Staying abreast

I stopped by Alexa.com, where I checked on "Hot Topics, What people are searching for on the web right now…" (Number 1. was Area 51 photos) and "Hot Products, Products that people are coveting right now…"

Evolution Robotics Mint Automatic Hard Floor Cleaner.

Yes. I had never heard of it before, either.

But, apparently, this is todays must-have product. The product has received good reviews all over, with the features being praised are; it does dry and wet, runs up to three hours, is effective, and is quiet.

I saw prices run from $149 to the list price of $199.

I probably would have bought one myself ten years ago when I lived in a decent place in Boston with hardwood floors. Now I more mull the data as mild humor that reminds me that we haven't progressed very much in 50 years, a vacuum cleaner is still a hot product.

Other items of interest I noticed, though, were the Cricut Create Machine and Clif Kid Zbar. Interesting. How do people hear about these things to even know to go search for them? I guess, predictably, I'm just not in the info loop about new products.

The Socialists Among Us!

I ran across a comment recently that made me want to make a point, but I didn’t feel that it would make any impact in this “drive-by” comment culture, and my thoughts were lengthy and not suited to a comment. So I decided to gather my thoughts and write a little article, not so much to enlighten you, my dear reader, but to have my thoughts gathered for future reference for myself, and my endeavors.

So now, on to the comment:

"Socialism is a collective controlling goods and resources. I doubt any person could be elected by saying they planned socialism as a governing strategy. To state a plan to impose socialism would certainly ensure a change in the next election.

Who am I talking to? I am not sure. I think most people on this thread are violently opposed to the way I think and what I believe in, so I am just putting it out there as another POV"

This is a fairly normal “drive-by” comment that can be read (and ignored) everyday on any social news site on the Internet; but the word that stuck in my mind is the word “impose”.

In college I happened to take a class on Darwin the semester before I took a class on Marx. I immediately understood that one was connected to the other, that while Darwin was writing about past human evolution, Marx was talking about further evolution. Marx was quite aghast at the “communist” revolution, and my favorite quote of Marx is when he said, “I am not a Marxist,” meaning he didn’t support violence and that he was writing of slow evolutionary changes.

And that’s how I always thought of socialism, a slow evolutionary change, definitely not somehow imposed on people, which doesn’t really make any sense whatsoever…

Now, let’s move on to some things I have been researching lately.

First, North Dakota Mill “The mission of the North Dakota Mill is to promote and provide support to North Dakota agriculture, commerce and industry. Provide superior quality, consistency and service to our customers. Grow the business and provide a profit to our owners - the citizens of North Dakota. Conduct our business with the highest integrity so that our employees, customers, suppliers and owners are proud to be associated with the North Dakota Mill.”

From https://www.ndmill.com/history.cfm “The North Dakota Mill receives no funds or financial assistance from the State of North Dakota to subsidize the milling operations. Selling value- added milled wheat products to bakery and pasta customers, as well as retail and food service suppliers, generates all operating funds. Over 90% of sales revenues are derived from customers outside the State to create value-added income for the State of North Dakota. The North Dakota Mill supports the local economy with a payroll of $7 million annually.

The North Dakota Mill and Elevator Association has contributed in excess of 50% of its profits to the North Dakota State General Fund for more than 35 years and continues to be a valuable asset to the State of North Dakota.

The North Dakota Mill and Elevator Association is the only state-owned milling facility in the United States. The North Dakota Mill and Elevator Association has, over the years, worked cooperatively with state agencies in promoting North Dakota and its high quality products by participating with and hosting international trade teams and serving as a resource center for training, research and testing.”

I emailed them and asked about other state-owned corporations and the reply said they only knew about the Bank of North Dakota,

“BND’s longstanding mission nor its roots in Bismarck, North Dakota, as the only state-owned bank in the nation, has changed. Our mission, established by legislative action in 1919, is to promote agriculture, commerce and industry in North Dakota. In this role, the Bank acts as a funding resource in partnership with other financial institutions, economic development groups and guaranty agencies.”

Hmm, and I poked around some more, and found this:

More States May Create Public Banks “By 2011, only one state will have escaped the credit crunch that is pushing other states toward insolvency: North Dakota. North Dakota is also the only state that owns its own bank. The state has its own credit machine, making it independent of the Wall Street banking crisis that has infected the rest of the country.

Now, several states are either studying the prospects of a state-owned bank or are considering legislation to make one possible.

Five states have bills pending—Massachusetts, Washington, Illinois, Michigan, and Virginia. ... Candidates in eight states are running on a state-owned bank platform: three Democrats, two Greens, two Republicans, and one Independent.” (Contrary to the “drive-by” commenter’s POV.)

