A new kind of stocking stuffer - STOCKS in your Socks!

This Christmas, stocks are at an all time discount. Why not spend your Christmas dollars on stocks for the whole family? After all the youngest of us will be around to realize the longest term rewards of their presents. While parents will maintain the families stock portfolio, and set certain rules*, a young man with 400 shares of say, Ford (under a dollar a share, last week), or one share of Apple at almost $90! may pay closer attention to the news, their math studies and learn something about the stock market too. Getting into the market is easier now than ever with some brokers offering attractive deals. By printing out fake certificates on your computer you can have a physical symbol of your gift for your child to keep (and a record of the transaction). The key is that the stock be in an area that interests the "holder" in some way and has a good chance of being in business for a couple of years or so.

*Rules that I would include are no trades for first 3 months to a year, and then only tradeing for other stock or diversification until a certain age be it 12 to 21 and then for specific purposes as worked out by the principals.

A New Way of Doing Things

David Brooks the Republican pundit cannot grasp that not only will Barrack Obama attempt to do many things at once but will actually use doing these things together in order to accomplish that first thing, fixing the economy. This is a generational issue, directly related to Davis's inability to multitask. This may also be the reason the Republican Party finally dies, and goes the way of the Dinosaurs, like Sinclair Oil. Anyway to explain it to those of a bygone era, it is like making lemonade when life gives you lemons. It is actually an old way of doing things. If you are given a swamp, you buy saws, cut the lumber and build a lumberyard. The trees being gone you sell the saws and build a clay digger. Convert the Lumberyard into a Tile yard. Sell tiles, install tiles, plant orchard, garden, stock ponds with sunfish bass and catfish. Some things must be done sequentially, some all at once.

So, translating, It is by changing the Tax code, regulating financial markets, changing banking system, educating Americans, fixing and developing infrastructure that will allow growing the green economy that will permanently fix our failing economy. Fixing our health care system will save us money by making Americans healthier and more productive: A penny of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The bailing out measures we are currently working on is only a way of kicking the can down the road so things don't get too much worse before they get better. After all this is done and the new economy is begining to work "too well" -- heating up ever faster--we will slow it by paying down the debt.

New Bank of the United States

What if we took our 700 billion and created a new Bank of the United states, backed by the federal government that offered a baseline of financial services at reasonable, but less than exceptional prices. It could be most cheaply based online. If the economy was good few would use it, but it would serve as a backstop in times such as those we face now. As far as the junk "assets, " this bank would be able, if the price was to its advantage, to purchase those, disassemble them and resell or restructure them with the original buyer. If financial institutions fail, the government could seize any remaining assets and deposit them in this bank. The current 700 billion dollar plan runs the grave risk of creating huge ghettos of foreclosed neighborhoods that may never be able to return to their previous vitality.

Interesting Plan... But...
By Economan Sep 25th 2008 at 1:56 pm EDT (Updated Sep 25th 2008 at 1:56 pm EDT)

That is an interesting idea, but, unfortunately, there is a catch. By creating a new bank, new staff would need to be hired, and a completely new infrastructure would need to be created. This would prevent a rapid acquisition of the assets.Much as the current plan is flawed, the $700 billion has to go to the existing banks, using their current infrastructure to administer the assets. This also allows their employees to keep their current jobs. The job losses at these major banks would actually hurt the economy a lot more.
Re: Interesting Plan... But...
By Frederick from Evanston, IL Sep 29th 2008 at 12:03 pm EDT (Updated Sep 29th 2008 at 12:03 pm EDT)

By making the bank on-line only and using the esisting resources of the teasury and IRS I would hope to avoid large infrastructure expenditures.

