Back in 8th grade, I wrote a few paragraphs about a fictional character- Rose Watkins. The idea came to me in study hall, and I wrote a short page for an assignment. Even now, after two years and three computers, I still have that file. I opened it up to see if I could use it. I was surprised because I had forgotten what my story was like. I eventually ended up keeping just two and a half sentences from the original, but it told the same story, but better.
The story is about Rose Watkins, a sixty-something retired, widowed, and wealthy lady, who realizes one night that she wants to do something more than eat nice dinners before she can't anymore. I'm not sure what she'll do- neither is she. I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun for both of us.
Anyway, if I was able to take the best part of my old story, I'm looking forward to repeating the process.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
What if?: Consumpton Taxes
I read The FairTax Book this weekend (Boortz, Linder), and I have to admit that I like heir idea. I'll summarize:
No income taxes. No capital gains taxes. No Alternative Minimum tax. No corporate taxes. The federal government would fund itself off a 23% national retail sales tax for goods and services, and April 15th becomes "just another spring day." The plan is that not penalizing the highest earners unequally would stimulate the economy, and, above all, keep taxes fair.
What if this actually happened? Support for the bill (HR 25) is limited, but what if it passed?
First, companies that have moved overseas to escape US tax evisceration would come home. With no taxes on gains, everybody with offshore anything- bank accounts, corporate headquarters, manufacturing plants- would come back home. Additionally, America's underground industries - estimated at 1.5 Trillion a year- would be taxed too, every time they went to Wal-Mart or bought a car. And, above all, Americas richest 10% wouldn't be paying, on average, 46% of their gross earnings to the government(with payroll taxes included). Everyone pays 23%. Fairness. Make it happen!
Without the current withholding scheme, everyone's pay would increase. People could invest ALL their earned money, not just the remaining 65%. Then, after the money grows, it's taxed when it's spent. Imagine what that would do for the economy- banks would be stuffed with cash, so interest rates could fall. More people can afford to buy homes. Viola! Housing crisis solved.
People could start a buisiness! Invest in the stock market! US Economy is on the rise!
There's another added benefit that the book didn't address directly, but it also helps the US: 80% of US hundred dollar bills are held overseas. This change would make that money subject to tax again when it's spent. This reality has one obvious effect: the Dollar would drop about 25% compared to other national currencies, in exchange for us having more of them.
There's certainly more that would happen, but I'm not an expert... yet.
No income taxes. No capital gains taxes. No Alternative Minimum tax. No corporate taxes. The federal government would fund itself off a 23% national retail sales tax for goods and services, and April 15th becomes "just another spring day." The plan is that not penalizing the highest earners unequally would stimulate the economy, and, above all, keep taxes fair.
What if this actually happened? Support for the bill (HR 25) is limited, but what if it passed?
First, companies that have moved overseas to escape US tax evisceration would come home. With no taxes on gains, everybody with offshore anything- bank accounts, corporate headquarters, manufacturing plants- would come back home. Additionally, America's underground industries - estimated at 1.5 Trillion a year- would be taxed too, every time they went to Wal-Mart or bought a car. And, above all, Americas richest 10% wouldn't be paying, on average, 46% of their gross earnings to the government(with payroll taxes included). Everyone pays 23%. Fairness. Make it happen!
Without the current withholding scheme, everyone's pay would increase. People could invest ALL their earned money, not just the remaining 65%. Then, after the money grows, it's taxed when it's spent. Imagine what that would do for the economy- banks would be stuffed with cash, so interest rates could fall. More people can afford to buy homes. Viola! Housing crisis solved.
People could start a buisiness! Invest in the stock market! US Economy is on the rise!
There's another added benefit that the book didn't address directly, but it also helps the US: 80% of US hundred dollar bills are held overseas. This change would make that money subject to tax again when it's spent. This reality has one obvious effect: the Dollar would drop about 25% compared to other national currencies, in exchange for us having more of them.
There's certainly more that would happen, but I'm not an expert... yet.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Connection: Heart of Darkness and Slumdog Millionaire
Today I saw Slumdog Millionaire, and it was similar to HoD. In the early section of the movie, in the slums, the children are frequently beaten by... well, anyone, simply because they are slum children. In fact, some Hindus run in to the slum, beating anyone they can with sticks and burning houses(if you can call it that) hecause they dislike the Muslims.
In HoD, the Company's agents comandeer the workforce of the natives, simply because they didn't understand them and thought that they were justified in forcing labor from the locals.
Here in Northbrook, it gets easy to fall into the unconscious belief that this kind of discrimination and poverty doesn't affect us, but seing the same kind of racial violence in a modern setting helped me 'feel' the other, less fortunate souls in the Heart of Darkness
In HoD, the Company's agents comandeer the workforce of the natives, simply because they didn't understand them and thought that they were justified in forcing labor from the locals.
