Capitalism favours the wealthy and what we have seen this entire millennium is that this is more true than ever. Inequality is on the rise pretty much everywhere, and this is a problem. In this TED Talk, Paul Tudor Jones II, examines the current problematic state of capitalism and how
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Things Are Good: We Need to Hold Banks Accountable (again)
The financial sector is like a hydra and we need to get it under control. The bad news is that bankers have been able to get away with some unethical practices for the last decade or so. The good news is that finally American politicians are taking notice of this
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: If I May But Touch His Garment
I went to see Chris Hedges speak last night. His words brought forth a mix of devastation and elation, with some in the congregation compelled to applaud after every few sentences. He’s a brilliant storyteller, and I could have listened to him all night. It went far too quickly. I
Continue readingThings Are Good: Young Investors Care More About Using Money for Good
It turns out that people born after 1980 care more about investing in companies that make the world better than investing in companies that don’t. Traditionally investors were told to only care about one thing: profit. Younger investors have seen that way of thinking not work out given the ongoing
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Premier Wall Takes Potshot at First Nations Leaders’ Pay #skpoli
.@TDellerCBC I'd have to agree with the FSIN leader that @PremierBradWall took a pot shot at leaders' pay, rather than offering to help. — John Klein (@JohnKleinRegina) March 4, 2015 The Premier said: “It underscores the need for leadership at the local level, including — and let’s be clear —
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: And Now, For the TFSA Switch!
Following up my blog post of 4 years ago about Harper’s tax break for the wealthy are stories on CBC and elsewhere regarding the TFSA folly. The increase benefits only ~39% of Canadians who’ve managed to open such a savings account. “Harper pledges to double tax-free savings limits – but
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Lang Should Be Fired Or Suspended
CANADALAND's investigation of @AmandaLang_CBC , by @sdbcraig , is now online: http://t.co/W7s8XUoX03 pic.twitter.com/FL23x8af34 — Jesse Brown (@JesseBrown) January 12, 2015 It’s been brewing for Lang for quite some months now. Another Code Red crisis for CBC MT @JesseBrown CANADALAND investigation of @AmandaLang_CBC by @sdbcraig now online: http://t.co/Aj3IsE6mb1 — Chris Selley
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: Inequality for All
I watched Robert Reich’s film last summer on a camping trip. I woke up in the middle of a pitch-dark night and couldn’t fall back asleep. I tried a movie on my phone to lull me into a coma, but this was the wrong one to choose. Reich’s film clearly
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Apprentice. Intern. Slave.
The employment climate for many students and graduates has been a difficult terrain to not only navigate but also survive. And slavery masked under labels of ‘apprentice’ or ‘intern’ only make it worse. Infographic: The 99% vs. The 1%, http://www.policyalternatives.ca Bogged down with insurmountable student debts, and often forced to
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: The Road to Employment
Exaggeration has always been part of story telling, particularly of days long past. My father would grumble of ‘kids these days’ not knowing real difficulty if it bit them in the ‘tukus’ in an attempt to teach me a life lesson. A favorite anecdote of his was him having to
Continue readingA Puff of Absurdity: Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century
I feel like I don’t have to read this one with all the press it’s getting. Maybe next summer. This is the gist I’ve gotten so far: Michael Rozworski wrote a piece about it recently. In brief: the basic thesis of the book is that capitalism has a tendency towards
Continue readingChristy's Houseful of Chaos » politics: the importance of “paid journalism” or my response to Sudbury wikileaks.
Something made me very angry today. I read an editorial in one of my local newspapers (The Northern Life). The editorial is defending one of the reporters against accusations made on an anonymous website that calls itself “wikileaks Sudbury.” Wikileaks Sudbury makes me very, very angry. The Wikileaks article lacks
Continue readingThings Are Good: When Investing, Millennials Care More Than Previous Generations
Millennials are savvy investors who care about the planet and social justice. Previous generations have treated their investments as risky and didn’t care about the environment or other important issues. Some financial advisors are shocked to find out that not only are young investors interested in creating a better world,
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Mad As Hell
I got up this morning to a fog rolling into the city. It’s not from rain, or from temperature change or any other natural reason for a hazy day. It’s because I live in Beijing, and the pollution levels are on the rise today. Jumping a few dozen points between
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: The Republic of Capitalism: A Chinese ‘Every Man’ talks Morals and Money
Now a growing player in the global market and a curious destination to many, China’s capitalist whitewash has been holding our attention. But how has China’s economic growth affected the working class? Mr. Lee* shares his experiences growing up in China, its newfound wealth and the dichotomy of morals and
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Bitcoins – How to Start Mining
This guide describes an indirect way to mine Bitcoins at home. You’ll need to understand how to edit a batch file and run it in the folder with a program you’ll also download. It’s become unrealistic to discover Bitcoins before specialized ASIC miners find them, so to get around this
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Bitcoins – Where to Start?
Someone recently asked me (okay, multiple people did) where to start to learn about getting Bitcoins? You can start here at my blog, now. A better place to look will be at one of the links below in my 15 minute introduction. Don’t put off learning, it’s the Napster of
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: The rise of Bitcoin: and the challenge to the global domination of big money
The following article was written on October 25. I wanted to read it over once more before publishing it, then got busy with other things and forgot about it. In the roughly six weeks that have passed since the writing of this article, the Bitcoin prices have gone from roughly
Continue readingThe Misanthropic Bird: Blood and Ketchup
Heinz ketchup has been a staple in the refrigerators of most North Americans for decades. A ‘go to’ brand of condiments that have become a integral part of family gatherings, summer BBQs and supplied by many top food chains. But a cloud has been cast on the squeaky clean company,
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Writings of J. Todd Ring 2013-11-12 19:39:07
Even “the wastes” of nature are never wasted, and never a waste. Time spent among chandeliers and caviar may be a waste; time spent chasing money or seeking status may be a waste; devoting one’s precious, short life to the accumulation of material things may be a waste; but it
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