Edit: I realise that the national bank in Japan may be "printing" money in that it is buying up government bonds, but what I am talking about is just printing and giving the money to the government. This should be even more effective, as this money becomes "permanent" in that there is no obligation to return and destroy the money later on.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Japan Printing Money?
Just had a sudden through today - perhaps I haven't though this out enough yet, but why does Japan not print some more Yen? Look at the "crisis" it is complaining about - deflation, soaring value of the Yen, giant debt. What does printing money do? It causes inflation, devalues the currency, and give the government more money to play around with - as long as the value of the money doesn't crash. If Japan prints Yen in controlled lots, making it clear to the world that it is only going to print Yen to devalue it to a certain point, it seems like it could be a beneficial move for the country and the government. What am I missing? Why are they not printing more Yen?
Friday, August 14, 2009
Food Tax
I've been thinking over the years, and the idea of a food tax seems better and better to me. Now, I do not think a flat food tax is a good idea, but there are two specific situations in which I think a food tax would serve the greater good.
1) Unhealthy Food Tax (especially for countries with socialized medicine). This tax can be calculated on the amount of sodium, saturated fats, and other unhealthy substances over a certain ratio in prepared foods. This would serve two purposes. Firstly, it discourages people from purchasing unhealthy foods for themselves and provides an incentive for companies to look for ways to make their foods healthier, hopefully increasing the quality of food that is available and consumed. Secondly, especially in countries with socialized medicine, this income can be used to bolster their health care systems. Think of it as a user fee. If you are eating more unhealthy foods, you are paying a fee for the future use of medical services you will be more likely to need later on. What's interesting about this idea is that it can be spun as both a left or right wing idea. On one hand, it is more tax and provides more power to the government to care for its citizens. On the other hand, it is a user-fee system where your pay for what you are likely to use in the future.
2) Calorie Tax. There can be a flat tax per calorie in all food items sold, with the tax proceeds going towards providing (food) aid to communities and other countries in need. There are two advantages to this tax. Firstly, it discourages people from overeating or wasting food. Secondly, it provides a large amount of income for third-world aid and development programs. It is like sharing your food with the less fortunate. Of course, there are numerous disadvantages to this, such as making it even harder for the poor to feed themselves. However, there are ways around this such as providing a flat tax rebate each year using the recommended amount of calories per person as set by a nutritionist. If the tax is high enough, this also means that everyone will be able to feed themselves as they will get enough money through the tax rebate to cover all of their basic food needs.
In my opinion, governments of the world should cover the basic human needs for the members of the communities they represent. Food is a basic human need that the government should provide assistance when required and implement policies to prevent its misuse and waste. These are only two ideas which can be very effective weapons when combined, along with other ideas, against hunger, malnutrition, and unhealthy diets.
1) Unhealthy Food Tax (especially for countries with socialized medicine). This tax can be calculated on the amount of sodium, saturated fats, and other unhealthy substances over a certain ratio in prepared foods. This would serve two purposes. Firstly, it discourages people from purchasing unhealthy foods for themselves and provides an incentive for companies to look for ways to make their foods healthier, hopefully increasing the quality of food that is available and consumed. Secondly, especially in countries with socialized medicine, this income can be used to bolster their health care systems. Think of it as a user fee. If you are eating more unhealthy foods, you are paying a fee for the future use of medical services you will be more likely to need later on. What's interesting about this idea is that it can be spun as both a left or right wing idea. On one hand, it is more tax and provides more power to the government to care for its citizens. On the other hand, it is a user-fee system where your pay for what you are likely to use in the future.
2) Calorie Tax. There can be a flat tax per calorie in all food items sold, with the tax proceeds going towards providing (food) aid to communities and other countries in need. There are two advantages to this tax. Firstly, it discourages people from overeating or wasting food. Secondly, it provides a large amount of income for third-world aid and development programs. It is like sharing your food with the less fortunate. Of course, there are numerous disadvantages to this, such as making it even harder for the poor to feed themselves. However, there are ways around this such as providing a flat tax rebate each year using the recommended amount of calories per person as set by a nutritionist. If the tax is high enough, this also means that everyone will be able to feed themselves as they will get enough money through the tax rebate to cover all of their basic food needs.
In my opinion, governments of the world should cover the basic human needs for the members of the communities they represent. Food is a basic human need that the government should provide assistance when required and implement policies to prevent its misuse and waste. These are only two ideas which can be very effective weapons when combined, along with other ideas, against hunger, malnutrition, and unhealthy diets.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Complacency and Ignorance - Health Care in the USA
Complacency, ignorance, bigotry, cult of the self... these are the negative qualities of the American culture that has deeply disturbed me over the years, and I feel that I am only starting to understand the depth at which these problems run in American society. Although in most cases, this does not lead directly to others being harmed, there are two extremely harmful manifestations of these problems, one of them being health care.
