Evidence would be a better world than proof, but nonetheless this National Geographic Article is fascinating
Connectionality
Mark Fetherolf on the Interconnectedness of Things
Bananagram Histogram
Note: daedlus42’s histobananagram predates
mine by four months, but I was unaware of it
until I googled bananagram histogram.
Posted in Geek
Euphoria
As the soles of my shoes hit the soft ground, I pushed past the tall cottonwood trees in a euphoric cadence, and meandered through willow branches that the moose munched on,
The BETTERHO Egg Scissors
Posted in Cool
H.R.7260 Transparency in the Creation of Wealth Act of 2008
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7260
To increase the quality and public accessibility of research by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on the effects of monetary policy on the distribution of wealth in the United States, and the proportion of newly created monetary resources directed into various sectors of the economy, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 3, 2008
Mr. KUCINICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To increase the quality and public accessibility of research by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on the effects of monetary policy on the distribution of wealth in the United States, and the proportion of newly created monetary resources directed into various sectors of the economy, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Transparency in the Creation of Wealth Act of 2008′.
SEC. 2. ESTIMATE OF THE OVERALL MONEY SUPPLY.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall devise, calculate and publish a replacement for the discontinued M3 monetary statistic, in order to provide a transparent estimate of the nation’s total money supply.
SEC. 3. STATISTICAL ESTIMATE OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall tabulate and publish a statistical description of the current distribution of wealth in the United States by quintile, including a further examination of the uppermost 1% sections by 0.1% each.
SEC. 4. CREDIT INSTITUTION SEIGNIORAGE CALCULATION FOR REPORT TO CONGRESS.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall calculate and report to the Congress the total annual seigniorage interest income received by financial institutions as a result of their being allowed to create money in the form of the credit they extend above their own cash deposits or reserves prior to extending the loans.
SEC. 5. CALCULATIONS FOR THE SEMI-ANNUAL HUMPHREY-HAWKINS TESTIMONY.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall calculate and publish semi-annually the loss or gain in economic output due to the deviation of the previous year’s actual unemployment rate from the 4% level required by the Humphrey Hawkins Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), including such loss or gain, in income by quintile.
SEC. 6. ACCESSIBLE STATISTICAL COMPARISONS OF WHERE CREDIT IS BEING DIRECTED .
(a) In General- The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall tabulate and publish data showing the amount of credit and the percentage of credit now being created and directed into each of the following:
(1) Public infrastructure.
(2) Primary residences.
(3) Secondary residences.
(4) Stocks, bonds, commodities.
(5) Foreign currency and derivatives trading.
(6) Mergers and acquisitions.
(7) Education.
(8) Manufacturing infrastructure.
(9) Military expenditures.
(b) Additional Analysis- Each category referred to in a paragraph in subsection (a) shall be further analyzed by type, gender, race, wealth status, and location, if applicable.
SEC. 7. LAND VALUE CALCULATION FOR THE FLOW OF FUNDS REPORT.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall develop a market-based estimate of the value of residential, corporate and publicly owned land and report figures.
SEC. 8. FOREIGN DEBT CALCULATION.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall make projections, in 10 year increments, of the net foreign debt, and estimate and report on the location of Federal reserve notes, by country and type of holder; including an estimate of lost notes.
SEC. 9. GAO AUDIT REQUIREMENT.
Notwithstanding the requirements, limitations, and exceptions contained in section 714 of title 31, United States Code, the Comptroller General shall conduct a full audit of the Federal reserve system in every year before a Presidential election year.
SEC. 10. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SURVEY OF CONSUMER FINANCES.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall undertake the Survey of Consumer Finances every year.
SEC. 11. SUMMARIES OF TOTAL CREDIT MARKET DEBT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall publish a summary of total credit market debt, quarterly and annually.
SEC. 12. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall release–
(1) the statistics required to be compiled by this Act at a quarterly news conference; and
(2) the survey of consumer finances and the total credit market debt report at an annual news conference.
END
Posted in Hmmmm
Teachers of the common herd
Capital must protect itself in every way…Debts must be collected and loans and mortgages foreclosed as soon as possible. When through a process of law the common people have lost their homes, they will be more tractable and more easily governed by the strong arm of the law applied by the central power of leading financiers. People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders. This is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an Imperialism of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd.
–J.P.Morgan
Posted in Politics and Government
Milkmen
When I commuted and I drove the hours before dawn, the radio played all-night new age music, always a piano, overly bright in timbre, with synthesized strings, chimes and nature sounds. I’m not sure why I didn’t turn it off. It wasn’t my kind of music.
We didn’t have milk boxes out front anymore, or the sort of milkmen whose presence was heralded by the soft comforting clanking of glass milk bottles. But at gas station convenience stores, brightly painted dairy trucks coughed sweet diesel smoke into cool damp air. Grinding transmissions, sliding doors, loading ramps, and hand trucks harmonized. Paper cartons were carried in plastic boxes. I bought cigarettes and black coffee.
I imagined my smug moodiness, the world still asleep as I smoked and drove, could only be, must be, the disposition of milkmen. I had no milk, but in those hours, ones worth is rarely questioned.
Posted in Arts
If this is the greatest, well damn …
McCain’s move: Putting priorities or politics first? – CNN.com: “Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, called McCain’s decision to suspend his campaign the ‘greatest single act of responsibility ever taken by a presidential candidate.”
Posted in Politics and Government