How America Got Into This Financial Mess

Someone on the President's staff, in late 2001 ( not pointing any fingers here ) came up with the great plan that they could raise interest rates to get countries to start buying US bonds. Typically, this would cause huge amounts of inflation as trillions of dollars of foreign money is pumped into the American currency system. Banks, enjoying the high returns of their US bonds decided to lower their regulations and make it easier for people to buy more expensive homes. Three trillion dollars of US currency was sucked out of circulation and put into real estate. Less and less money was available in circulation for business investment. Banks were lending all of their available capitol in Mortgages and were giving up on the business investment game. We became less competitive in the worldwide marketplace because we didn't have enough available capitol to manufacture enough goods to sell overseas.

In 2005-2006, the Fed knew it was running out of tricks. They tried lowering interest rates to spur the economy. But, that caused countries to sell off their US bonds. Money was sucked out of the Governments pockets and sucked out of circulation. Less and less money was available. Although interest rates were appealing to businesses, banks were less and less willing to make business investments.

In late 2008, the Fed knew its game of lower interest rates was not working, so it tried to raise interest rates. Business investment came to a standstill, the housing market crashed, and property values dropped. Banks were loosing money left and right as people decided to abandon homes where their mortgage was higher than the value of the home. The stock market crashed on bad bank numbers. Companies were forced to lay off millions of people. State governments were becoming more and more stressed as they attempted to pay unemployment benefits.

What have we learned?

Raising and lowering the interest rates has little positive effect on the economy. Low interest rates reduce the amount of money in circulation. Raising interest rates causes the job and housing markets to crash.

What other options do we have?

A steady as she goes approach will encourage long term business investment, a predictable housing market, a safe job market. Stop playing with the interest rates already.

Encourage Americans to buy rental properties in other countries. The rental income will trickle back to America.

Lower the maximum allowed length of a mortgage by one year every year. Start with the maximum mortgage length of 30 years; Then 29, 28, etc. People will slowly start to be able to pay off and own their homes. Ten years from now, with a max mortgage length of 20 years, a huge number of Americans will have personal wealth. That mortgage money will be freed up an put back into circulation.

THE brain's BACK DOOR, HOW TO ACCESS YOUR NOODLE

HOW CAN YOU GET A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP IN FIVE MINUTES?

First, we need to ask "What is sleep?" Sleep is a process in which the brain shuts down for a period of time; and begins transferring data from its short-term memory banks to its long-term memory banks.

"Why do we need sleep?" Without sleep, data would build up in the short-term memory banks, causing increasing degrees of stress and anxiety. Much like when a computer slows down because too many programs are running at once.

"How does the mind process short-term memory into long-term memory?" The brain uses a process called REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). We typically call this process "dreaming". Simply put, REM is when bits of data are released at random from the short-term memory and sent to the filing system of the long-term memory.

"How does the filing system work?" In order for the data to be recalled from the long-term memory it has to be organized/grouped into a file. The file would consist of similar items/memories so that it could be recalled quickly.

"Why do dreams have stories?" Data is released at random from the short-term memory at very high velocity. The brain catches only random glimpses of data as it flies past at high speed. The brain tries its best to to interpret the confusing random data, tosses in a little extra cause and affect, and wha-la a story. Example: imagine these data bits: dog, fish, crying, toolbox, happiness. The brain makes a dream like this: My pet dog caught a fish in the creek, didn't eat the fish because it was crying, but instead got a toolbox and fixed the fish so that it was happy.

HOW CAN WE FORCE OUR BRAINS TO DOWNLOAD SHORT-TERM MEMORIES ON DEMAND?

This is where meditation comes in.

First, realize that the human mind is capable of incredible visions. The speed of these visions is especially interesting to me. It seems the speed at which the mind is capable of working is tens or hundreds of times faster than what we are accustomed to.