I am becoming increasingly disturbed at the lack of health care coverage available to the citizens of the world's most powerful, advanced, and rich country. Although I had been aware that there are problems with the American health care system, I did not realize the extent of the problems until watching Michael Moore's Sicko a few weeks ago. Although I am by no means a Michael Moore fan boy, what I saw in the movie shocked me, which caused me to start researching into the health care problems of this great nation. I had never looked into this issue, as coming from Canada, I had just assumed that in the US, a country richer and more technologically advanced than Canada, everyone had full access to high-quality health care services in the country. To me, and most other Canadians, access to free health care when you need it is taken as a basic right that should be granted to all human beings.
In my experiences, the most visible manifestation of the lack of health care coverage in the US is the highly visible disabilities and disfigurements in the homeless population in the country. Living in San Francisco and walking around the less well off urban areas of the city, I see a shockingly high number of homeless people with disabilities, either in the form of missing limbs, deformed appendages, or a limp while walking. Many of them seem to be bound to a wheelchair and have swollen extremities. Many more rely on old, beat-up canes to move around awkwardly. Many more seem to have obvious mental conditions, blathering incoherently as they walk around, yelling at passersby, or repeatedly performing simple actions over and over again. Just the sight of them makes you immediately lose hope that they will ever recover. They look like they are just waiting around for their death to release them from the pain and hopelessness of their lives.
Back when I lived in Canada, before moving to the US, I had never imagined sights such as this. The idea of such a rich and privileged society refusing to provide the most basic aid to the most needy was completely unfathomable to me. I had seen many homeless in Canadian cities too, but they all seemed quite healthy and most of them gave off the vibe that life still held great promises for them in the future if they worked at it, and that they were just down for the moment. I felt that the homeless in Canada were still part of Canadian society, while the homeless in the US feel like a separate subclass who are not seen as human beings. The general feel I get here is the less interaction we have with them, the better.
Even with all of these problems, there is still a surprising amount of hesitation, even contempt, in the US for the idea of universal government-provided health care as it is seen as "socialist" or "communist," two of the most derogatory terms in American political language. The American cult of self has instilled an idea that no one should be responsible for anyone else in their culture, and just living here for six years, I feel that I have become a much more cynical person who is becoming less caring about others in need. Worse still, is that large corporations in the US run very well funded propaganda campaigns which convince the ill-informed populace that the current private health care system is the most effective system. Combined with the Americans' contempt for government control and their rejection and ignorance of foreign countries and different ways of thinking, these propaganda campaigns are surprisingly effective at combating any policy which makes it difficult for the large corporations to make a hefty profit.
Of course, I do think there are advantages to the American system. It has indeed made them one of the richest countries in the world, and the vast majority of Americans live in a life of privilege and luxury compared to the rest of the world. However, when it comes to the basic necessities of life, I believe that these should be regulated and controlled by a responsible government that is working to serve the people. Sure, go ahead and privatize consumer goods and services for non-essential items and new technologies - these creative and hardworking entrepreneurs deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labour for taking such risks to bring joy and comfort to the world - but basic necessities for human beings to survive and to give them a chance at success should not be controlled by forces who do not care about the people who need them and only about the profits they can make by controlling these resources.
The American people need to wake up and see the problems in their society, especially when it come to health care. Now that there is actually a president in power who wants to improve the system, it is time for action, not time for even more complacency. Americans need to wake up to the world and see how things are done in other industrialized nations and question why it is that the American health care system is so abysmally low in the international rankings when the US itself is in such a privileged position. Americans, this is your chance to rescue many millions of people from a hopeless and painful existence, not to mention the lives that will be saved with health care coverage for everyone. Wake up, be bold enough to face the truth, and you can make the world a better place for everyone by taking action and supporting your president in the battle for health care reform.
I am becoming increasingly disturbed at the lack of health care coverage available to the citizens of the world's most powerful, advanced, and rich country. Although I had been aware that there are problems with the American health care system, I did not realize the extent of the problems until watching Michael Moore's Sicko a few weeks ago. Although I am by no means a Michael Moore fan boy, what I saw in the movie shocked me, which caused me to start researching into the health care problems of this great nation. I had never looked into this issue, as coming from Canada, I had just assumed that in the US, a country richer and more technologically advanced than Canada, everyone had full access to high-quality health care services in the country. To me, and most other Canadians, access to free health care when you need it is taken as a basic right that should be granted to all human beings.