A once in a lifetime chance for reform
By Peter Rutherford Sep 25th 2008 at 2:10 pm EDT (Updated Sep 25th 2008 at 2:10 pm EDT)

Possibly never again in our liefetimes will we get a chance to negotiate with the International banking system for thorough root and branch reform. We must not lose this opportunity. The bail out must come with demands to get the World's banking system into proper order so that it works for people.
Re: A once in a lifetime chance for reform

By Frederick from Evanston, IL Sep 29th 2008 at 12:08 pm EDT (Updated Sep 29th 2008 at 12:08 pm EDT)

I hope you are right about this and positive changes occur. The Idea of the new US Bank might seem unneccessary then, it would certainly be little used under a healthy private financial system. However it would still serve as an alternative, safety-net for savings, checking, credit card and loan services.

Special Report-Forbes Almost Got It Right!

Special Report
The Forbes 400
The Forbes article and commentary on NPR Forbes spokesman notices the rich are not getting richer but remaining stagnant in their income. They went on to note that this is not good for the "rest of us" or the 'little' man because when the rich man is getting richer that correlates with gains in amount of work and productivity for the American worker. What they failed to realize is that it isn't the rich spending their money that gives the masses a job but the expenditures of the masses that drive the economy and lead to the profits that make the rich richer. So, the rich getting richer is a sign but not the cause of a healthy economy. In order to fix this economy it is the little man that we need to think about for our society is only as productive and healthy as its weakest citizens. Universal health care and a move to a greener, healthier culture that gives Americans an alternative to the tyranny of today's big oil economy.
It is most interesting that Bush-McCain oversaw the deregulation of the financial system that led to the current failure and now is bailing out those that begged for the deregulation so that they could further leverage their incredible profits. And though the little man would be hurt by economic downturn, the rich, especially the rich that made bad, risky decisions would fall the farthest. Do not use the taxpayer to insure the rich failures and forestall the enviable collapse of the old economy. Let that go. Use this opportunity invest in the American worker, through education and universal healthcare, inspire the new, already developing, green economy, and staunch the drain on our scarce resources that is the Iraq war.
http://www.forbes.com/2008/09/16/forbes-400-billionaires-lists-400list08_cx_mn_0917richamericans_land.html

Solving Our Enery Crisis - Free Enterprise and Competition

Solving Our Energy Crisis - Free Enterprise and Competition

The United States is poised to solve its energy issues quickly if it shifts the drain on res0olves to the Middle East and redirects it into clean energy alternatives. We already have extra industrial capacity to begin mass producing new products quickly once promising alternatives are found. It should feel free to offer prizes as DARPA has already proven to be an effective strategy. As energy prices increase a premium will be put on fuel effeciency for various jobs. It should encourage completions in schools and communities to raise people's individual awareness. When viable alternatives are found the free market should determine their use and the inventor should retain their royalties. While government regulation is necessary for safety's sake, it is imperative that Governments across the country begin to rethink their traffic systems. Often it might be possible to begin to allow a lane system based on half lanes. Some roads might be open to half lane vehicles only. Consider a mini would be a half lane car, about the biggest. I’m sure Escorts and Corollas would soon be adapted. Depending on the size of the Road, more lane configurations are possible as is the possibility of separate highways for lighter traffic:

Light Walkway, non polluters only:

Pedestrian High speed walkways with benches that move. Along the Lake, Walkways move progressively faster as you move inside. (Electric Moped and lighter friendly) 15 MPH in the fast lane though, however that speed is guaranteed until you step off onto the 10 MPH path then to the 5 mph path to the sidewalk. (Relegated initially to commercial and tourist areas)

1 Half lane each way: Bike Path Expresso 20 MPH


Mini or lighter Skyway light polluters:

3 half lanes each way, on and off ramps, limited access 35 MPH speed limit in inner lane, 25 in second and 10 minimum in slow lane.

2 Half lanes each way. Middle lane 25, slow lane 5 min. Density every other street, excluding major streets which would remain unaltered.

Meanwhile, some traffic would require 2 and some time in the future, even 3 lanes.

Air Traffic:

Even a modest town should boast an ultralight Airport, and Chicago should be no exception installing 7 within the city inself and 27 More in collar counties, inculding Indiana.