A few years ago, I thought to myself, If the mind downloads short-term memories at a speed equal to or faster than an acid trip, than it is no wonder that in REM sleep our dream only contains random bits, maybe one out of a thousand, or one out of a million bits of data. That is why our dreams are so confusing. They do not contain ALL the data being downloaded.

I wanted so badly to tap into my brains potential. I began experimenting with meditation. I tried emotional meditation to relax. I tried visualization, to enhance my chi. Neither of which were for me.

One day I was extremely tired. I had not slept in three days. I was consuming information at a stressful rate the entire time. My mind was shutting down. But, I didn't have time to sleep. I did have time to shut my eyes for about ten minutes and I took advantage. There I was, eyes shut, exhausted, stressed out, trying to relax my eyes and relieve some stress. I started watching the little flickers of light behind my eyelids. I watched the white flickers dance around at amazing speed. I started tracking the flickers. They were moving so fast. I concentrated. My eyes were moving left, right, up, down quickly. And then it happened. I tracked a flicker across my field of view. What happened next startled me. It was something I never expected. That flicker reminded me of something. A picture? A memory flash?

I wondered, "Could I do that again?" I focused. I watched the flickers of light. I tracked one. Then, WHAM, just like I expected, I saw a very complex image flash before my eyes at an incredible speed. I started tracking a particular image, captured it, and watched. It began warping and changing. It was very detailed.  Each image began to warp and change and tell its own story.  The stories were generally only fragments of a second long.  Occasionally, a story would last longer than a second or two.

After just five minutes of this, I opened my eyes and felt wonderfully refreshed. I was able to go back to work and finish my shift as if I had just taken a good long nap.

Over the next few years I used this technique only when I was really tired and needed a quick pick me up.

How to Help Our Trade Deficit

I want the Federal Trade Commission to create a public list of all the products we import. That way, American Businesses can review the list and get ideas for creating replacement products they can make in America. We really need to stop importing all this stuff. Right now, the trade deficit is about $40K dollars per man woman and child. And going up at a rate of $400-$500 per month per man, woman and child. I know I spend a lot on imported gasoline, but where is all this trade deficit coming from? It must mostly be coming from import cars and oil. But, I only buy used cars. Gas stations should be required to post a sign stating if their oil is imported or not. I would pay an extra 20 cents a gallon or so for pure American Black Gold. Also, I know this is over the top, but we'll say it anyway; We need to raise awareness. The government should be required to send out a bill to every person in America for the $40000 dollars they need to pay to repay the trade deficit. They can apply to have their fee postponed for a year if they can't pay or something. At least, that way, they will know what kind of a whole we have dug ourselves into and may start acting proactively to fix it.

D&D for the Real People

I think it would be really cool if there was a site that allowed you to build yourself out as a D&D Character. The site would test your Asteroids skills to give you a Dexterity score, Check how many people are following you on Twitter for your Charisma, IQ test for Intelligence, and Typing test for Speed.

Then you could battle your way through a virtual quest, testing your dice rolling skills until ultimate Death by Level 3 Cave Troll.

Total Gameplay time: 0.093 nanoseconds.
Total bragging rights for reaching Level 4 Human: 10x Multiplyer ( but only by the Chair Ridden Hairless Gamer in the cube to your left who goes by the calling, Diety Coke ).

Hey Lady in the Silver Ford Tempo

Hey Lady in the Silver Ford Tempo, I see you trying to text while driving. You can't fool me with that unmistakable posture, left hand on the wheel while you stare deeply into your lap.

I am not by any means going to tell you it is safe to text while driving. My own experience has taught me so. But, look, if you are going to do it anyway, there are ways to do it where you could probably avoid an accident most of the time and there are ways to do it that are downright stupid and will get you hurt.

So, Lady in the Silver Ford Tempo, staring into your lap while driving is not safe. Read the driver's manual again where it says keep your eyes on the road.

When I text while driving ( yes, I do it too. nobody is perfect, especially me ), I hold the phone on top of my steering wheel so I can see the road ahead while I briefly glance at the screen to find tiny letters on the buttons. My eyes are always forward, and although partially distracted by the cute catch phrase I am trying to type out, still able to see the brakelights of the Dodge dually in front of me.

