Thursday, August 01, 2013
Saturday, July 03, 2010
What's this? A blog post?
I accidentally found my way to the dashboard of my blog after attempting to comment on my mom's blog and getting an error. So I thought, since I'm here, might as well post! I'm alive and living in Minneapolis. It's fun, I have my own place and some jobs. I'm still a graphic designer, which is nice. It means I don't have to pack boxes at the moment. Speaking of packing.... I'm headed to western New York tomorrow for the Fourth. Better get my stuff together!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hey, where's my posts?
Hello. If you have been following this blog, you are a very bored person. However, so I don't disappoint you anymore, I will migrate my Facebook notes to this blog one by one (marked with the dates when they were originally published) starting... well, soon. (I have been "blogging" to Facebook because I am too lazy to sign in here.)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Disparity Between Rich and Poor
Much has been made of the increasing disparity between the rich and poor in the United States, but I haven't really understood why it's happening or why something needs to be done about it. Thinking about this today, I wondered what factors have contributed to it. Here's what I came up with:
1.) Most immigrants arrive in the US penniless. This is the zero point of American poverty. As long as there are immigrants looking for better opportunities for themselves and their children, there will be poor people in the US.
2.) Upon arrival, first-generation Americans have to work very hard to accumulate wealth to the point of financial security, but because of their income level (and many times a higher-than-average number of children), they often have little or nothing to give their children to help them go to college or purchase cars or houses.
3.) The children are still better off than their parents. Because of a higher education level, a good work ethic learned from their parents and mastery of the English language, second-generation Americans can land better jobs than their parents did. They can earn more money and afford a higher standard of living. (Some may go to community colleges with government assistance and earn Associates' degrees or even better.)
4.) The children of second-generation Americans are completely assimilated. They've adopted American customs and dress, and don't speak with a noticeable accent. By working hard and making good financial and behavioral decisions, they can go to college and land salaried jobs they can retire from. They may even have a sizable inheritance they can pass down to the next generation.
5.) Once a family is able to pass family money from generation to generation, they can grow quite wealthy in just a few generations.
This is probably a typical scenario. Of course the kinds of jobs people have, the number of people a single income supports, their behavioral tendencies, and the social circles they are affiliated with can accelerate or break the cycle. The American custom of dual-incomes and fewer children has probably contributed much to the recent increase in the disparity between rich and poor. Remember the zero point stays the same: first generation Americans will almost always be poor, whether they are Irish immigrants in the 1900's or Mexicans in the 2000's. The only thing that changes is the how long a family has been in the US. My theory is that disparity between rich and poor comes not from racism or class warfare, but from the increased opportunities American people have created for their families over time.
1.) Most immigrants arrive in the US penniless. This is the zero point of American poverty. As long as there are immigrants looking for better opportunities for themselves and their children, there will be poor people in the US.
2.) Upon arrival, first-generation Americans have to work very hard to accumulate wealth to the point of financial security, but because of their income level (and many times a higher-than-average number of children), they often have little or nothing to give their children to help them go to college or purchase cars or houses.
3.) The children are still better off than their parents. Because of a higher education level, a good work ethic learned from their parents and mastery of the English language, second-generation Americans can land better jobs than their parents did. They can earn more money and afford a higher standard of living. (Some may go to community colleges with government assistance and earn Associates' degrees or even better.)
4.) The children of second-generation Americans are completely assimilated. They've adopted American customs and dress, and don't speak with a noticeable accent. By working hard and making good financial and behavioral decisions, they can go to college and land salaried jobs they can retire from. They may even have a sizable inheritance they can pass down to the next generation.
5.) Once a family is able to pass family money from generation to generation, they can grow quite wealthy in just a few generations.
This is probably a typical scenario. Of course the kinds of jobs people have, the number of people a single income supports, their behavioral tendencies, and the social circles they are affiliated with can accelerate or break the cycle. The American custom of dual-incomes and fewer children has probably contributed much to the recent increase in the disparity between rich and poor. Remember the zero point stays the same: first generation Americans will almost always be poor, whether they are Irish immigrants in the 1900's or Mexicans in the 2000's. The only thing that changes is the how long a family has been in the US. My theory is that disparity between rich and poor comes not from racism or class warfare, but from the increased opportunities American people have created for their families over time.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Lesson of Joe the Plumber
Obama assures us that tax hikes on the upper ($250K+) class won't affect normal $30-50K/yr average folks, which underscores a fundamental misunderstanding about how the economy works. There are many reasons why raising taxes on anybody while a recession looms is a bad idea, but increasing taxes on the job-creating class now is especially foolhardy. $250K+ people routinely support entire families on their discretionary income alone, something many of them will be cutting back on during impending hard times.