Hydrogen and electic powered Lighter than Air (or Lighter than half) vehicles should be allowed to land in even more areas.

Solving Our Enery Crisis - Giving America a New Backbone

In order to secure our energy independence it is critical that America have a High Efficiency Electronic Backbone, this could be used to allow communities and individuals to sell electricity across our country preventing the need of communities to create greenhouse gases with inefficient power generation. The current Internet Backbone Map would be a good starting point. International connections at least to Canada would probably be needed. Wind power from the shores of Lake Eire could be sold to New York City. The Sun's power could to captured in Arizona and the wave action of the Pacific could be harnessed and used to power Los Angeles. Further, as we have already gone down the nuclear road, and are left with spent fuel rods it makes sense for us (U.S.) to develop the breeder reactor under a joint government - private utility company project in association with Canada and with the aide of French advisers. (the French already have developed and are using breeder reactor technology. The idea of this venture would be to develop one example smaller size breeder reactor in the southeast (which would still be the largest reactor in the country) and then build 2 larger reactors in the Midwest and western parts of the country, all on our new backbone, this would give the whole country access to dependable electricity which will be needed as we continue to see fuel prices rise. This power can be used to create hydrogen or to power electric and hybrid plug in vehicles. Finally nuc

lear batteries are already being developed which could be buried to power outlying communities at reasonable prices and quite safely, though the Department of Energy still need to develop rules for thier use as this is new technology. These two uses for spent fuel rods will help reduce, but not completely eliminate America's need for a Nuclear Storage Facillity.

Photos courtesy of http://www.cameco.com/uranium_101/fact.php, OSHA and Natl. Geo. Soc.

The Verdict on MSNBC

Regarding your "Obama should offer the VP job to Hillary" segment and panel: A couple of your guests seemed to have it right, but failed to articulate. Obama needs to think outside the box and not pick merely to win as has been done in the past, not pick to unify the party, as has been done in the past, but pick a VP that will help to unify the country. Chuck Hagel would be an excellent example of this, but I'm sure there are others.

I'm sure your smug little mealy mouthed republican apologist would try to twist my words also but as I white male, I have no difficulty understanding what Michelle Obama was saying, when she said she was truly proud of America for the first time in her adult life. As children we are taught to expect a lot, perhaps to an unrealistic degree for and from America. Even if America is the best of all the countries in the world, I would still expect that America should hold itself to an even higher, idealistic standard. One of my first memories was of JFK getting shot. I was horrified what might happen to America then. Later I was horrified again and again when Martin Luther King was gunned down and Robert Kennedy shot. I was proud of America when we landed on the moon in 1969 and was in England then and let them know it. But I was only 9 then... I was not proud of Nixon, the Vietnam war, our involvement in the Bay of Pigs, Iran-contra, Guatemala, and our other not so secret enterprises. It infur iates me that Americas taxpayers dollars are spent secretly and stolen by those who have taken oaths to serve. I was not proud of America was I saw a movie about the Tuskegee Syphillis Project. I was proud of the US Hockey Team and all of Americas Olympians, win or lose, if done honorably. Perhaps Mrs. Obama is not a sports fan ... I am not proud of our mishandling our our foreign policy, the Iraq war, destruction of our economy and am deeply saddened by our impudent attempts to capture or kill Osama bin Laden.


Yet, Barack Obama's Campaign has made me proud of America again and given me new hope for America. If we are a strong enough as a people to unite over our racial prejudices and elect Barack to the highest office in the land, we can certainly solve global warming and learn to power our economy in new ways. Perhaps we can even realize that health involves the whole of a population

What if?

Hmmmm, if Senetor Obama does win the black vote 10% and the Latino vote 13% he only needs 41% of the White vote to be elected!

Economy

The financial "gurus" said $4.00 was too much to pay for Bear-Sterns, lol, because "the President of the U.S. signed off on this" Well you could have doubled your money because Chase upped the price to $10.00. They also said to hang onto your shares when the price was $60 and falling.

