Saturday, February 21, 2009

Easy Readin'

I’m self-publishing a small book. It is basically poetry. I say basically poetry, because I’m not certain it would pass for legitimate poetry to someone who is familiar with the subject. As I say on my blurb ‘About the Book’ – “This is not classic poetry”

Seems a little silly to list it here because I’ve had the blog for around two years and almost no one knows about it. However, I thought that I’d go ahead and post this blog about my book, in case anyone stumbles by it. And I may, at some point, try referring a few friends to this site. It's a self-publishing project going out with basically no advertising, at least at this point; so, if you happen to like it and you think you may know someone else who might appreciate it; please let them know.

The name of the book is –

Easy Readin’

“Miscellaneous Titles”

I’m posting this on Saturday 21 February 2009 and the book just went for sale on-line yesterday.

It’s available at Author House; which is a self-publishing site through which the book is published.

You can view the cover, my blurbs about the book, about the author and three selections from the book at EasyReadingAtComzone.com; there is an icon there that says “Buy Now” however, it’s not currently active. You can purchase the book through the Author House site; by going to -

> www.authorhouse.com > Bookstore > Search for - Dave Kelley - or - Easy Readin’ > Click on ‘Add to Cart’ > Follow instructions. Credit or debit card - $14.75.

You can view some of the book as mentioned above by visiting my website and you can purchase the book, should you feel like it, from the Author House site. The Author House site also has the best price. It’s not available anywhere else yet, but, if it becomes available elsewhere, it will cost a few dollars more.

My email is dkelley23@cinci.rr.com

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Economic Stimulus

Economic Stimulus

This is something that I have considered for a long time; however, I never had any reason to think that anyone else would be interested; or at least any reason to think that anyone would listen to me. However, with the current economic circumstances and the need for economic stimulus; it’s occurred to me that what I put here could possibly be considered as helpful and possibly quite a serious proposal concerning the stimulating of the American economy.

Much of what I’m writing here will necessarily be in generic terms; and basically hypothetical. I don’t know that much of the specifics of the lottery system(s) currently operating in the various states.

However, say that hypothetically, a state lottery starts out at a million dollars a week. Under the current system, it’s possible for one player to earn up to a million dollars with a few others winning between 3 and 20 dollars.

Note that it’s been pretty well documented that there have been many folks who have won the big lottery only to end up in dire financial straits. Also, consider the factor that “How many people actually need a million dollars?” Emphasis on need!

So in this case, you have a single person winning up to and frequently over a million dollars, considering the case of a lottery that goes un-won for several weeks; and a relatively small number of players winning between 3 and 20 dollars.

Concerning these lottery games, including both state lotteries and the multi-state Power Ball games as well. I’d like to suggest that rather than the one big winner, there are various numbers of smaller winners. Consider the number of ways a million dollars can be divided up. Rather than making one new millionaire; who may just retire and waste his/her money; you could have up to 20 folks winning $50,000, in which case of the 20 people, there could be one or two who start their own business. Or, rather than one millionaire, you could have up to 50 folks winning up to $20,000. Within a state, this could generate more economic stimulus than one millionaire. Frankly, I’d take it even further. In place of one millionaire you could produce 66.6 folks winning up to $15,000; 100 folks with $10,000; 200 with $5,000 or 1,000 with $1,000.

Think of the stimulus package of a year ago which gave up to $600 per household or $300 per person. Consider that one state on an almost weekly basis could generate $1,000 for 1,000 different people. Use your imagination; this could really be economic stimulus that would take effect immediately, and on an ongoing basis, and could really spread throughout the economy.

You could even have different games on different weeks. For instance, one week you could have the 20 winners of $50,000; other weeks the division would be 50 winners of $20,000. Again, these amounts could generate some to start or grow a small business. Personally, I prefer the concept of more folks, winning relatively smaller amounts. Remember, for a lottery starting at a million; you could generate 1,000 folks with $1,000. And that could be on a weekly basis. 52,000 folks a year!