Here in Northbrook, it gets easy to fall into the unconscious belief that this kind of discrimination and poverty doesn't affect us, but seing the same kind of racial violence in a modern setting helped me 'feel' the other, less fortunate souls in the Heart of Darkness
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Blogging around
Jon,
I have to identify with your process. I usually have all of thefollowing, which you mentioned: tea, difficulty turning off music (even when I don't like it), and rampant procrastination. Poetry is difficult without concentration, and concentration is difficult when you have to write poetry =/
Marika,
When I was Writing my poem, i had little difficulty finding an image, but I definitely had trouble putting it to paper. After readig your post, I feel that, even if my poem isn't a masterpiece, the time i spent concentrating on it will definitely help me remember the significance of my image. I just hope I'll be able to get it to the point that everyone who reads it will feel the same way.
I have to identify with your process. I usually have all of thefollowing, which you mentioned: tea, difficulty turning off music (even when I don't like it), and rampant procrastination. Poetry is difficult without concentration, and concentration is difficult when you have to write poetry =/
Marika,
When I was Writing my poem, i had little difficulty finding an image, but I definitely had trouble putting it to paper. After readig your post, I feel that, even if my poem isn't a masterpiece, the time i spent concentrating on it will definitely help me remember the significance of my image. I just hope I'll be able to get it to the point that everyone who reads it will feel the same way.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Metacongnition: Poetry
The first thing that comes to mind when i think of poetry is, "do i have to change this?"
I got attached to my first draft, and the second, but now, I'm even more so to my latest. Does that mean i'm improving it, or i'm getting more tired of it?
Also, I used a thesaurus a lot. I found i often had a conundrum- What word do i use, or how do I affect it such that it gives the exaxt meaning or meanings I want it to. It's like words are colurful building blocks, and i want to build a tower, but not have holes or protrusions. It's difficult to say what you mean(not have holes) and mean what you say(not have protrusions) at the same time.
I got attached to my first draft, and the second, but now, I'm even more so to my latest. Does that mean i'm improving it, or i'm getting more tired of it?
Also, I used a thesaurus a lot. I found i often had a conundrum- What word do i use, or how do I affect it such that it gives the exaxt meaning or meanings I want it to. It's like words are colurful building blocks, and i want to build a tower, but not have holes or protrusions. It's difficult to say what you mean(not have holes) and mean what you say(not have protrusions) at the same time.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Connection: King Lear to "The path of stuff"
Today I saw a video on Youtube-"The path of stuff"
The video was a spirited, 20 minute proclamation of the insustainability of the American market... and it was riddled with pitfalls, in the form of half truths. Half-truths that present a true fact, in a way that misrepresent the matter at hand. One example: in the last 40 years, X % of the Earth's original forests have been cut down. Obviously, replanted forests are misrepresenting the impact of corporations. Additionally, her claim that "wal-mart hurts its employees by not proving healthcare" is grounded in fact, but, wal-mart gives people jobs, healthcare or not. There's plenty of people who appreciate the job.
King Lear is filled with deception, half-truth, and not-truth. So many disguises, lies, and more... I realised that the politically-focused loaded argument, and other fallacies of misrepresentation.
The video was a spirited, 20 minute proclamation of the insustainability of the American market... and it was riddled with pitfalls, in the form of half truths. Half-truths that present a true fact, in a way that misrepresent the matter at hand. One example: in the last 40 years, X % of the Earth's original forests have been cut down. Obviously, replanted forests are misrepresenting the impact of corporations. Additionally, her claim that "wal-mart hurts its employees by not proving healthcare" is grounded in fact, but, wal-mart gives people jobs, healthcare or not. There's plenty of people who appreciate the job.
King Lear is filled with deception, half-truth, and not-truth. So many disguises, lies, and more... I realised that the politically-focused loaded argument, and other fallacies of misrepresentation.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Thoughts on the TED Project
To TED(v.) 1. To use an idea with much potential benefit and execute it poorly ;2. To participate in an Academy-wide project.
This definition sums up the feelings of most of the Academites, myself included.
The TED project succeeded in a few of its objectives:
-Online collaboration worked, simply. I felt as connected as if I was in a room with my groupmates. I thank our choice of Google sites.
-The research and task assignment process was simple and streamlined. Things were assigned, and they got done. The weight for all the students was such that none neglected their duties.
However, the TED presentation fell short, in my opinion, of having overall value. Mostly, research was presented, ideas shared, etc... but these weren't huge, pressing things- they were mostly fairly isolated and separate from our daily life. In all, most, if not all, of what was important in the presentations was already in the videos.
This definition sums up the feelings of most of the Academites, myself included.
The TED project succeeded in a few of its objectives:
-Online collaboration worked, simply. I felt as connected as if I was in a room with my groupmates. I thank our choice of Google sites.
-The research and task assignment process was simple and streamlined. Things were assigned, and they got done. The weight for all the students was such that none neglected their duties.
However, the TED presentation fell short, in my opinion, of having overall value. Mostly, research was presented, ideas shared, etc... but these weren't huge, pressing things- they were mostly fairly isolated and separate from our daily life. In all, most, if not all, of what was important in the presentations was already in the videos.
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