In my experiences, the most visible manifestation of the lack of health care coverage in the US is the highly visible disabilities and disfigurements in the homeless population in the country. Living in San Francisco and walking around the less well off urban areas of the city, I see a shockingly high number of homeless people with disabilities, either in the form of missing limbs, deformed appendages, or a limp while walking. Many of them seem to be bound to a wheelchair and have swollen extremities. Many more rely on old, beat-up canes to move around awkwardly. Many more seem to have obvious mental conditions, blathering incoherently as they walk around, yelling at passersby, or repeatedly performing simple actions over and over again. Just the sight of them makes you immediately lose hope that they will ever recover. They look like they are just waiting around for their death to release them from the pain and hopelessness of their lives.
Back when I lived in Canada, before moving to the US, I had never imagined sights such as this. The idea of such a rich and privileged society refusing to provide the most basic aid to the most needy was completely unfathomable to me. I had seen many homeless in Canadian cities too, but they all seemed quite healthy and most of them gave off the vibe that life still held great promises for them in the future if they worked at it, and that they were just down for the moment. I felt that the homeless in Canada were still part of Canadian society, while the homeless in the US feel like a separate subclass who are not seen as human beings. The general feel I get here is the less interaction we have with them, the better.
Even with all of these problems, there is still a surprising amount of hesitation, even contempt, in the US for the idea of universal government-provided health care as it is seen as "socialist" or "communist," two of the most derogatory terms in American political language. The American cult of self has instilled an idea that no one should be responsible for anyone else in their culture, and just living here for six years, I feel that I have become a much more cynical person who is becoming less caring about others in need. Worse still, is that large corporations in the US run very well funded propaganda campaigns which convince the ill-informed populace that the current private health care system is the most effective system. Combined with the Americans' contempt for government control and their rejection and ignorance of foreign countries and different ways of thinking, these propaganda campaigns are surprisingly effective at combating any policy which makes it difficult for the large corporations to make a hefty profit.
Of course, I do think there are advantages to the American system. It has indeed made them one of the richest countries in the world, and the vast majority of Americans live in a life of privilege and luxury compared to the rest of the world. However, when it comes to the basic necessities of life, I believe that these should be regulated and controlled by a responsible government that is working to serve the people. Sure, go ahead and privatize consumer goods and services for non-essential items and new technologies - these creative and hardworking entrepreneurs deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labour for taking such risks to bring joy and comfort to the world - but basic necessities for human beings to survive and to give them a chance at success should not be controlled by forces who do not care about the people who need them and only about the profits they can make by controlling these resources.
The American people need to wake up and see the problems in their society, especially when it come to health care. Now that there is actually a president in power who wants to improve the system, it is time for action, not time for even more complacency. Americans need to wake up to the world and see how things are done in other industrialized nations and question why it is that the American health care system is so abysmally low in the international rankings when the US itself is in such a privileged position. Americans, this is your chance to rescue many millions of people from a hopeless and painful existence, not to mention the lives that will be saved with health care coverage for everyone. Wake up, be bold enough to face the truth, and you can make the world a better place for everyone by taking action and supporting your president in the battle for health care reform.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Finding the Value in Life
On a recent discussion with one of my friends, we re-visited the age old discussion of the meaning of life. I've come to realize that "meaning of life" depends on how you define value, which is different for everyone. It is useless to discover a universal answer to the meaning of life, as different people value different things. To someone who values their belief in a divine being, their answer to the meaning of life may be to live life in service of their deity. To greedy hedonist, their meaning of life may be to get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of life no matter what the cost is to others. However, once I have come to realize that the meaning of life depends on your own values, a basic answer can be proposed to the question of what the meaning of life is. The answer is as follows: to maximize the realized value of your life, where the value is a personal definition.
Thus, the key to finding meaning in life is to finding the value that life holds for you personally. What do you want to contribute to the world in your time here? What do you want to get out of it? Perhaps one day we will be able to define what "value" truly means, but for now, all we can do is guess. Although using a standard societal definition of value is perfectly acceptable, as let's face it, in most cases the masses are correct. However, if you want to get the most out of life for yourself, you must think hard about what yours values are and work at maximizing them over your lifetime. This is due to the fact that although popular belief does work for the general case, it is rarely the best case for any individual as all individuals are different. Since people are social animals, thinking in a way that does not agree with their family, friends, and society is very difficult and painful, but for a unique and extraordinarily satisfying life, I believe that this is a requirement. In most complex systems, one must move away from the local extrema to find a global extrema.
