Recession is over huh?

We Haven’t Hit Bottom Yet

By BOB HERBERT

Published: September 24, 2010

(excerpt from the New York Times)

(There are more people in poverty now — 43.6 million — than at any time since the government began keeping accurate records. Nearly 15 million Americans are out of work and home foreclosures are expected to surpass one million this year. The Times had a chilling front-page article this week about the increasing fear among jobless workers over 50 that they will never be employed again.


The politicians seem unable to grasp the immensity of the problem, which is why the policy solutions are so woefully inadequate. During my conversations with Ms. Bedore, she dismissed the very thought that the recession might be over. “Whoever said that was sadly mistaken,” she said. “We haven’t even bottomed-out yet.” )

Promising Oil-spill Clean-up Product Made in West Michigan by Concept Industries

Concept Industries is a Grand Rapids, Michigan based company that has some interesting things going on. I plan to get in touch with them soon to learn more and maybe even work with them. Check out the video on their product Abso-Core.

With the recent 800,000 gallon spill in Kalamazoo County, Michigan and the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico we need to be examining multiple solutions that do not require toxic chemical dispersants.

Asian Migrant Workers See Exploitation in Sweden

Check out the article by Matthew Saltmarsh on the NYT website.

Swedish Lingonberries
photo credit: bwcabound on squidoo

 While I am definitely sympathetic to the plight of the workers mentioned in the article (apparently the exploitation of migrant agricultural laborers is a widespread problem), I just want to point out that Sweden has moved to provide a minimum wage of $2240USD per month for them now. This is in contrast to the US having minimum wage exemptions for certain categories of workers (like those made for small-scale agricultural and food service employees), exemptions that deny exempted workers the meager $1247USD per month, which is the monthly total for 40 hour weeks at the federal minimum wage. [I arrived at this number by multiplying 40 hours of full-time work (the US full-time standard) by 4.3 (the standard metric for converting weekly amounts to monthly amounts) and then multiplying that by $7.25USD (current federal minimum wage). The equation looks like this: (40x4.3)=172 then (172x$7.25)=$1247. Starting with Sweden's minimum monthly wage and running the same equation in reverse I arrived at just over $13USD per hour, nearly double the US minimum wage (which doesn't even cover everyone anyway...).

Minimum Wage Comparison: USA $1247month/ Sweden $2240month... Anybody interested in going to pick berries in Sweden next season?

Social Good Summit: Tackling Global Challenges with Social Media

I just found this article by Pete Cashmore on Yahoo News. Check out the article and maybe participate in the dialogue as well. Here's an excerpt:


On September 20, as global leaders head to New York for United Nations Week – including a historic summit on global issues known as the “Millennium Development Goals” (MDGs) and the annual General Assembly – Mashable, 92nd Street Y and UN Foundation will bring together leaders from the digital industry, policy and media worlds for a groundbreaking Social Good Summit focused on how technology and social networks can play a leading role in addressing the world’s most intractable problems.

The week’s conversations will be all tied to the Millennium Development Goals. These goals set by world leaders and adopted by the United Nations in 2000, focus on massive reductions in poverty and hunger; promotion of universal primary education; gender equality; reduction in child deaths and the deaths of women in childbirth; the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases, and environmental sustainability.

“Every American and every world citizen has a stake in advancing the MDGs,” said Kathy Calvin of the United Nations Foundation. “Yet many people are still looking for ways to have a positive impact. By coming together in partnership, we can make this happen. And when we do, the world will be a better place.”

Republican Runs Street People on Green Ticket

As if the Bush/Cheney years weren't cynical enough; the following are excerpts from an article that Marc Lacey published in yesterday's edition of the New York Times. Click the article link for the full story with photos.

“Did I recruit candidates? Yes,” said Mr. May, who is himself a candidate for the State Legislature, on the Republican ticket. “Are they fake candidates? No way.”

Gathered around was a motley crew of people who were down on their luck, including a one-armed pregnant woman named Roxie whom Mr. May befriended sometime back and who introduced him to the rest.