It’s my thinking that more folks would play under these circumstances. Personally I question how and why so many play for the big lottery numbers. I’m not certain what the odds are but, hypothetically, let’s say that the odds of winning the million dollar lottery are one in a million. Then how many folks have a chance to win? However, divide up the winnings as described above and the chances of winning become increasingly better. Knowing that there will be as many as 1,000 winners of $1,000 or maybe 500 winners of $2,000 or even 200 winners at $5,000 would seem to me to be a much more attractive possibility and I personally would be much more likely to play, thinking that I have a much better chance than the old 1 in a million.

These amounts of money spread through the economy could well do very good things.

There are other things to be considered. Not everyone likes the idea of a lottery. They don’t consider it to be honest money. If the lottery was divided up as described; it could well be thought of as more like buying war bonds have been considered in the past. In other words, you may win $1,000 by purchasing a ticket, but, even if you don’t you could consider that you have contributed to the stimulation of the economy. Something that is sorely needed nowadays!

It’s even possible that participation would increase, therefore increasing the effect of the stimulation.

Consider all the possibilities of multiple winners of the relatively smaller amounts. There are so many, each that could be of a positive effect on society. And, consider that the relatively smaller amounts are not really that small of an amount if you consider that the smallest amount I’ve considered above is $1,000. How many people could use an extra $1,000 on top of their normal income?

A couple of possibilities come to mind. Say a relatively well off person is not in need of pinching pennies, but has been putting of some remodeling due to the current economic circumstances. Should that person win $1,500, they may well decide to go ahead with their remodeling and therefore a job for a contractor and supplies. Or, say a contractor wins $1,500; they may decide to give out bonuses of $200 to three of their employees, keeping $900 for themselves and their business; or, give $100 to five employees and keeping $1,000. There are very many ways that this money could make a positive dent on the current economic circumstances.

For many it could mean house payments or even a down payment.

What’s been written above is all based on the hypothetical circumstances of state lotteries starting out at one million dollars. However, take the same concept and apply it to the multi-state Power Ball lotteries and multiply the results. I’ve heard stories of Power Ball winnings as high as $132,000,000. What individual or even family needs that kind of money? And, how many individuals and/or families could use a portion of it? Just think how far that amount could be spread and what a benefit there could be for society in that case.

Consider the possibilities!

Personally, I can think of numerous scenarios where a distribution of funds in this fashion would/could be of good benefit.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Very Weird (Conspiracy?)

The current economy is scary beyond belief. Unfortunately, current circumstances commonly referred to as the worst since the Great Depression; actually appear to have the potential to be as bad as or worse than the great depression. We can only hope, at this point, that somehow or another we can pull out of the current recession and related circumstances without suffering greater devastation.

Nothing funny about it! The reason I say that (other than because it’s true) is that the basis of this particular blog is that a couple of years ago; basically the last couple of years of the G. W. Bush administration, I started joking among friends that “We (the country) are going to have to declare bankruptcy and turn to socialism” - At the time, it was said jokingly. This had started a couple of years ago, well before the current deep recession-like circumstances which seem to have begun to hit home for the most part around September 2008 with the wave of bank failures, followed by the circumstances of various failing business’ and downsizing.

The basis of this at the time was mainly concerning the Bush administration‘s conducting of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other large expenditures attributed to the Bush administration which appeared to be spending without any restraint or accountability.

Just a few months before the real crash (so-to-speak), with the bank failings and subsequent circumstances as mentioned in September of ’08, something else occurred to me. At that time I started somewhat joking saying, that “If you look at it, it really almost appears that the Bush administration has unfolded like a well-organized conspiracy.”

The thing is, that if you do think of it, the current circumstances in the country really fit the mold of what has been put forth over the years as the desired results of a conspiracy to undermine and overtake the United States. Since the U.S. has always had superior military and therefore defense ability; it’s been noted by some that the only real way to undermine/takeover the U.S. would be financially and likely that would have to be done internally.

Basically bankrupting the entire country including the actual U.S. Government itself, appears that it would accomplish this.

It’s really unbelievable. Basically overnight we were warned that if the U.S. Government didn’t come up with over $750 billion that we faced certain catastrophe; which we may never recover from. Everyone basically was convinced that this $750B bailout was necessary, and it took place in relatively short order. In order to emphasize the over-night aspect of this story, I’d point to the story told several times by U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, where she recounts that she was at some point in contact with the Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson and when she said that they should set up a meeting for the next day, the secretary said that it couldn’t wait till the next day. In any case, this whole situation arose and the $750B bailout was approved in considerably short order.