But what if you are like me? I can't seem to grasp any true value in life, since if there is no afterlife, everything will become nullified in the future anyway. As time goes to infinity, the chances of survival for the human race, or any race for that matter, goes to zero, and any traces of your existence will be meaningless, if not certainly erased. Of course, if there is an eternal afterlife, this would solve the problem, but as of now I still have not fully convinced myself that it exists, although I certainly hope that it does.
For now, while I am still trying to find exactly what it is that I value in life, I figure that instead of wasting my time, I might as well help others achieve theirs. To me, it seems that if everyone works toward maximizing the total "realized value" of life summed across everyone in the world, the world would be a better place as people would have on average, realized more of their dreams and passions. Very rarely will your own "realized value" have an inverse relationship to the total "realized value," and if for some reason yours is, perhaps it is time to step back and consider why your goal in life involves stifling the dreams of others.
So, for now, while I am still finding my value in life, I have decided the best thing I can do, for both myself and others, is to help others who already know what their values are to achieve them. Along the way, perhaps I can learn about different viewpoints which might end up helping me find my value in life after all.
Thus, the key to finding meaning in life is to finding the value that life holds for you personally. What do you want to contribute to the world in your time here? What do you want to get out of it? Perhaps one day we will be able to define what "value" truly means, but for now, all we can do is guess. Although using a standard societal definition of value is perfectly acceptable, as let's face it, in most cases the masses are correct. However, if you want to get the most out of life for yourself, you must think hard about what yours values are and work at maximizing them over your lifetime. This is due to the fact that although popular belief does work for the general case, it is rarely the best case for any individual as all individuals are different. Since people are social animals, thinking in a way that does not agree with their family, friends, and society is very difficult and painful, but for a unique and extraordinarily satisfying life, I believe that this is a requirement. In most complex systems, one must move away from the local extrema to find a global extrema.
But what if you are like me? I can't seem to grasp any true value in life, since if there is no afterlife, everything will become nullified in the future anyway. As time goes to infinity, the chances of survival for the human race, or any race for that matter, goes to zero, and any traces of your existence will be meaningless, if not certainly erased. Of course, if there is an eternal afterlife, this would solve the problem, but as of now I still have not fully convinced myself that it exists, although I certainly hope that it does.
For now, while I am still trying to find exactly what it is that I value in life, I figure that instead of wasting my time, I might as well help others achieve theirs. To me, it seems that if everyone works toward maximizing the total "realized value" of life summed across everyone in the world, the world would be a better place as people would have on average, realized more of their dreams and passions. Very rarely will your own "realized value" have an inverse relationship to the total "realized value," and if for some reason yours is, perhaps it is time to step back and consider why your goal in life involves stifling the dreams of others.
So, for now, while I am still finding my value in life, I have decided the best thing I can do, for both myself and others, is to help others who already know what their values are to achieve them. Along the way, perhaps I can learn about different viewpoints which might end up helping me find my value in life after all.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Becoming a Cosmopolite
Ever since I was small, I was fascinated by the idea of being a cosmopolite, a citizen of the world who feels equally at home in any place. I had always admired cosmopolites for their open-mindedness and and their freedom. However, I was never able to conceive of how I can tear myself away from my upbringing and history, as having an affinity for the culture and place that one was raised seemed to me a fundamental and invariable human trait. I had never been able to conceive of myself permanently moving away from Canada, where I spent the formative years of my life. I felt that I belonged in Canada and that I fit in there somehow.
However, the events of the past two years of my life has fundamentally changed my view on the world down to its foundations, and I feel that in the recent months, I am starting to emerge from a chaotic transitional period of my life that was without direction or joy. I feel that I am experiencing something of a rebirth through which all of my views on the world has changed, yet my basic principles have remained surprisingly intact. Among one of the powerful changes is that I feel I am becoming a cosmopolite, which I only now realize have both good and bad sides to it. One one hand, I feel amazingly free, much more so than before, as I am now completely at ease with the idea of living in and settling permanently in any country now. One the other hand, I feel emptier than before, as one of my support columns, home and the sense that I belong somewhere, has been ripped out quite suddenly, leaving a painful vacuum, which is still healing.
It all started two years ago just before graduating from university. That year, I discovered my passion for travelling and over two trips, spent a quarter of my year in and around Europe, wandering around and learning about different cultures and admiring how Islamic and Christian cultures intermixed near the boundaries. It was then when I realized how similar everyone really is, and how everyone in the world influences everyone else to a degree that had never occurred to me before. This kicked off an intense interest in learning about all foreign cultures which is still with me as strong as ever. The more I learn about the world and the others that we share it with, the more I realize we are all the same and see the folly and idiocy behind cultural and political boundaries, disputes, and bigotry.