Mr. Pearcy and other drifters and homeless people were recruited onto the Green Party ballot by a Republican political operative... and the Green Party has urged its supporters to steer clear of the rogue candidates.

The Democratic Party is fuming over Mr. May’s tactics and those of at least two other Republicans who helped recruit candidates to the Green Party, which does not have the resources to put candidates on ballots around the state and thus creates the opportunity for write-in contenders like the Mill Rats to easily win primaries and get their names on the ballot for November. Complaints about spurious candidates have cropped up often before, though never involving an entire roster of candidates drawn from a group of street people.

Mr. May, who served as a Republican legislator from 1998 to 2002, said, “Even if I wanted to control these guys, they’re uncontrollable.” 

Free to Bee: NYC lifts its ban on beekeeping.

I am linking to an article in Positive News by Sarah Wilkinson. It baffles me that we have governments making it illegal for us to live sustainably... Without these pollinators (bees) many plants don't reproduce, not to mention the food provided directly by bees. We should demand that our governments give tax incentives or even outright JOBS to people who are pushing society toward sustainability and self-reliance. What happened to our much anticipated green jobs revolution? Did the money go instead to support the endless wars on terror and drugs? Maybe if people were given better options for meeting their needs in meaningful ways we would see dramatic reductions in terrorism and demand for illicit drugs as a natural byproduct of this shift. Imagine the changes we could bring to the lives of the people trapped in inter-generational poverty in our inner-city neighborhoods if we enabled them to become urban farmers and gave them vacant lots in troubled neighborhoods for cultivation and/or to utilize as local farmer's markets. This would be a huge step forward from people being harassed by city governments for growing food within our urban food deserts.

Thankfully, this development (NYC's ban lift) may indicate that we are seeing the beginning of a larger understanding. I am hopeful that our global economic trouble will force governments to completely overhaul their economic policies and begin shifting toward cooperation and sustainability and away from military and economic conquest. A recent article in the NYT by Thomas Friedman indicated that he thinks we will soon see a serious decline in warmongering in the US.

I am very encouraged by international competitions like the US Dept. of Energy's Solar Decathlon, which challenges 20 teams of college students (mostly US students) to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. This event allows some of our best and brightest up and coming designers and architects a high-profile platform on which to display their cutting edge concepts in comfortable sustainable housing.

For all of the aspiring inventors out there (including me...)

This links to a cool little 5 minute audio slideshow "21st Century Inventors" by Paul Kerley. I found it at the BBC News site. It is anecdotes and advice from some of the UK's top innovators and is connected to a show, "Inventing the 21st Century", which is being curated by the British Library in London, England. The show begins today and will run free of charge through 28 November 2010.

Surprise prize inside!!! ( click here )

Time for fall harvests and some planting.

Garlic comparison: spring vs. autumn...

I am linking this to an article in Mother Earth News by Shelley Stonebrook. Each year the Earthwork Farm Harvest Gathering roughly coincides with the optimal time for planting garlic in Earthwork Farm's plant hardiness zone (zone 4). The basic rule for planting garlic in autumn is to plant approximately 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes (amend soil as necessary locally).

Banksy Turns Kiddie Ride Into Anti-BP Statement

photo: Banksy.co.uk

I found this piece by Michael Graham Richard on Treehugger this morning. Check out the link for a video of the ride in action. Treehugger is a large blog with over 40 writers covering a number of environmental and social topics and is really worth a look.

Harvest Gathering 2010

After my last few posts I feel the need to post something positive here now.

Me cutting veggies outside the kitchen and barn stage entrance at Harvest Gathering.

We are 2 weeks from the start of the 10th annual Earthwork Music Harvest Gathering. This is my favorite festival. I will be working the event and hanging out with some of my closest friends. Harvest Gathering is family friendly and I look forward to it eagerly each year. Check out the links and come out to see one of Michigan's hidden gems.

Who polices the police...?

The following is an excerpt from a Christian Science Monitor article by Mark Guarino.

