I was reading about Japan pursuing space elevator technology and the article made an off-hand comment about the economics of megaprojects that bugged me (and not just their typos):
Much like the proposed tunnel under the Barents Strait [sic] between Alaska and Chuhotka [sic], the project has not yet been proven feasible from an economic perspective — especially in a difficult period for the global economy. $10 billion though, still seems like small change to achieve the greatest engineering feat in human history.
$10 billion of course is the much tossed around number that reflect the monthly US investment in the military venture in Iraq.
According to the FAO, up to at least 2030 global food production exceeds needs (the problem is distribution and class/cost issues). Global energy production is massive and grows yearly, as does general global manufacturing productivity. Certainly we have issues — water and resource shortages and environmental damage most obviously — but the reality is that humans grow richer every year and have more than enough basic resources to care for everyone on the planet several times over. The only reason that we have an economic crisis is that class inequality has gotten way out of hand and too much money is in too few hands.
I can’t emphasize enough that as a whole we are incredibly rich. It’s simply that we’re squandering what we have giving too much to too few, and are pissing away an awful lot of resources in maintaining that inequitable status quo through war and other tools of the “Illuminati”. Unfortunately the average person is so stupid and gullible that they are willing to murder each other over religion, nationalism, race, and other divisionary illusions that keep us from progressing as we should.
It’s quite obvious, but I’m dubious anything will change.
***
I scored 100% on Simple Man at Expert level, but it’s not a true perfect game because I actually slipped and hit the trigger in the middle of the song playing an extra note, so even though I scored “100%” it has a lower score than my best non-perfect game. Oops.
Cooked some delicious spaghetti sauce for supper. Nefarious is going to visit her mother in New York for the weekend so I’ll have a break from cooking — which isn’t really a chore anyway — and more excitedly, getting up early in the morning! Yay for having a few days to sleep in.
Seriously, it’s quite luxurious!
I got Caitlin a present today and wrapped it. As you may have noticed, there’s some blood stains on it. First Nefarious cut herself on the tape dispenser building something out of cardboard boxes, then Caitlin cut herself wrapping my birthday presents, and now me… I really think that thing has got the taste for blood and can no longer be trusted. I’m not sure what the right way to dispose of a haunted tape dispenser is? Am I going to have to throw it into a volcano or something?
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“The only reason that we have an economic crisis is that class inequality has gotten way out of hand and too much money is in too few hands.” You hit the nail on the head right there! I think a proper Exorcism for the tape dispenser should work.
um, hi…more importantly, what were the presents?!?!?!
I think that ebay is a great way to get rid of haunted items and make a little extra cash, just make sure that you tell everyone that it’s haunted in the description.
And the extra cash? That goes to Guitar Hero: World Tour of course.
I love the newspaper bow.
You can’t kill a haunted tape dispenser by throwing it into a volcano. Only excess virgins can be disposed of that way, although if you toss in too many, you’ll plug up the volcano.
I do think that we need to start working on space projects again, how ever i do agree with you that we need to work on other more serious social and economic problems first. Futhermore, if a space elevator is only going to cost 10 billion dollars, Alberta could build one out of it’s surplus for a year (apparently the 99% of the public sees this surplus as the government doing a good job, even though it just means they’re either one over taxing us or under spending.) just don’t let the people that did the gun registry get their hands on it.
I too dig the newspaper bow. Sweet.
On the state of things…
The nothing approaches, it looms!
Nintendo DS Lite! And Brain Age 1 and 2 AND Guitar Hero to go!
Ha ha! I love it, love love love it! And I am slowly getting smarter my brain’s ranked at 33 years old now and getting younger by the day!
You certainly don’t squander too many resources – your way of gift wrapping is great and quite ‘green’ :)
It’s ridiculous how rich the average American is, by world standards.
I’m actually hoping for a serious depression in the US. We here really need to learn how to prioritize and take a break from rampant consumerism…
i wanted to rant about the global credit crisis.
so the world is just waking up to the problems
of ficticious money.
global economies in uproar and people are still
poor and hungry
where a man in a suit is crying
because his wealth of lies has collapsed
so to help the economy the goverments will help
by giving money to the banks but its not even
real money they are borrowing more debt to pay
debt.
we want to buy your oil you can buy these guns
ive got a bargain basement of landmines and
rocket launchers but that food he needs isnt important
besides we are too busy perpetuating the war on
lies and corruption whilst pretending its something else
securities bonds shares insurances mortgages are
are all worthless to a country with poor people
that have been encouraged to borrow ridiculous
amounts of money to live a life they have not
earned.
house prices are dropping
a house is worth nothing if you cant afford to
live in it
in fact it becomes a prison of cirumstance
work to pay debt to be able to stay in the
same place so you can work to pay next months
debt
while a suit makes money selling risk, assumption,
probability, maybe, if’s, incase, hopefully and lets hope
nobody notices it doesnt actually exist
meltdown
have ya got 10p for a cup of tea guvnor
i totally need brain age…ugh…
I used to have a pillowcase in that horribly ugly fabric. Love it!
the best way to get rid of that thing is the volcano or… a “pletwals” like we say in Belgium. don’t know the English word for it but it’s something cylinder shaped and extremly heavy and it’s to make the ground flat. be careful do cause last time i used it to destroy my friends mobile phone it made me trip over and fall on my arm and my implant moved like an inch or so, haha
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