At the same time, there has been many changes in my family as well. With the passing of my grandfather in Beijing, who has been one of the people that has made the most impact in my life, and me being hit by a car while cycling, I have developed a sense of impermanence, that everything is always changing, often in unforeseen ways. I have come to realize that we cannot spend all of our lives clinging to what we are afraid of losing, as that will cause us to miss out on the truly unique and rewarding moments in life.
The final series of events that catalyzed my sudden transformation into a cosmopolite happened over the past few months. My father lost his job in the economic downturn of 2008-2009. This was not unforeseen as my dad was the head of the research and development department of a major parts manufacturer in the auto industry, which was decimated by the downturn. Of course, when the company decided to cut costs, it would naturally let go of the most expensive people to keep around in the departments that show the lowest short-term returns on investment. In fact, this was foreshadowed a year ago, when my parents visited me in San Francisco. At that time, my parents and I each had a job, and my mom had commented that we should enjoy our time together, as that may have been the high point of our family's financial stability.
Because of the recent changes, my parents have sold the house and are planning on moving back to China to search for new career opportunities for my father, which came as a complete shock to me. At nearly the same time, my cousin and her husband, who have recently moved to Los Angeles from Vancouver, announced that they were moving to the UK, although under the much better circumstances of having somehow obtained a desierable teaching position at Oxford University . All of a sudden, I am the only member of my family who is still planning on being in North America in the forseeable future, the continent which contains what I had previously considered my solid and forever unchanging home country and emotional base.
Things are still changing now, as my new perspective on the world is slowing emerging from the experiences and changes I have been through in the past two years. One thing that seems certain is that along with the other dramatic changes in my views, I will emerge from this chaotic period as a true cosmopolite who has lived in three countries and have visited twenty-nine sovereign nations, all of which I have learned to love. I will love and celebrate all people, cultures, and places in the whole world as my home, yet no one place will truly be home for me anymore.
However, the events of the past two years of my life has fundamentally changed my view on the world down to its foundations, and I feel that in the recent months, I am starting to emerge from a chaotic transitional period of my life that was without direction or joy. I feel that I am experiencing something of a rebirth through which all of my views on the world has changed, yet my basic principles have remained surprisingly intact. Among one of the powerful changes is that I feel I am becoming a cosmopolite, which I only now realize have both good and bad sides to it. One one hand, I feel amazingly free, much more so than before, as I am now completely at ease with the idea of living in and settling permanently in any country now. One the other hand, I feel emptier than before, as one of my support columns, home and the sense that I belong somewhere, has been ripped out quite suddenly, leaving a painful vacuum, which is still healing.
It all started two years ago just before graduating from university. That year, I discovered my passion for travelling and over two trips, spent a quarter of my year in and around Europe, wandering around and learning about different cultures and admiring how Islamic and Christian cultures intermixed near the boundaries. It was then when I realized how similar everyone really is, and how everyone in the world influences everyone else to a degree that had never occurred to me before. This kicked off an intense interest in learning about all foreign cultures which is still with me as strong as ever. The more I learn about the world and the others that we share it with, the more I realize we are all the same and see the folly and idiocy behind cultural and political boundaries, disputes, and bigotry.
At the same time, there has been many changes in my family as well. With the passing of my grandfather in Beijing, who has been one of the people that has made the most impact in my life, and me being hit by a car while cycling, I have developed a sense of impermanence, that everything is always changing, often in unforeseen ways. I have come to realize that we cannot spend all of our lives clinging to what we are afraid of losing, as that will cause us to miss out on the truly unique and rewarding moments in life.
The final series of events that catalyzed my sudden transformation into a cosmopolite happened over the past few months. My father lost his job in the economic downturn of 2008-2009. This was not unforeseen as my dad was the head of the research and development department of a major parts manufacturer in the auto industry, which was decimated by the downturn. Of course, when the company decided to cut costs, it would naturally let go of the most expensive people to keep around in the departments that show the lowest short-term returns on investment. In fact, this was foreshadowed a year ago, when my parents visited me in San Francisco. At that time, my parents and I each had a job, and my mom had commented that we should enjoy our time together, as that may have been the high point of our family's financial stability.
Because of the recent changes, my parents have sold the house and are planning on moving back to China to search for new career opportunities for my father, which came as a complete shock to me. At nearly the same time, my cousin and her husband, who have recently moved to Los Angeles from Vancouver, announced that they were moving to the UK, although under the much better circumstances of having somehow obtained a desierable teaching position at Oxford University . All of a sudden, I am the only member of my family who is still planning on being in North America in the forseeable future, the continent which contains what I had previously considered my solid and forever unchanging home country and emotional base.