Gangs vs. Chicago police: an open feud over blame for street violence

(“You don’t torture people for decades and get away with it and have the consent of silence within the police and not expect it to have an effect,” says Mr. Hagedorn. “This accountability thing should cut two ways.”

Burge's first trial in 1989 on police brutality charges resulted in a hung jury, and he was not retried before the statute of limitations expired. He was subsequently charged in 2008 with perjury and obstruction of justice related to the brutality case. That federal trial, prosecuted by the office led by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, described hundreds of cases of abuse in the 1970s and '80s that cost the city $19.8 million in settlement claims. It resulted in the state pardoning four men serving time on death row.

Burge’s perjury conviction continues to resonate in the city’s poorest neighborhoods, where attitudes about it among people are “raw,” says University of Illinois's Hagedorn.

“It’s there at a conscious and a subconscious level within the community. You’ve got one guy convicted of perjury and that’s just one guy. What about all the other people who were there who knew it? This is not being talked about by anybody,” he says.) (excerpt)

Here's one (excerpted) by Marc Lacey from New York Times concerning Arizona and "America's Toughest Sheriff":

Justice Dept. Sues Sheriff Over Bias Investigation

(The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County for not cooperating with an investigation into whether his department was systematically violating the rights of Hispanics.

“It is ironic that the very sheriff who regularly demands that others turn over their papers has refused to turn over his papers,” said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, which has been critical of Sheriff Arpaio.) (excerpt)

There is also the New Year's Day 2009 BART execution of a face-down handcuffed man named Oscar Grant in Oakland, California; which was caught on cellphone video cameras by several onlookers from multiple viewpoints and is easy to find on youtube.

PBS Frontline News has a site dedicated to police abuses and cover-ups in the US ( focusing on New Orleans Police Department ), which I found when looking into the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Check out the video report, it is really powerful stuff. ( I spent time as a primary member on a S.W.A.T. unit and this stuff makes me nuts, these are supposed to be the best officers available...)

I won't even go into detail about the atrocities committed at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq by US Army Military Police and various intelligence operators along with civilian contractors. [ I was a member of US Air Force Security Police ( later renamed Security Forces ) for my first military gig, but cannot imagine a situation in which this would make sense or seem justified to me or any of my friends at the time...] I cannot conceive of a quicker more effective way to undermine trust and legitimacy.

Reuters posted this article on Monday August 30th (4 days ago). 
Mexico fires thousands of police to combat corruption  

Mexico just fired 10% of their Federal Police in an effort to begin dealing with widespread corruption within the ranks of the government.

 

I want to clarify that I know some very good cops and these incidents do not represent the majority, but it does go a long way toward explaining many Americans' fear of the people sworn to serve and protect them. ( Not just America has this problem of course, it is nearly universal that some people will abuse any powers they obtain. )
                                          

Costs of the War in Iraq

I am linking this to an article by the BBC. They cite the range of disputed figures for both human casualties and financial costs.

I am sitting here with my son wondering what could have been accomplished by the tens or hundreds of thousands of people who have died as a result of this invasion and subsequent occupation, as well as considering the impacts on the widows/widowers, orphans, parents, and all those who will simply never get the blood off their hands or the images from their minds.

In addition, there is the matter of the incomprehensible financial expense. At a time when our elected representatives tell us with straight faces that we lack the resources to provide universal healthcare, adequate jobs at "living wages"(additional NYT link), quality public schooling regardless of neighborhood, affordable university education, domestic disaster relief (think Katrina...), or a restructuring of our economy toward sustainability (both ecological and economic sustainability), we have been spending between $800,000,000,000 and $3,000,000,000,000 (that's $800billion-$3trillion) for the war in Iraq, depending on whose figures you use. We are presently saddled with a national debt of $13.4trillion (that's $174,000 debt per US citizen...) at the time of this post, and an increasing trade deficit (which had become a surplus before George W. Bush took office).

The real war on 'terror' must begin.

