29 June 2016
Sometimes You Find Your Bliss
Other times it finds you. Be grateful or it'll lose your address. Be kind and it'll remember your birthday. Be witty and it'll bring friends. Be thoughtful and it'll always remember your name.
26 January 2016
Income Inequality
As I plod along in years I see around me a most curious disparity among the people with whom I've rubbed elbows. Old persons failing to make ends meet even though they diligently worked and saved. Old persons retiring very nicely on investments and ventures that have paid handsomely. Young people who live richly on disproportionate pay with no experience. Young people who fail to find careers or a livable wage even with extensive education. It's seems a little chaotic at first but this income inequality thing has been building for a while now.
Recently there's been some visibility to this issue sparked by an essay by a well-known venture capitalist, Paul Graham. Which was picked by and editorialized across the inter-webs including a nicely framed and researched article in The Washington Post (I recognize implying "researched" about a Washington Post article is a bit redundant and unnecessary).
In my own mind, I get why a VC (someone who makes money using money!) would be trying to shave the goat a little and make it sound like start-ups and investing are about creating value. In his view, he'd like convince you that somehow his way of making money from money is good and different from all the other guys who make money using money in bad ways. And his parting shot is a nice bit of white-washing:
Who wouldn't agree with that?! The issue is that it isn't nearly enough and tries to draw an arbitrary line implying that some forms of wealth creation without value creation are acceptable. And splitting this proverbial hair is where those who are calling for reform are also missing the mark.
It is unwise (some might say impossible) to stop innovation and the ability leverage advantages into disproportionate earnings. So why try? Instead of trying to determine where value is being creating simply tax those transactions that are purely financial. This treats everyone who is making money using money all the same unrelated to if value was actually created. This approach is referred to as a Financial Transactions Tax and generally applies to the purchase and sale of stocks, derivatives or other financial instruments. These are widely promoted and there are several in effect in countries other than the United States. Recently the Tax Policy Center published an interesting discussion draft of some analysis they'd been working on that is specific to FTTs. While they cover the topic from a lot of angles and have very in-depth research and examples of the topic, it is worth noting that even adopting a small and very progressive form of FTT could generate an estimated $50 billion (that's a B, folks) in revenue. Where would this go? Why to fix all the inequality areas of course! Healthcare, education, and so forth.
So while it is necessary to grab your pitchforks and light the torches to go after the crooks who are pulling money out of the economy in sneaky, underhanded ways, it is just as important to pull back the disguise on all these wolves of wall street too. If you are making money using any means that doesn't inject that equal value into the economy, you deserve to be taxed so as much wealth as possible stays in the economy and out of private hands.
Recently there's been some visibility to this issue sparked by an essay by a well-known venture capitalist, Paul Graham. Which was picked by and editorialized across the inter-webs including a nicely framed and researched article in The Washington Post (I recognize implying "researched" about a Washington Post article is a bit redundant and unnecessary).
In my own mind, I get why a VC (someone who makes money using money!) would be trying to shave the goat a little and make it sound like start-ups and investing are about creating value. In his view, he'd like convince you that somehow his way of making money from money is good and different from all the other guys who make money using money in bad ways. And his parting shot is a nice bit of white-washing:
"...let's attack poverty, and if necessary damage wealth in the process. ... And if there are people getting rich by tricking consumers or lobbying the government for anti-competitive regulations or tax loopholes, then let's stop them. Not because it's causing economic inequality, but because it's stealing." - Paul Graham
Who wouldn't agree with that?! The issue is that it isn't nearly enough and tries to draw an arbitrary line implying that some forms of wealth creation without value creation are acceptable. And splitting this proverbial hair is where those who are calling for reform are also missing the mark.
It is unwise (some might say impossible) to stop innovation and the ability leverage advantages into disproportionate earnings. So why try? Instead of trying to determine where value is being creating simply tax those transactions that are purely financial. This treats everyone who is making money using money all the same unrelated to if value was actually created. This approach is referred to as a Financial Transactions Tax and generally applies to the purchase and sale of stocks, derivatives or other financial instruments. These are widely promoted and there are several in effect in countries other than the United States. Recently the Tax Policy Center published an interesting discussion draft of some analysis they'd been working on that is specific to FTTs. While they cover the topic from a lot of angles and have very in-depth research and examples of the topic, it is worth noting that even adopting a small and very progressive form of FTT could generate an estimated $50 billion (that's a B, folks) in revenue. Where would this go? Why to fix all the inequality areas of course! Healthcare, education, and so forth.
So while it is necessary to grab your pitchforks and light the torches to go after the crooks who are pulling money out of the economy in sneaky, underhanded ways, it is just as important to pull back the disguise on all these wolves of wall street too. If you are making money using any means that doesn't inject that equal value into the economy, you deserve to be taxed so as much wealth as possible stays in the economy and out of private hands.
05 March 2015
Losing It
One of the best performers I have ever had the pleasure to witness once said the single most sincere statement I've ever heard spoken to an audience.
"If you wake up and you have enough voice to say 'Good Morning' to the first person you see tomorrow. You did something wrong here at the concert tonight."
You have to sing and scream and let your whole being erupt through your throat with the ferocity only your inner-most being possesses. If you don't let yourself impact the world around you, then you aren't living. If you don't let the world impact you, you're just dying slowly and alone.
So sing. Let your voice roam so free...it gets lost.
"If you wake up and you have enough voice to say 'Good Morning' to the first person you see tomorrow. You did something wrong here at the concert tonight."
You have to sing and scream and let your whole being erupt through your throat with the ferocity only your inner-most being possesses. If you don't let yourself impact the world around you, then you aren't living. If you don't let the world impact you, you're just dying slowly and alone.
So sing. Let your voice roam so free...it gets lost.
15 February 2015
Get On The Amazon Trsin
Nice article on making the best switch you'll ever make for home entertainment.
Why this Apple TV fan has come to prefer Amazon's Fire TV
https://gigaom.com/2015/02/14/why-this-apple-tv-fan-has-come-to-prefer-amazons-fire-tv/
05 December 2014
The Future Of Music
I've been saying for a while that you need to appreciate the difference between new music and the older catalog. Amazon does this pretty well for both music and videos. I expect others to wake up soon and do similar. More or less like this editorial suggests.
SwiftGate And The Future Of Music
http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/05/swiftgate-and-the-future-of-music/?ncid=rss
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