, in Holland in the Randstad that's almost the same thing. At least, there I can live in the "country"...
Amazing how much more dense Paris is than Houston. Amazing how vulnerable we will be... sorry, how vulnerable we are.
I'm glad I grew up in a city, and I'm glad that city was Toronto. But I want to live in the country. Fortunately, in Holland in the Randstad that's almost the same thing. At least, there I can live in the "country"...
A Good Day
I should really be sleeping right now.
But I have to say something.
I am so glad the Italian populace made yesterday and Sunday such an important day.
I am so glad that a part of me somehow knows that Berlusconi's reign is over, and it is only a matter of weeks before he is out of the Italian government.
Ma purtroppo... I've studied too much history to know that a vaccuum of power can be just as dangerous as a quasi-dictatorship.
My hope is in my friends. I know so many good Italians like Andrea, Manuel, Christiana, l'Ale, Giovanni, Camila, Paolo, la Fede, Barbara (especialmente te, cara, devi darti alla politica e non arrenderti mai), Carletto (si, dai, anche tu, sei rompi palle ma sei buono), la Steffi, Ettore e Frida, Mr Bumble (though we've never met, I trust Catherine), i Vadaz... the list goes on and on.
Like Manuel said, after my comment on how Italians can be so easily manipulated.... "Non tutti pero'."
The country that gave me life also gives me hope. And love. Agape pero', non Eros. Chi mi conosce veramente... e voglio dire, veramente... sa che cosa voglio dire.
Grazie. Grace. Peace. And a future. And the future is looking brighter and brighter each day. Every passing day is history. But some days are just historic.
But I have to say something.
I am so glad the Italian populace made yesterday and Sunday such an important day.
I am so glad that a part of me somehow knows that Berlusconi's reign is over, and it is only a matter of weeks before he is out of the Italian government.
Ma purtroppo... I've studied too much history to know that a vaccuum of power can be just as dangerous as a quasi-dictatorship.
My hope is in my friends. I know so many good Italians like Andrea, Manuel, Christiana, l'Ale, Giovanni, Camila, Paolo, la Fede, Barbara (especialmente te, cara, devi darti alla politica e non arrenderti mai), Carletto (si, dai, anche tu, sei rompi palle ma sei buono), la Steffi, Ettore e Frida, Mr Bumble (though we've never met, I trust Catherine), i Vadaz... the list goes on and on.
Like Manuel said, after my comment on how Italians can be so easily manipulated.... "Non tutti pero'."
The country that gave me life also gives me hope. And love. Agape pero', non Eros. Chi mi conosce veramente... e voglio dire, veramente... sa che cosa voglio dire.
Grazie. Grace. Peace. And a future. And the future is looking brighter and brighter each day. Every passing day is history. But some days are just historic.
12 June, 2011
BP's energy review in the Economist
BP was demonized for reasons we all know well, but I am glad to see their energy review is still on track.
Developing countries' use of coal is alarming. What can developed countries do to help wean developing countries off coal, when developed countries do not seem to be particularly enthusiastic in weaning themselves off oil?
Salient points:
Energy demand tends to fall faster than GDP when things go wrong, and grows faster when the situation improves. That is because energy responds to changes in investment, industrial production and transport, which rise and fall by more than the economy as a whole.
This helps explain why energy consumption handily outstripped 2010’s 4.9% growth in global GDP. But there is also a structural change at work. Economic activity is growing faster in developing countries, in general less efficient energy users, than in developed ones. Even if global GDP were static, this shift would increase consumption.
Growth in developing countries is the main reason why coal consumption rose so much. The wealthy countries of the OECD still consume more oil than the rest of the world, but non-OECD countries use 69% of the world’s coal—two-thirds of that in China. This is a big part of the reason why energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions have been growing even faster than energy use. In 2010 they grew by 5.8%—the highest rate since 1969.
Developing countries' use of coal is alarming. What can developed countries do to help wean developing countries off coal, when developed countries do not seem to be particularly enthusiastic in weaning themselves off oil?
Salient points:
Energy demand tends to fall faster than GDP when things go wrong, and grows faster when the situation improves. That is because energy responds to changes in investment, industrial production and transport, which rise and fall by more than the economy as a whole.
This helps explain why energy consumption handily outstripped 2010’s 4.9% growth in global GDP. But there is also a structural change at work. Economic activity is growing faster in developing countries, in general less efficient energy users, than in developed ones. Even if global GDP were static, this shift would increase consumption.
Growth in developing countries is the main reason why coal consumption rose so much. The wealthy countries of the OECD still consume more oil than the rest of the world, but non-OECD countries use 69% of the world’s coal—two-thirds of that in China. This is a big part of the reason why energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions have been growing even faster than energy use. In 2010 they grew by 5.8%—the highest rate since 1969.
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