The real war on 'terror' must begin - Focus - Al Jazeera English

Check out this article from Al Jazeera. I felt that it warranted coming out of retirement to comment on and pass along. ;)

Just think for a moment about what we could do to truly begin eliminating the root causes of terrorism. How quickly could we see the results of diverting resources from the wars on terror and drugs, which drain untold dollars each year and serve primarily to increase hatred of the US government, both within and abroad. If we truly want to increase global stability, freedom, and justice, we should be deploying armies of construction workers, teachers, farmers, ecologists, and medical personnel. These should be supported by designers and by cultural anthropologists who are competent in the local culture and language. I have no problem with sending an accompaniment of soldiers to provide security for relief workers, supplies, etc., but they should not take center stage (with the exception of medics, Navy SEABEEs, civil affairs folks, etc.).

The US government has pledged $76million to aid the 20 million flood victims in Pakistan, while spending $12billion per month on the"War on Terror"; it seems to me like this might be counterproductive. Spending 0.5% of the amount dedicated to fight in their backyard on trying to help them just might hurt their feelings. In my opinion it is also unconscionable to spend our resources in this way. In case people have missed them there are also serious problems with Haiti (just off the US coast) and within our own economy. The point is that there are many ways we could be making better use of these resources (both capital and human).

What if we as a nation actually supported something like the Peace Corps in the same way we support the Marine Corps (and the rest of the DoD, not to mention our huge intelligence apparatus). It's just an idea...

Hey Kids!

So, it's been a while eh?

You didn't think I'd walked off into the wilderness forever, did you?

I really needed a break after the craziness of the Bush Dark Age, but I'm back now. Since my last post I've done a project in Ohio and traveled a bit looking for another project and visiting friends/family. This has taken me (and my Crumbgobblers) to Eco-village at Ithaca again, NYC, and home. I have also been staying with friends in Ontario and Michigan during the past few months (it has been a bit...).

I have been speaking with a friend about joining an enviro start-up, which should be online this summer (promising...).

At this point I am mostly off-grid with everything from phone to finances handled online and no physical address (it's an interesting life kids, and I love it). Many thanks to Tim Ferris and the authors of "Your Money or Your Life".

My hope is to pick up another big project very soon and possibly negotiate a remote work assignment for the long term. Sometime after my next project I hope to visit Gaviotas, Colombia.

I have been very active with Facebook and am reactivating my Couchsurfing profile as well. Hopefully I will continue to hear from and meet more great people through this blog.

It's Official

I caught the live feed at Wealthy Street Theater today. I tried to drag the Crumbgobblers along, but when I got to their school I discovered that they were absent. I called to get them, but their mother refused to let me have them. (Something about not having had a shower, as if I am interested in her appearance.)

Anyway, it was a beautiful thing to see. Obama was incredibly gracious and Bush seemed very uncomfortable during the proceedings. The speech was solid, but not as inspiring as I had been hoping to see. Over 1 million people were present on the mall in DC.

I was ecstatic to see the transition go smoothly. Obama began governing almost immediately following the event.

This is a moment I have been waiting years to see. I hope he can meet my expectations, but acknowledge the difficulty inherent in the position he is now in.

The next 100 days will be very telling. Go Barack!

(title link to NYT)

Scams

Someone is scamming using my name. They somehow got my maternal grandmother's phone# asking for $4500 for a car accident in Canada. The people trying to scam my very giving grandmother deserve many arrows in their guts and then dogs dropped to run them down (this scam hurts my feelings a bit). I'm having financial difficulties, but I am not placing calls like this. Remember kids, always be certain to verify conclusively before sending anyone money (especially cash, which is untraceable).

I suspect that with the economy still in free-fall we will likely see an increase in this type of behavior. I understand financial desperation, but preying on the elderly is reprehensible.

TreehuggerTV: Urban Homestead

Food Democracy Now

Obama will be picking a new Secretary of Agriculture (Food & Agriculture?) soon. This is a hugely important post. Transitioning away from petro-chemically intensive factory farming would have profound impact on sustainability, security, and rights issues. I have covered this at length before, so I will not go into great detail here. I will recommend a few books though; Farming With The Wild, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Biomimicry.

My recommendations for the Secretary's position are Michael Pollan, Wes Jackson, and Fred Kirschenmann.