They also continue to claim the market may already have reached the bottom and gold, it's peak... Try listening to these "gurus" and imagine if the opposite of what they are saying is true (perhaps equally so). I am not saying that these "gurus" are just trying to prop the markets up for a bit to get their own money back out. Or trying to manipulate the prices of certain stocks so that they can use insider information. But, it would be in their financial best interest wouldn't it?

Oh by the way, the Prez also said that Bennie's doing a great job so you know he's out within the year...

From 1/23/08:


The US economic situation is bad and will get worse. Look to shift into Euros or Juan and then buy into new technologies, especially consumer sized wind turbines, alternative fuels, ultralight technologies, solar collectors, green batteries and electronics, and hi-tech materials, especially Bucky tubes. Reinvest to result in a local and worldwide diversified balance of sustainable businesses, this will be the new economy.

Why would a conservative live in Ca, CA?

How can a true conservative live in a state that allows Gay Marriage? Wouldn't that be like sitting in a church pew when the pastor says things that violate your views and values and then instead of getting up and relocating you stay for 20 years?

3AM Phone Call - - A Better Angle...

It's three AM. Your children are sleeping. You're sleeping, but somewhere in the world a phone is ringing. Who will answer it?
In Japanese:
Yasuo Fukuda
Pause
Why good day, Mr. President, yes I've got you're email and we're looking over your diplomatic pouch right now.
Long pause
I think this is just the kind of partnership both of our peoples can agree on. I'll be sending out a press release shortly.
In English:
When your government is peaceful but proactive you can sleep easy at night and wake up in a better world tomorrow.
(Do not translate the message - that's will get people talking)

Obama BAMBAM Button /Sticker

http://www.barackobama.com/

An ultralight airship, our next "Auto"

An ultralight airship must weigh less than 254 pounds empty weight, except for floats and safety devices like a parachute. It also cannot exceed a maximum level flight speed of 55 knots, (which is unlikely to be a limiting factor in a hot air blimp). The stall speed limit of 24 knots should provide no problem as a lighter-than-air craft should be able to sustain flight at 0 knots.
The airship fuel source that provides propulsive power cannot exceed 5 U.S. gallons. If more than 5 gallons of fuel is carried then the fuel used to propel the vehicle in the horizontal direction should be separate from the fuel providing lift.
The ultralight airship may carry any amount of fuel to power the burner that creates lift. However? the empty fuel tanks must be included in the total empty vehicle weight of less than 254 pounds.

To be truely "Green" our craft will contain it's own hydrogen generator, which transforms Ethanol into Hydrogen and then releases it into the BalloonWing or converts it into Electricity to power the TurboFan, which provides horizontal and vertical forces for steering, direction and even emergency lift. Experimental craft will then be tested for more practical applications.

What It Takes to Push a Single Atom

February 22, 2008 NYTIMES
Scientists Measure What It Takes to Push a Single Atom
By KENNETH CHANG
I.B.M. scientists have measured the force needed to nudge one atom.
About one-130-millionth of an ounce of force pushes a cobalt atom across a smooth, flat piece of platinum.
Pushing the same atom along a copper surface is easier, just one-1,600-millionth of an ounce of force.
The scientists report these minuscule findings in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.
I.B.M. scientists have been pushing atoms around for some time, since Donald M. Eigler of the company’s Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif., spelled “IBM” using 35 xenon atoms in 1989. Since then, researchers at the company have continued to explore how they might be able to construct structures and electronic components out of individual atoms.
Knowing the precise forces required to move atoms “helps us to understand what is possible and what is not possible,” said Andreas J. Heinrich, a physicist at Almaden and an author of the new Science paper. “It’s a stepping stone for us, but it’s by no means the end goal.”
In the experiment, Dr. Heinrich and his collaborators at Almaden and the University of Regensburg in Germany used the sharp tip of an atomic force microscope to push a single atom. To measure the force, the tip was attached to a small tuning fork, the same kind that is found in a quartz wristwatch. In fact, in the first prototype, Franz J. Giessibl, a scientist at Regensburg who was a pioneer in the use of atomic force microscopes, bought an inexpensive watch and pulled out the quartz tuning fork for use in the experiment.
The tip vibrates 20,000 times a second until it comes into contact with an atom. As the tip pushes, the tuning fork bends, like a diving board, and the vibration frequency dips.
A single atom does not roll, and even a perfectly smooth surface is not perfectly smooth. Instead, the atom rests in small indentations in the lattice, in effect like an egg in an egg carton. The resistance — what becomes friction when multiplied by millions and billions of atoms — comes from the energy needed to rearrange the bonds between the cobalt atom and surface.
When the tip pushes hard enough, the atom hops, almost instantaneously to the next indentation. “It’s not smooth,” said Markus Ternes, another Almaden scientist working on the research. “It’s faster than we can detect.”
From the changes in the frequency of the tuning fork vibrations, the scientists calculated the force that the tip applied to the cobalt atom.
Copper is less sticky than platinum, because of differences between the underlying bonds, and hence allowed the greater ease is pushing the cobalt atom along.