End of Rhetoric.

Bring Back American Wealth

The 40-year mortgage is destroying American wealth. America went from 90% home ownership at the beginning of the 20th Century to less than 10% at the end. And it is only getting worse. The 40-year mortgage was a way to jack up the price of homes to make it easier for lower income people to pay more money for a house. Let me say that again, "The 40 year loan was a way to jack up the price of homes to make it easier for lower income people to pay more money for a house." The problem is, no one ever pays one off. Sometimes, you get lucky and sell it for more than you owe and make a profit and at the same time buy another house below market value so you can actually come out a few years ahead. That is not, however, the typical situation. Usually, people pay so much in broker's fees, bank fees, taxes, moving expenses, and etc that they never come out ahead in a housing swap. If you start buying a house when you are 30 years old, and never take out a second mortgage, you can pay it off when you are what, 70?; 5 years into retirement. Houses have gotten too darn expensive and are not a good investment, anymore. In my opinion, banks should never make loans for more than 20 years. People need to be able to pay off their loans and still have some life left. I was smart enough to buy a house cheap enough I could put it on a 20 year mortgage. Hopefully, I'll have some wealth when I get in my 50s.

Stop an Oil Gusher a Mile Underwater

I have an easy solution to plugging a deep ocean Oil Gusher:

When I worked in Landscaping Construction in Phoenix in 1999, I had to fix a lot of underground water leaks. If we couldn't turn off the water from a valve, we could use a small inflatable rubber balloon. We inserted the balloon into the pipe and connected a bottle of compressed air. The balloon would expand and stop the leak.

Doctors use very much the same technique to insert a stint into the heart of a heart patient.

Every time I see BP fail at shutting down the well, this thought comes into my mind, "How easy it would be to just feed a heavy duty balloon into the head of the pipe and expand it. "

Added bonus: the well could probably be saved. Once the leak is stopped, the pipe could be repaired.

Make Taxes Fair

Every year, I have a whole bunch of things I could write off on my taxes if I was to itemize them. But, in order to itemize, I would have to give up my standard personal deduction which usually trumps the total of my itemizations. I frequently get tricked by people telling me I can write such and such purchase off on my taxes. So, I go for it only to find out at the end of the year I won't get the deduction unless I itemize. Come on, Uncle Sam, give me a break hear. This system stinks.

Ultra Easy to Play Guitar

There is definitely a need for a guitar that is really easy to play. I would like to see one that had about 100 cellanoids on it that would make the chords for you. All you would have to do is press a button on a control, similar to the buttons on a RockBand guitar, and strum. The chords could be customized with a small pda-type screen and a midi interface. Go to a website to find the chords for your favorite songs and play away.

Super Smart Humans

I believe we are getting close the the age of Cyborgization. I'm coining that term, now. I think we will be able to:

1. Put a computer chip in our frontal lobe that records all memories and allows us to play them back.

2. Put a computer chip in our brain's communication center that will allow us to instant message or Tweet with a thought.

3. Put a computer chip in our brain that allows us to do a Google query with a thought. Never be caught without an answer again.

4. Put a chip in our brain with Google Translate so we can speak any language.

5. Put a chip in our brain with High Def video so we can play movies and games - mostly games - in our brain. There will need to be a no gaming while driving law passed for this one.

Tourism Site for Volunteers and Activists

There is a need for a web business that plans Social Activism, Volunteer, and Relief group events and packages them as vacation plans. People could sign up for the event, whether it be Haitian Earthquake relief, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Relief, or other event. The trip might include lodging, travel, a work schedule, food, etc. The trips might cost money, be free, or pay money depending on the cause and funding.

Fly to Mars With Almost Zero Energy

It should be simple to build a space elevator on Earth and Mars. The elevator cable could be long enough that an object released from its end could slingshot away from the Earth and reach Mars. The Martian elevator could catch the object and lower it to the Martian surface. The return trip could be just as simple.