Things are still changing now, as my new perspective on the world is slowing emerging from the experiences and changes I have been through in the past two years. One thing that seems certain is that along with the other dramatic changes in my views, I will emerge from this chaotic period as a true cosmopolite who has lived in three countries and have visited twenty-nine sovereign nations, all of which I have learned to love. I will love and celebrate all people, cultures, and places in the whole world as my home, yet no one place will truly be home for me anymore.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Michael Jackson Web Slowdown
I just read in the news today that may web services either slowed or crashed yesterday as news about Michael Jackson's death circulated. This explains why I had a bunch of timeout errors yesterday afternoon which I thought was very strange.
It is amazing to see how even one person can affect the communication networks of the world by so much. As controversial as Michael Jackson was, this shows that a lot of people cared about him and he is still as popular as every. For me, I didn't really follow his work that much, but from what I had heard, I admired him for his positive messages and his boldness to live life the way that he believed was best. Even someone like me, who does not follow any entertainment developments, will still miss him now that he is gone.
It is amazing to see how even one person can affect the communication networks of the world by so much. As controversial as Michael Jackson was, this shows that a lot of people cared about him and he is still as popular as every. For me, I didn't really follow his work that much, but from what I had heard, I admired him for his positive messages and his boldness to live life the way that he believed was best. Even someone like me, who does not follow any entertainment developments, will still miss him now that he is gone.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Trapped in an Elevator
I had a strange experience Friday night. After work, some friends and I went to the San Francisco Japantown to watch the new Pixar movie, Up in 3D at the Theatre Kabuki run by Sundance Cinemas. After parking in their underground garage, we went to take the elevator up to the shops to have a quick dinner.
As the elevator doors closed after entering the elevator at the garage underground level 1, we pressed the button for the shops. Nothing happened. We pressed it again... and again. Nothing happened. Giving up, we pressed the open door button. Nothing happened. Trying the button for garage underground level 1 made it light up, but nothing else happened. Then, pressing garage level two, it also lit up, and the indicator light changed from garage level 1 to garage level 2, but that was about all. After pressing buttons for another while, we started pressing the alarm button. Throughout all of this, even as we were in a hurry to get to our movie on time, and my apartment mate Ben was on the phone organizing to meet with another friend, we were just kind of in disbelief and laughing and joking about it.
Soon, we tried pressing the emergency phone button. As we all waited silently expecting someone to pick up. We heard the phone ring. Then a click. As we were just about to speak, a recorded message began to play. "Elevator emergency in the Kinokuniya building, elevator one. Please send assistance." The message was followed by another click, and the red light on the telephone box went off. "Is that all we get?" Someone commented.
After pressing the buttons some more and pressing the alarm button, I decided I wasn't convinced that someone was actually coming, and if they did, we won't get out in time for the movie. "Alright, I'm going to try to open the door." I said half jokingly. Putting my fingers through the crack, I managed to shift the door a tiny bit as I pried with my fingers. Not really having an effect, I sat back to wait.
But then, Ian, one of my university friends, started pulling on the left side of the door. Figuring that there wasn't anything to lose, I pried on the right side of the door, and amazingly, we made a small gap in the door before giving up. As the door bounced back I managed to have my fingers escape in time with only some minor crushing.
Encouraged by the small movement, we tried again. After obtaining a better grip, as all of us watched in disbelief, the door opened wider and wider, and popped open under its own power after opening a crack of about 10 or 20 centimetres. None of us said anything, and we just walked out of the elevator, a level below where we started. "Did that really just happen?" Someone asked.
As the elevator doors closed after entering the elevator at the garage underground level 1, we pressed the button for the shops. Nothing happened. We pressed it again... and again. Nothing happened. Giving up, we pressed the open door button. Nothing happened. Trying the button for garage underground level 1 made it light up, but nothing else happened. Then, pressing garage level two, it also lit up, and the indicator light changed from garage level 1 to garage level 2, but that was about all. After pressing buttons for another while, we started pressing the alarm button. Throughout all of this, even as we were in a hurry to get to our movie on time, and my apartment mate Ben was on the phone organizing to meet with another friend, we were just kind of in disbelief and laughing and joking about it.
Soon, we tried pressing the emergency phone button. As we all waited silently expecting someone to pick up. We heard the phone ring. Then a click. As we were just about to speak, a recorded message began to play. "Elevator emergency in the Kinokuniya building, elevator one. Please send assistance." The message was followed by another click, and the red light on the telephone box went off. "Is that all we get?" Someone commented.