Furthermore, when a rural friend had complained that he had to drive quite a distance now for supplies, I encouraged him, with the help of the community, to re-open the local convenience store, and then I found this:

Build Alternatives to Big Boxes and How to open a community-owned store (PDF) “Citizens in a number of towns have formed community corporations, raised capital through local stock issues, and opened their own department stores”

Yes, apparently, quite a few communities have created their own stores.

They get people to buy shares at and then they have equity in the stores and control of their own future. If you poke around that site and find the map you will find that there are 19 community-owned stores listed there, but other websites cite many more.

Other articles:

• What is a Community Store? "Community stores are locally owned by community members in contrast to the distant, corporate shareholders of national retailers. Community-owned stores are designed by residents to meet specific local shopping needs at fair prices. Everyone in the community is given the opportunity to invest in the store by buying shares. Buying shares is voluntary and the store is open to everyone, whether they are share holders or not.”
• Community-Owned Stores Provide Alternative to Chains
• Radio soap spreads word about community-owned stores

Yep, it seems the socialists are on the move, possibly infiltrating your very own state, or your community, or your country! And it doesn’t seem that these are imposed on anybody, seems like these are communities or states voluntarily building sustainable futures.

Seems to me these people are evolving into socialists.

Too many thoughts!!

There is just too much that I have to say, too much that I want to say, that I am twiddling my thumbs and avoiding saying anything at all. Part of this problem is that I am very self aware, and somewhat lazy, and am really tired of humanity.

But I know I want to explain a few things to humanity and so I am going to do so, albeit in a very piecemeal manner, in my very disorganized manner -- which is why I'm creating these "pages" so that I can polish and consolidate my thoughts. Over and over I am confronted by the fact that I don't know where to start, that I don't want to deal with the ingrained hostility of humans, that I don't want to deal with the demands for instant gratification and the requirement that I must entertain the public to be heard.

But I am going to trudge onward, and within that toiling trudge onward I must acknowledge and deal with the reasons that I am going to trudge onward.

Perhaps something like the acerbic paragraphs above should be a permanent page, or an introductory text near the top of this blog. I will think about it.

Today I'd just like to point out a few things that I've already written, and will eventually expand and incorporate here.

Today I "seeded" a link to an article at www.1115.org at www.newsvine.com and made a lengthy comment.

And that sentence right there with five links in it is a great representation of our fractured realities.

And that sentence right there represents many further thoughts I have about our fractured realities. Each sentence

I type creates many further thoughts that I have, and if I stop to type those thoughts I get caught in a constant loop of typing many more sentences to elucidate and explain each previous sentence -- heck, I'm getting caught in such a spiral now.

I'd like to try to stick to one topic right now, but that is nearly impossible for me. But, let me start with fame and futility. It doesn't matter if I have any answers if nobody will listen; so to get anybody to listen I would have to pursue popularity, but I personally abhor popularity (and the pursuit thereof) and therefor it is a given that humanity won't listen to my ideas.

So there is my conundrum: I want to help humanity; but humanity only listens to popular ideas, humanity only listens to celebrities and big [media] corporations and doesn't want to hear new and innovative ideas; therefor humanity doesn't want to hear innovative ideas, even if they contain answers humanity really needs.

I'm blowing my own mind and am caught in a spiral and need more coffee...

(Notes to self: escapism; narcissism; intelligence; effort v. accomplishment)

Still out; just looking ...

I'm taking care of personal bureaucratic BS, but keeping an eye on the market... Heard the "news" about the yuan, see that the market is finally rolling over, and just wanted to post a big weekly chart of the SPX and the XLE just to highlight that we are an energy economy, and the turmoil in the energy markets (mainly because of BP) is having a major impact on the overall market.

XLE 6-mo/weekly

Notice the Fast Stochastic is starting to roll over a little "soon" so to say, looking kinda' bearish. Anyway, check out the next chart, the XLE, the "energy" Index and you can't but notice the similarity. I guess I could look up the weighting in the S&P and all, but you get the idea.

SPX 6-mo/weekly

OK, enough with the charts ... I'm gonna' start babbling about law and law school shortly ... you've been warned. Actually, in the near future I'd like to keep an eye on a few blogs and websites and post a few snippets and commentary, some market related, some just financial, or legal, or whatever.

oh well part II

well, I guess if I hadn't bailed my calls would have worked out,

now AKAM is breaking out, closing at the high of the day and all...

AKAM 2-mo/daily