Let's practice by building a space elevator on the Moon. An elevator in the low gravity area between the Earth facing side of the Moon and a Earth Orbit tether could get us to the Moon cheaply. Once there, an elevator off the Dark Side of the Moon could get us some serious Solar Escape velocity. I'd be interested in seeing the size of the Lightning Bolt when that Moon-Earth cable gets close to our atmosphere. Ouch.

High Altitude Elevator as a Tether for a Space Elevator

Physicists are trying to create a material that has a tensile strength great enough to create a cable to haul an object into space. The problem is, no material exists that is strong enough to support its own weight over such a great distance.

Here is the problem: Each length of cable must support the weight of all the length of cable below it. Scientists have been worrying over trying to create a cable array that can support its own weight as well as cargo over the entire distance.

My contribution: We need to support the weight of the cable in the lower 90kilometers of cable with high altitude balloons. At varying distances below that point (the 90km section), there will be a series of high altitude balloons supporting the cable.

Magic Green Energy Flying Machine

A solar powered hot air balloon can easily be created that uses mirrors to reflect the sun onto a black surface.

Cheap, Limitless Energy Generator

A hot air balloon can lift a lot of weight. But, can it lift it far enough to compensate for the amount of energy it takes to heat it? Not sure if Conservation of Energy applies here or not.

But, what about balloons under water? There would be a much greater energy return from a balloon filled with air and hydrogen under water. How do we get the air and hydrogen to magically appear under water without having huge pumps that use all our energy? Simple, use electricity to seperate the two.

We can recover the electrical energy by harnessing the balloons lift ( tether a cable to a generator or something ) and be using the hydrogen in a generator once it has reached the surface.

NOTE: The deeper the water, the more energy returned.

How to Make Fast Food Even Faster

Supermarkets have self-checkout, so why not McDonalds? Cut the rush hour long lines in half. McDonalds could reward customers who use the self-checkout kiosks by giving them the same priority as Drive-Thru customers.

If drive thru feels threatened by this, make drive thru even faster if they use a drive thru self-check.

How to Save the American Job Market

Companies should be given tax incentives for spending more on salaries this year than last year, and tax penalties for spending less.

This should either get companies to hire more employees of pay them better wages.

NOTE: This should not cost the government any money. Sure, there would be an upfront cost. But, in the long run, the gov would get that money back in increased annual revenue from income taxes on the new salary dollars.

How to Save the American Auto Company

Auto companies should have factory outlets near their manufacturing facilities. People should be able to buy cars fresh off the assembly lines without having to pay all the middle men, shipping charges, car lot charges, salesman charges, etc. The cost savings would get a lot more people buying American made cars from these outlets. More cars bought in America = less cars imported from oversees = lower trade deficit, etc.

Bright Idea.com

There needs to be a website where people can go and publish their great ideas. Anyone else can go there and read all the good ideas. People can use any of the ideas if they want to. The site would blend especially well to Delicious.com and Digg.com.

Seasonal Store

There is a need for a store that is open all year round as a retail space for seasonal stores. It should specialize in renting the space to existing seasonal businesses ( fireworks, halloween, christmas, easter, etc.) The store should offer a permanent storefront with cash registers and a storage space for these seasonal companies to keep their product off season.

Image File Format for Backgrounds

I would like there to be a file format that gives really small file size for really big pictures of a certain type -- background images that have lots of solid color with a small image in only one quadrant of the image. It seems to me that the file format could assign a background color or pattern and then overlay a small image in one part of it.

Making Better Adults

There is a need for a mentor/trainer who teaches 18 year olds how to be adults. Basically, everything school and parents don't teach. ie. Managing credit, finding a mate, not going to jail.. and more.

Wind up String Faster

There needs to be a rotary spindle you could attach to a rechargeable drill for winding up lines of string ( kites and etc. )