Please click on the title link and sign the petition (include these 3 names in the comments section if you agree, or at least trust my recommendations) and perhaps go to change.gov and reinforce your message. We have a receptive President coming in and a very compelling reason to become proactive (survival). Please add your voice and thoughts to the conversation.

Cameron Sinclair: TED Prize wish: Open-source architecture to house the world

I have recently been focusing on housing and design, as these represent both a huge draw on resources and a tremendous opportunity for positive change. We can simultaneously improve the vitality and sustainability of our communities through better design and planning. Please check out this TED Talk by Cameron Sinclair.

And Now For My Next Trick.......

I am currently living in Michigan at the Innovative Martial Arts dojo. The upside is that I have my kids 1/2 time and live and play with some of my closest friends (extended family really). The downside is that I'm living in Michigan where the economy has been terrible for years (it's also where the Big 3 Automakers are headquartered). If the Big 3 are allowed to collapse (and this seems likely), our economy will hemorrhage another 1.5 million jobs. The most solid hit will be on the chin of already punch-drunk and reeling Michigan.

I quit a solid contracting job in Ohio this summer (prompted by a demand by my ex-wife) and have been unemployed since. I loved the time with my kids this summer as well as my trip to South America, but with the economy in a tailspin I am starting to become seriously concerned for my family's future.

It looks like the U.S.A. is entering it's first depression since the 1930s. I am not going to bother pointing fingers here. Hopefully we can use this as an opportunity for retraining our workforce and redirecting our economy toward sustainable progress (this requires a governmental investment in education and sustainability) .

My personal story (and by extension my kids' story) is definitely complicated by this economic turmoil. I took a serious financial beating during and following my divorce and also had to leave the military to maintain custody of the Crumbgobblers. I had been trying to set up our family's finances to enable me to finally attend college, but lost everything with the divorce. Now with the unemployment rate locally approaching double digits, there are many people here with degrees (even advanced degrees) competing for underpaid work which they are overqualified for.

Many times now, I have been rejected out-of-hand for not having a degree. Most of these employers/recruiters have been unable to articulate what they were looking for that necessitated the formal credentialing (the majority do not even care what course of study was pursued). Of those that were able, most gave a list of traits and experiences that lined up with what I had gotten out of my military service. When I have pointed this out, most of them began looking at their feet and mumbling about policies and their hands being tied. It seems as if most people believe (consciously or not) that anyone who has bypassed college must lack the requisite intelligence or drive. It is amazing how little regard some people have for alternative forms of education, especially considering the number of people who have told me that college did not prepare them for their work or for real life. It's a head-scratcher.

Adding insult to this injury is my inability to simultaneously attend college and provide for my children (financially/ or if simultaneously working and attending school, with my time & attention). I served in 2 branches of the U.S. military (and am now considering a 3rd branch) with 3 specialties [USAF Security w/EST (SWAT) (inactive SECRET CLEARANCE), Army Infantryman, & Army Infantry Medic]. I have traveled extensively on 3 continents and have a very broad personal library exceeding 1100 volumes. After the military I have also been a welder, taxi driver, and salesman in addition to performing other miscellaneous work for fun and profit. For the past 11 years I've been raising children while riding this roller coaster. Recently I have been doing a bit of writing to begin sharing and documenting some of my research.

I would be absolutely thrilled to be able to finally attend college, but am having no luck in coming up with a way to make this a realistic possibility (financially) at present. My credit score is horrible due to the aftermath of my divorce, so loans aren't the answer. I am considering re-entering the military to reinstate my G.I. Bill benefits which expired while I was trying to recover from the divorce and raise small children. My hope is that I would be able to quickly earn a 2 year degree and improve my credit score while serving again. Then I would be able to go back into debt in order to get a bachelor's degree (or higher) and begin working full-time in the field of creative sustainability (my passion), rather than just volunteering and writing about the work of others.

I would love any advice or input on this. Hopefully it doesn't come across as whining, that is not my intent. Perhaps some of you know some things or people that I do not know, which could help me increase my positive impact.