Do we really need more stuff?

I just had a thought.

It seems that a lot of people are worried about how the economy will affect retail sales this holiday season. I’m not an expert in economics, but here’s my thought: Wouldn’t it be better for the economy if we bought less stuff and If we saved and paid down our debt?

America out-consumes the rest of the world by leaps and bounds. We are a very wasteful society, with the highest carbon emissions and over-flowing landfills. While we are over-consuming, we are also accumulating debt. Individual families often have sky high mortgages and high interest credit card balances. Our government has ever expanding budget deficits, and is borrowing billions (trillions?) to “fix” the economy .

It seems to me that this is the root of the financial crisis, the need to accumulate more and more. The Holiday season often creates a feeling of obligation to buy gifts for people, many of which they ultimately don’t want or don’t need. The stuff that is not returned after the holidays often ends up as clutter. At the same time that we are doing all of this, my observation is that people are not happy, only stressed out and worried.

Instead of giving things this holiday season, would it not be better to donate your time money to someone who really needs it? Do we really need to accumulate more stuff?

Just a thought.

The Castle in the Forest

The Castle in the Forest: A Novel by Norman Mailer

My Goodreads.com review

I thought this book had an interesting premise. It is the story of Adolf Hitler’s youth told from the perspective of the demon that influenced the course of his life. This sounds dark and compelling. But honestly, this book was boring! It lacks momentum to begin with. Then, inexplicably, the story switches from the Hitler family to the coronation of the Russian Tsar. After a few chapters of this, I just could not go on. I stopped reading the book halfway through. My recommendation? Don’t bother…

View all my Goodreads reviews.

Is Obama Changing Things Yet???

I haven’t been keeping up with the news like I was pre-election, but I’m likely not missing much. In an average 24 hour news cycle, there is probably 1 to 1.5 hours of actual news to report. The reporters and pundits have to fill up the other 22.5 hours with commentary and blather.

As Obama has been hard at work vetting and appointing members of his administration, there has been a frequently repeated commentary that is particularly irritating. It seems that whenever Obama picks someone that is older or that held a previous government appointment, the question is asked: “Does this mean that he is going back on his campaign promise of change?”

To accuse Obama of not creating change because he is choosing to work with experienced people is just nonsense. He is not perfect and it is likely impossible for him to fulfill all of his campaign promises. I’m sure some of his choices will turn out to be better than others.

Picking people based on their skills and not their loyalty is a huge change. The world is always changing, and we need leadership with the flexibility to foresee and prevent problems. By choosing people with experience, we are more likely to create policy that is based on information and expertise, not dogma.

The change has already begun!!

Exit

Circles

Are students of today unmotivated?

I had a conversation today with a colleague today about education. He is of the mind that the quality of students over the years has declined, and that new educational techniques need to be applied to met the needs of today’s unmotivated student. He is going to check some sources to back up his claim and get back to me.

I am a data driven person when it comes to issues such as these, so I look forward to seeing his references. From what I have read, American students in suburban school districts do just as well, if not better than kids in other countries. The problems lie in the under-served and under-funded urban and rural districts. This is probably an artifact of our right leaning economic policies. The other problem with schools, is that they are restricted in their curriculum by parents and communities who don’t want their kids exposed to certain topics, such as evolution for example. When you look at our colleges and universities, the United States has among the best in the world.

I’ll wait to see what data my colleague has to show me.

Free Weapons

Hillary as Sec. of State?

I have never been a fan of Sen. Hillary Clinton. My opinion is that she is a political opportunist that is riding her her husbands coat tails. She has been supportive of Obama, but at times it appears tentatively so. It seems that she is keeping a safe distance and awaiting her opportunity to jump back into the spotlight.

It is intriguing to me that Obama has hinted at offering her the Secretary of State position. It will be a test of character if she takes it. By doing so, she is making a commitment to the Obama administration. She is also putting herself in a position that could jeopardize her future presidential hopes. But on the other hand, this will be an opportunity for her to serve the country, and make a difference.

If she takes the job, she will have earned more respect from me.

Bonus Time

Ceiling