If you make a living in one of these industries, you should consider voting for someone other than Obama: general contracting or remodeling (plumbing, electrician, roofing, siding, carpeting, painting, etc.); home building; custom cabinet and furniture making; landscaping; clothier, haberdasher, dressmaker, eyewear or other fashion clothing manufacturer or boutique; professional photography; professional musician; fine artist or fine art gallery; luxury car sales and service; custom auto body shop or auto restoration; RV, boat or ATV sales; private education; gourmet food and drink; baker, chef or restauranteur; antiques and collectibles; consumer electronics; travel and tourism, including museums, aquariums, amusement parks and ticketed festivals; plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry and other elective medical procedures; jewelry; real estate; financial planning, investment and venture capitalism; non-profit, religious and benevolent organizations; organic farming and grocery; high-quality musical instruments; high-quality sporting goods; ticketed events such as professional sports and concerts; event planning and DJ services; interior designer or decorator...
Get the picture? Pretty much any goods and services the average person cannot afford or has to put away money for will be affected. And these are industries that employ many average middle-class people. Obama wants to use the tax code to redistribute the wealth of the upper class amongst the middle and lower classes, but he forgets that the upper class redistributes their own wealth — the only difference is that rich people share their wealth with those they know to be deserving, honest and hard-working individuals (for example, my father, a self-employed custom cabinet-maker for 15 years). Obama says he wants to give everyone opportunity, but he takes away the primary incentive for working hard and producing quality goods and services — the acquisition of wealth by gaining the favor of those who have it.
If you make a living in one of these industries, you should consider voting for someone other than Obama: general contracting or remodeling (plumbing, electrician, roofing, siding, carpeting, painting, etc.); home building; custom cabinet and furniture making; landscaping; clothier, haberdasher, dressmaker, eyewear or other fashion clothing manufacturer or boutique; professional photography; professional musician; fine artist or fine art gallery; luxury car sales and service; custom auto body shop or auto restoration; RV, boat or ATV sales; private education; gourmet food and drink; baker, chef or restauranteur; antiques and collectibles; consumer electronics; travel and tourism, including museums, aquariums, amusement parks and ticketed festivals; plastic surgery, cosmetic dentistry and other elective medical procedures; jewelry; real estate; financial planning, investment and venture capitalism; non-profit, religious and benevolent organizations; organic farming and grocery; high-quality musical instruments; high-quality sporting goods; ticketed events such as professional sports and concerts; event planning and DJ services; interior designer or decorator...
Get the picture? Pretty much any goods and services the average person cannot afford or has to put away money for will be affected. And these are industries that employ many average middle-class people. Obama wants to use the tax code to redistribute the wealth of the upper class amongst the middle and lower classes, but he forgets that the upper class redistributes their own wealth — the only difference is that rich people share their wealth with those they know to be deserving, honest and hard-working individuals (for example, my father, a self-employed custom cabinet-maker for 15 years). Obama says he wants to give everyone opportunity, but he takes away the primary incentive for working hard and producing quality goods and services — the acquisition of wealth by gaining the favor of those who have it.
A Smiley Story
I was walking through the skyway in downtown Minneapolis today when I saw a cleaning lady sweeping up a bunch of ice cubes scattered on the floor. For some reason, my first thought was that an "abominable snowman" had vomited there, and the mental image was so funny that even though I tried, I couldn't stop a smile from sneaking onto my face. I was dressed for business and wasn't supposed to be smiling so blithely for an unknown reason, but while I fought with the smile, a young and beautiful stranger, also dressed for business, saw the conflict and smiled with me. Completely naturally.
I don't know who she was. Just thought I'd share. :)
I don't know who she was. Just thought I'd share. :)
Monday, October 06, 2008
Best Science Images of 2008
National Geographic has just published its Best Science Images of 2008. This particular image caught my eye -- it shows the way the Bible cross-references itself. As Carnegie Mellon's Chris Harrison said, "It almost looks like one monolithic volume."
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Palin a Closet Democrat?!
Rolling Stone Magazine presents "The Truth About Sarah Palin", presented (not surprisingly) without citations.
What Caused Our Economic Crisis? pt.2
Larry Lessig comments on the takedown of the video I linked to the other day. Via BoingBoing.net
A side note (for those who have seen the video) -- I have heard the Community Reinvestment Act mentioned as a leading cause of the the sub-prime lending crisis but definitely not the only cause, and probably not the root cause. I am still doing research on this, but the basic economic principles of supply and demand still apply, and ignorance of (or interference with) those principles is the root cause of nearly every economic crisis our country has experienced. Ironically, it is those very laws (i.e. Capitalism) that liberals attack as the cause of our problems. More on this as I do my research...