Actually, there is every reason to believe that certain catastrophe was indeed inevitable at the time. I’m not saying, at this point, that the authorization of the bailout was misplaced. All the commentary I heard and I listened to a bunch of it; all the experts, for the most part, agreed that although it wasn’t a desirable move to have to make, that it was in fact necessary. I’m not arguing that (I’m not knowledgeable enough). I remember looking for a consensus among what I considered to be reliable sources on the news reports. People exclaiming the necessity of drastic action at the time, included Warren Buffet, Jack Welsh, Lawrence Kudlow and Jim Cramer from CNBC and Paul Krugman, to name only a few, along with other economist and commentators; for this reason I would consider that fundamentally, the action taken at the time was in fact necessary. (If I'm mistaken about any of the names I've mentioned above; I'll find out and correct it; but, I remember quite a few notable names who clearly supported the need for the bailout given the circumstances at the time).

The problem is that we had arrived at a point where this type of action was necessary!!!!

Remember, this was in September of 2008; less than two full months before the Presidential election of 2008 and just several months before the end of the G.W. Bush administration.

It was before this time that (as I said above) I had been jokingly (so-to-speak) thinking to myself and saying to a few that in seems that in a way you could say that the Bush administration had unfolded like a well organized conspiracy. Basically bankrupting the country, the United States. With his conducting and mishandling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially Iraq, along with his various other mishandling of government programs and spending, Bush set in motion programs, policies, spending obligations that would eventually bankrupt the U.S.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Bush was proudly exclaiming that under his administration that home ownership in the U.S. had reached an all time high. Policies of mandating home loans for even those who would not normally qualify for a home loan, along with other aspects of mismanagement concerning the regulation of the various financial markets, caused and allowed the economy to burst. It was toward the end of the Bush administration that the U.S. was experiencing record home foreclosures. The housing market is widely noted as a (or the) most significant factor in the bank failings, and the other resulting economic circumstances.

At this point, we’re into February of 2009 and it’s not clear whether the economic stimulus proposed by newly elected Barrack Obama will succeed in turning the economy around or not. However, it’s clear that by the end of 2008; the economy had been caused and allowed to tank so severely that it is unfathomable. Unlike anything seen since the Great Depression of 1929; and with the potential to be worse; including affect of the global economic crisis.

Since no country, at this point, could overtake the United States; a takeover would only come from within. The way to do this would be to bankrupt the country, therefore allowing whoever is in charge to formulate all sorts of nontraditional laws which would have to be accepted by the American people. When the people have no money in the bank, no house to live in, no job or no secure job, no leg to stand on, it’d be hard to fight such a movement. Therefore, as I say, it could be said that the Bush administration could appear to have unfolded like a well-organized conspiracy. There seems to have been a combination of bankrupting of the actual government (treasury) of the United States, and a bankrupting of the American people. With so many bank closures, business failings, lay-offs, downsizing, etc... These are the circumstances which could bring about the undoing of the U.S.

When the people don't have any means for supporting themselves; they are necessarily dependent on the government.

I don’t believe that this is the case. But, it sure is very weird. And, from what I’ve already heard of some of President Obama’s detractors; even before he was nominated, much less elected; they expect that he is on a mission to undermine the United States of America. Well, the recent undoing of the economy and security of United States was the doing of George W. Bush. Obama inherited these circumstances.

Additional note; 17 Feb '09: For what it's worth; as I'm typing this, I'm watching Hardball on MSNBC, which I do frequently. I had just put the post up a few days ago. Chris Matthews the host of Hardball, at about 5:20pm; having a discussion on what caused the downfall of the American economy, Matthews just commented that "it's almost like a conspiracy to bring down the American economy." Interesting! I'm not saying that he got the idea from my post; I'm certain he didn't; it was an off the cuff remark, and almost no one is even aware of much less reading my blog at this point. I'm just saying that it's interesting and coincidental.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Trickle down economy

Out of curiosity, something I've wondered about for a while:

“Whatever made who think that people in the lower income brackets ever wanted to be trickled down on, by those in the upper income brackets?”

I basically just say this jokingly; it's something I thought of a while back and I just figured I'd go ahead and post it.
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