UHMMMM...

You can dress up a lump of coal with a new ribbon, but it's still a crappy present.

America's Makeover.

Hillary says that she will remake American. I believe America is using us to realize and become its true self. The same self that bore us through the nation's birth, the wars we've fought, the depression of the 30's the recessions of the 80's. America's true self is also felt in the good times, our victories both on the field of battle and on the field of honor, Fourth of July Parades, cookouts in the park, and quiet fishing trips that are over before breakfast. Perhaps most of all, Americas true self can be seen in our service to the world's poor and downtrodden. To help those without hope and without a voice up. America is in our bombs, which are mightly, and in our ability to conduct tough trade agreements, but it is keener our ability to rebuild roads and hospitals and nieghborhoods. America is seen most clearly in a child's mind when they realize that somewhere deep down they are Free too.

Romney saved the Olympics?

I have a question for Mr. Romney:

Did you save the Olympics or was it hundreds of thousands of brave and loyal Americans that attended the events and paid $5.00 for a Coke (Not to mention the the $224.5 million in security costs contributed by outside sources....)?

And what did you have against the Boy Scouts?

"Romney barred Boy Scouts from public participation in 2002 Olympics
The 2002 Olympics - run by Mitt Romney - was the only Olympics that restricted the Boy Scouts from participating. According to news reports, this was apparently because of pressure from homosexual activists. (But also, according to reports, homosexual groups participated fairly prominently.) Romney would not respond to reporters' questions about that action."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1865787/posts

McCain wrong on military...

John McCain says that it is no waste of young American lives to have standing armies in Iraq, South Korea, Germany, etc. Evidently he has not viewed the movie, "Jarhead." While I agree that standing armies are preferable to fighting armies, losing American lives or having Americans in foreign POW camps, I believe that this point of view ignores get the facts: National spending on military is money that is not being spent on education. Resources that are used for the military are not being used to develop new energy resources. Doctors that are serving on the front lines are not developing a cure for cancer. At best, military spending will produce little to nothing, at worst, when wielded, it will be destructive. And guess whose money will be used to rebuild what we have destroyed. We need to use diplomacy to actually solve issues in the world, use science and economic incentives to stop our addiction to foreign oil, and use bio-medical resources to allow more Americans to have longer richer more productive lives. Finally we need to get our troops off the front lines and into Colleges and Universities, which is where they will prepare themselves to solve the world’s future issues that we are only beginning to foresee.

Healthcare, Cancer and Autism.

We will save money as a nation if we have a healthy population so it behooves us to provide the entire population with preventative health care and encourage the agricultural producers to provide healthy foods through the usfda Cancer and Autism spectrum disease rapid and sudden increase in incidence demand research into there causes and cures. This is the new AIDS of the Millieneum. Check the numbers. This is growing faster. And it shows no signs of letting up. I am grouping the two because I believe the cause will eventually be show to be the same: Pollution of our environment.