A side note (for those who have seen the video) -- I have heard the Community Reinvestment Act mentioned as a leading cause of the the sub-prime lending crisis but definitely not the only cause, and probably not the root cause. I am still doing research on this, but the basic economic principles of supply and demand still apply, and ignorance of (or interference with) those principles is the root cause of nearly every economic crisis our country has experienced. Ironically, it is those very laws (i.e. Capitalism) that liberals attack as the cause of our problems. More on this as I do my research...
Sunday, September 28, 2008
US destroyer nears Somali pirates
According to an article in the BBC News, a US destroyer has made visual contact with a ship taken earlier last week by Somali pirates. The ship is laden with tanks bound for Kenya. A spokesterrorist for the pirates has declared that if attacked, they will defend themselves until the last one of them dies.
I'm thinking the Navy Seals might be the right people for this job.
I'm thinking the Navy Seals might be the right people for this job.
Hurricane Hits Nova Scotia
Congratulations to the North Atlantic Canadian maritime province of Nova Scotia, which experienced a rare hurricane earlier today. Hurricane Kyle hit near Yarmouth, but no damage has been reported.
Pop quiz: read this article, and tell me how long Maine's first hurricane watch will last.
Pop quiz: read this article, and tell me how long Maine's first hurricane watch will last.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Worth Watching: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?
I've yet to do my homework on this, but it's food for thought.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
New 35W Bridge Opens to Traffic
The new 35W bridge opened to traffic at 5:00 am this morning, over 3 months ahead of schedule. (Video footage on CNN.) Local politicians applauded the effort and patted themselves on the back, as if it wasn't their fault the old one fell into the river last August. In true Minnesota fashion, the first traffic jam on the new span followed at 5:01.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
People Will Be Late Today
Thousands of Verizon customers who use their cell phones as alarm clocks will be late for work today after a software update turned off their Samsung u430 phones in the middle of the night. The Samsung u340 is the latest free phone from Verizon, used by budget-conscious consumers everywhere.
Undoubtedly this will increase the volume of speeders and reckless drivers during the mid-morning commute as half-awake people rush to get to school and work, resulting in an abnormally high number of accidents and likely more than one fatality.
Hear that Verizon? FATALITIES!
Undoubtedly this will increase the volume of speeders and reckless drivers during the mid-morning commute as half-awake people rush to get to school and work, resulting in an abnormally high number of accidents and likely more than one fatality.
Hear that Verizon? FATALITIES!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Six Random Facts About Me
I have been tagged by My Mother.
Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. List 6 random facts about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
5. Let each person know they've been tagged by commenting on their blog
6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog
Facts:
1. My name is James Austin Teal III. If you Google me, this blog is the second result, which is unfortunate.
2. I enjoy art, music and film, and I also enjoy making fun of art, music and film. So don't go see a bad movie with me because I will laugh in the wrong places.
3. I punctuate everything I write, and must spell everything correctly. I do this so well that people pay me to make sure they've done it correctly too. (Well, that's not all I do at work, but I am gaining notoriety as a copy-editor, even though is not in my official job description.)
4. The celebrity I most resemble is probably Hugh Grant, because I am generally affable but occasionally moody and sarcastic, witty, somewhat old-fashioned in many ways and a perennial befuddled bachelor. Also I like tennis.
5. I occasionally leave things unfinished for quite some time, like my website.
Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. List 6 random facts about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
5. Let each person know they've been tagged by commenting on their blog
6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog
Facts:
1. My name is James Austin Teal III. If you Google me, this blog is the second result, which is unfortunate.
2. I enjoy art, music and film, and I also enjoy making fun of art, music and film. So don't go see a bad movie with me because I will laugh in the wrong places.
3. I punctuate everything I write, and must spell everything correctly. I do this so well that people pay me to make sure they've done it correctly too. (Well, that's not all I do at work, but I am gaining notoriety as a copy-editor, even though is not in my official job description.)
4. The celebrity I most resemble is probably Hugh Grant, because I am generally affable but occasionally moody and sarcastic, witty, somewhat old-fashioned in many ways and a perennial befuddled bachelor. Also I like tennis.
5. I occasionally leave things unfinished for quite some time, like my website.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Guitar Hero for Christians
Guitar Praise is here! Pre-order your copy now! (Not available for consoles.)
Monday, August 25, 2008
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