Wealth Distribution

Here is a nice video on wealth distribution (not income inequality) in the US.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/wealth-poverty/surprise-viral-hit-income-inequality-movie

On a similar note WRT to income inequality and minimum wage - As of January 1st  the municipality of Sea Tac will have a $15/hr minimum wage for some airport and hotel workers.  By far the highest minimum wage in the US.  It will be interesting to see how that works out for all impacted parties (vendors, employees, customers) over the next year.

Race 6

There is a picture of Romney and family which includes an adopted black grandchild.  I'd never heard of it until today and did not know that they had a black grandchild.   http://therightscoop.com/marc-lamont-hill-romney-grandson-photo-was-exploitative-to-begin-with/

MSNBC put up the pic and made fun of it and Romney on the grounds that it was exploitative in some way.  (After the election!!!)

CNN had a discussion including Mark Lamont a black commentator that I never heard of before.  Lamont thought it was OK for them to do that,  but that it would not be OK if the party and color situation was reversed.

A viewer put in a comment:

• "This most recent batch of black spokesman are the most vile and ignorant people, it makes me sad for the future."

 I disagree with the conclusion in the comment above.  I think that it is good that the racism mongers are vile and ignorant.  That means that the reasonable black people do not engage in that kind of thing and probably do not support it either.

For a list of civil rights leaders that I do not think of as racism mongers (except Sharpton) see http://newsone.com/1102975/top-15-civil-rights-leaders-of-the-21st-century/.  The list includes Cornel West and Van Jones.

Gay ducks

Jon Stewart and Bill Maher et. al. relentlessly ridicule Christianity and the loony left never raises a peep.

But one little quack about homosexuality and they go berserk.

Voltaire's definition of freedom of speech was:  "I disagree with everything you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

The American left's definition of freedom of speech is:  "If I disagree with you, I will call it hate speech and shut you down if I can."

I am pleased to note that several gay folks I know have publicly condemned this hypocrisy.

Mincome

The link below contains an article and video in which Krystal Ball at MSNBC puts forth a plan that would, in her words, “eliminate poverty”. 

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/msnbcs-krystal-ball-we-could-eliminate-poverty-with-a-mincome/   

 Be sure to watch the video with the picture of Uncle Scrooge.

Race 5

This post has been replaced by a refined version on Feb 21, 2014.

The Civil War in Four Minutes

I first saw this film on a wall in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield IL a few years ago and was fascinated with it.  It is the one of the ways battles, wars and perhaps social movements should be presented.

Happily the Lincoln Library has allowed the Univ. of Tex to present it to the public and Terry sent it to me,

http://cp.mcafee.com/d/FZsSd38sd6QmnDPhOyYCUqejtPqtPhOyOYej76zASDsQsEIL3C6kjqtPhOyOYejuhdFTd7abxEVjoud79JSNfli7NE2JtJmkbsKrRSRpgJOVKPbHx0QsFLZvATS7TXLtuVtd4QsFYO-Ztx6_bnhIyyHssNOEuvkzaT0QSyrpdTdTdw0yrqKMBenQDUvJe00VIr4V6vFy4ycFWunzWRqiDm9rbicOfbCdyntGT4KHa3s

Mandela

If an American could imagine a kind of Washington-Lincoln-King all rolled into one, he would have what I think the South Africans see in Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela was a violent revolutionary in his youth, a paragon of patience in his middle years, and a peaceful nation builder in his later years.  His enemy was South Africa's apartheid - the strict separation of the black and white races and the absolute supremacy of the white race. 

After being held in jail for twenty-seven (27) years for the crimes of his "youth" he was released in 1990 in response to world pressure at the age of 72.  To me the most impressive thing about Mandela is that he emerged from that 27 years without being overcome by bitterness.  He kept his eye on the prize and his approach was the antithesis of seeking revenge.  He worked with his former jailers, the Apartheid government, to build a new South Africa.  He produced a new Constitution and universal elections which placed him in the presidency.  He also instituted a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (chaired by Bishop Tutu) which is renowned for meeting the objectives of its name.

He received over 250 awards, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Soviet Union's Order of Lenin.

They call him Mandeba or Tata - the father of the nation.

Mechanization vs Employment

To kind of piggy-back off of Tom's post wrt Amazon's mechanization of their processes, here is an interesting little video and explanation showing how the Amazon warehouses work.  This is an example of why the unemployment rate has stayed so stubbornly high.  Humans are being phased out of just about anything that involves physical movement and much that doesn't.  I see in my industry that the diy tax return preparation software is getting smarter and more user friendly every year. 

I always thought that if I did have to retire I would take my guitar and find a bar to play in every night and play for tips. Oh No!!!!  Computers do that too.  They even write their own songs.  AND they take requests.

Maybe I could become a plumber.  I had one out yesterday to replace the fill valve and flapper on two toilets and he charged me $120 in labor.  Which reminds me of the old joke where the lawyer has a plumber come out and do some work and when the plumber hands the lawyer his bill the lawyer gasps and says "I'm a lawyer and I don't make this much."  The plumber says "yeah, I didn't make that much when I was a lawyer either."  rim shot!

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/how-the-amazon-warehouse-works

Drone Deliveries

Amazon stole the news cycle Sunday with its presentation of a proposed drone delivery system.  On Monday the internet was full of articles that admitted the idea was cool and the technology was available, but the concept simply would not work.  Most of the articles included a “common sense” laundry list of reasons why it would not work.

It may or may not work, but what I do remember is that the current delivery model using national “hubs” had its naysayers in the beginnings as well. 

I am reminded of an exchange I had with a Dr. early in my career.  The Dr. asked me how much it would cost to build a computer system that would do X (a long list of great ideas).  As I calmly began to explain the problems involved the Dr. abruptly interrupted me by saying “I did not ask you why it could not be done I asked you how much it would cost”.  The Dr. got his system.

Quite honestly I see drone deliveries about as practical as everyone commuting to work by helicopter, which is none.  Still, Amazon is one of the most successful retailers in the history of the planet and it would be and is absurd to tell them they don’t understand the problems involved.