After pressing the buttons some more and pressing the alarm button, I decided I wasn't convinced that someone was actually coming, and if they did, we won't get out in time for the movie. "Alright, I'm going to try to open the door." I said half jokingly. Putting my fingers through the crack, I managed to shift the door a tiny bit as I pried with my fingers. Not really having an effect, I sat back to wait.
But then, Ian, one of my university friends, started pulling on the left side of the door. Figuring that there wasn't anything to lose, I pried on the right side of the door, and amazingly, we made a small gap in the door before giving up. As the door bounced back I managed to have my fingers escape in time with only some minor crushing.
Encouraged by the small movement, we tried again. After obtaining a better grip, as all of us watched in disbelief, the door opened wider and wider, and popped open under its own power after opening a crack of about 10 or 20 centimetres. None of us said anything, and we just walked out of the elevator, a level below where we started. "Did that really just happen?" Someone asked.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Social Guarantee Corporations
With the financial collapse, we see that under-regulated corporations driven purely by market forces do not result in steady and sustained growth and prosperity. This is likely due to the fact that greed is very short-sighted so that although much of the immediate needs are met, this way of thinking can result in working the economy into the corner that results in a major collapse.
With the collapse of communism we also see that centrally planned communal economies also do not work. This is likely due to the fact that without a high degree of rewards to the most productive members of society, there is no motivation to perform. Although artificial encouragement can be created in the form of social awards and a high level or propaganda supporting "heroes," this can only last for so long and have an effect on a portion of the population.
So this has me thinking, what if we combined the two system? I've been toying with the idea of, for the lack of a better name, "Social Guarantee Corporations" or "SGCs" operated by the government for a few years now, and I still think it is a good idea. An SGC in all respects operate just like a normal government owned corporation. The collection of SGCs should be large enough to span all sectors of the economy that relate to the vital needs of citizens such as utilities, fuels, food, housing and clothing. These SGCs would be centrally planned for the long-term and the benefit of the citizens in mind rather than for making a quick buck. Although these should be kept profitable, they should focus on stability as their main goal.
During times when the economy is hot and companies are working to squeeze out as much profit as they can, the SGCs will offer it's services at more reasonable prices, making life more affordable and relieving inflationary pressure. At the same time, because of their lower prices, this will force the other corporations to keep their prices reasonable as well and to increase their efficiency and develop better processes. Since the SGCs are very profitable during this time, it will store its profits and lend their profits to the government to fund it's social programs or pay off its loans if it has any. If the SGCs cannot keep up with the other corporations, its operations are allowed to shrink to prevent losses and to release more workers into the job market to prevent an unstable runaway growth scenario.
During tough economic times, the SGC will use the stored profits to keep up it's employment numbers and push centrally-planned production higher to offset the loss of production from the private sectors if needed. For example, if utility companies run into trouble, the SGCs can purchase them and keep the basic services running to maintain a certain standard of living, even if they are forced to run at a loss. At this point, production becomes more important than profit, so price breaks and interest-free financing options for these basic services become available for the people who are worst affected by the economic downturn.
To understand this system, we have to go into a lot more detail, but that was the basic idea. With a good implementation, we have the motivation and the competitiveness of the free market combined with the long-term planning, security and citizen-centric attitude of a centrally planned economy. It will become another tool the government can use to smooth out the boom and bust cycles of the economy, and may even help to reduce taxes by allowing the government to make a large profit when it sees fit. Of course, if implemented incorrectly, we would have the worst of both worlds, but if the SGCs are maintained in a very transparent manner, many problems can be avoided.
With the collapse of communism we also see that centrally planned communal economies also do not work. This is likely due to the fact that without a high degree of rewards to the most productive members of society, there is no motivation to perform. Although artificial encouragement can be created in the form of social awards and a high level or propaganda supporting "heroes," this can only last for so long and have an effect on a portion of the population.
So this has me thinking, what if we combined the two system? I've been toying with the idea of, for the lack of a better name, "Social Guarantee Corporations" or "SGCs" operated by the government for a few years now, and I still think it is a good idea. An SGC in all respects operate just like a normal government owned corporation. The collection of SGCs should be large enough to span all sectors of the economy that relate to the vital needs of citizens such as utilities, fuels, food, housing and clothing. These SGCs would be centrally planned for the long-term and the benefit of the citizens in mind rather than for making a quick buck. Although these should be kept profitable, they should focus on stability as their main goal.
During times when the economy is hot and companies are working to squeeze out as much profit as they can, the SGCs will offer it's services at more reasonable prices, making life more affordable and relieving inflationary pressure. At the same time, because of their lower prices, this will force the other corporations to keep their prices reasonable as well and to increase their efficiency and develop better processes. Since the SGCs are very profitable during this time, it will store its profits and lend their profits to the government to fund it's social programs or pay off its loans if it has any. If the SGCs cannot keep up with the other corporations, its operations are allowed to shrink to prevent losses and to release more workers into the job market to prevent an unstable runaway growth scenario.
During tough economic times, the SGC will use the stored profits to keep up it's employment numbers and push centrally-planned production higher to offset the loss of production from the private sectors if needed. For example, if utility companies run into trouble, the SGCs can purchase them and keep the basic services running to maintain a certain standard of living, even if they are forced to run at a loss. At this point, production becomes more important than profit, so price breaks and interest-free financing options for these basic services become available for the people who are worst affected by the economic downturn.
To understand this system, we have to go into a lot more detail, but that was the basic idea. With a good implementation, we have the motivation and the competitiveness of the free market combined with the long-term planning, security and citizen-centric attitude of a centrally planned economy. It will become another tool the government can use to smooth out the boom and bust cycles of the economy, and may even help to reduce taxes by allowing the government to make a large profit when it sees fit. Of course, if implemented incorrectly, we would have the worst of both worlds, but if the SGCs are maintained in a very transparent manner, many problems can be avoided.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Glühwein and Coffee
I recently had dinner with some friends at Schnitzel Haus in SoMa where I ordered a glühwein. This wasn't a regular menu item, but I saw it written in marker on a sign by the washrooms. Remembering how much I enjoyed glühwein in München (Munich), I decided to get one.
Glühwein is a mulled wine traditionally drunk around the winter holidays in Germany. Other European countries have their own versions, including the well-known gløgg, or glögg widely drunk in Scandinavia. Glühwein is wine with added spices and sugar or honey, served hot. It is a great way to warm up on a cold winter day. I describe the use of the beverage as "an adult version of hot chocolate."
When my order of glühwein arrived, I didn't even recognize it as it came in two mugs. The servers told me that one of them was glühwein and the other is coffee. I was a bit confused, but I thought that perhaps I missed something and that it was tradition to drink glühwein with coffee. I decided this must be the case as the restaurant seemed very authentic. However, when I tasted the glühwein, I was very dismayed as it was room temperature! Perhaps I should have taken it as a bad sign when I ordered the glühwein, the servers didn't recognize what I was ordering until after I pointed to the sign.
Here is my theory of what happened:
The owner decided to offer glühwein on the menu and told the servers to serve it hot in a coffee mug. They must have misinterpreted this as "serve it with hot coffee" and did just that! This seems very plausible especially considering that is was obvious that our servers spoke English as a second language. If you can come up with a better explanation, I would love to hear it, but I was very amused by envisioning this scenario.
Glühwein is a mulled wine traditionally drunk around the winter holidays in Germany. Other European countries have their own versions, including the well-known gløgg, or glögg widely drunk in Scandinavia. Glühwein is wine with added spices and sugar or honey, served hot. It is a great way to warm up on a cold winter day. I describe the use of the beverage as "an adult version of hot chocolate."
When my order of glühwein arrived, I didn't even recognize it as it came in two mugs. The servers told me that one of them was glühwein and the other is coffee. I was a bit confused, but I thought that perhaps I missed something and that it was tradition to drink glühwein with coffee. I decided this must be the case as the restaurant seemed very authentic. However, when I tasted the glühwein, I was very dismayed as it was room temperature! Perhaps I should have taken it as a bad sign when I ordered the glühwein, the servers didn't recognize what I was ordering until after I pointed to the sign.
Here is my theory of what happened:
The owner decided to offer glühwein on the menu and told the servers to serve it hot in a coffee mug. They must have misinterpreted this as "serve it with hot coffee" and did just that! This seems very plausible especially considering that is was obvious that our servers spoke English as a second language. If you can come up with a better explanation, I would love to hear it, but I was very amused by envisioning this scenario.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Flag-Matching Currency
Just a random idea... wouldn't it be cool if the design for the paper bills of each country was just that country's flag with the denomination written on it? For example, the Canadian dollar would be bills that looked like the Canadian flag with the denomination in large numerals in the middle. It would make it painfully clear where you can spend this money. If anyone wants to send me some renders, that would be great, and I'll post those renders on here.
I suppose counterfeiting may be a problem, but I'm sure there are ways to make these bills hard to counterfeit.
I suppose counterfeiting may be a problem, but I'm sure there are ways to make these bills hard to counterfeit.
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