Socyberty » Issues

The Future of Commerce

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:08:02 +0000

Our daily routines.

Life without money, in a Resource Based Economy, may be very similar to, or very different than your life before, depending on what you did for a living. All white-collar job workers, except for a few administrators at city halls and state buildings around the world, will find themselves with nothing to do all day, while the common grunt will still be gainfully employed, and very much needed, especially during the transition period between monetary based economics and Resource Based economics. Tempted as you may be to just up and quit your job when the use of money is outlawed, you’ll still need to show up to work to keep society moving along. You might be thinking that working for nothing is slavery, but the definition of slavery is being forced to work with little to no compensation, and little to no regard for basic human dignity. Under the monetary system, you had to work, often in horrible conditions, for a meager wage that all went to bills. If you didn’t work, oftentimes not because you didn’t want to but because you couldn’t find a job, you were forced to live in the streets and beg for food. To have our basic human rights; food, shelter, and clothing, we had to spend half of our lives working for people that only employed us because they had to in order to run businesses that only they benefited from. In a resource based economy, you aren’t forced to work. There are no axes hanging over your head. All of your basic needs are met without having to do anything, so why do anything at all then? Well, without your contribution the world stops running. Without somebody to build your house, farm your food, and stitch together your clothing, those basic human rights are denied to you. So, you are still needed. But, just working six easy hours a day, four days a week will be more than enough of a contribution to society to justify your continued lifestyle. You see, companies can hire as many workers as they want so that nobody is ever overworked or stressed out. There will be an over-abundance of jobs available, especially in infrastructure and farming, even more so when you combine the two industries into gigantic hydro and airponic farm towers. The entertainment and service industries will have plenty of jobs available as well as people are still going to want to go out to eat and have some fun. Also, the nature of a resource based economy is one of efficiency. Many goods and services that were provided when money was being used will no longer be necessary. Goods such as electronics and cars will be built to last and everything will be recycled, eliminating waste and reducing the need for repairmen. Skilled and specialized jobs will be filled as people will be totally free to attend colleges and trade schools. Point is, when you contribute to society, you will be viewed highly by others, which will be almost as satisfying as that delicious steak you can have any time you please. Another point I must make is that you can have anything else that you want, within reason. There may be a waiting period for certain things just because they’re out of stock, but most luxuries such as HDTV’s and comfortable mattresses will be available to you whenever you ask for them. I must ask you to use restraint however, especially in the transition phase. Sure, you could fill your entire house with stuff that you’ve always wanted, but most of those things will be available to borrow at any time anyway, so there’s no point in doing that. Which brings me to the whole point of this article; dispensaries. Whenever we need something, we will go to a dispensary to obtain it. There will be food dispensaries, car dispensaries, tool dispensaries, sports equipment dispensaries, etcetera. Food dispensaries, formerly known as grocery stores, will consist of half the building being filled by produce. Every kind of fruit and vegetable you can imagine will be found there year round thanks to the farm towers. The rest of the space will be shared by fresh meats and household items such as toilet paper, unless we can invent the three seashells. That’d be good. Ooh, since I just thought of this, why don’t we have mini washing machines in the bathroom that we can throw our used butt cloths into?! Next to the mini washer there’ll be a warm water bin that we can dip a clean butt cloth into so it’ll be easier to clean ourselves. Above the warm water bin will be a wringer that you can use, unless you’re a man, in which case don’t be a wimp; wring it out with your bare hands!

Say you have a weekend building project and need some hardware, you can go to your nearest tool dispensary and pick up whatever tools you need to do the job for however long it takes to do it. Once you are finished with the tools you simply return them, where the staff will then clean and repair, if need be, the tools for the next person that needs them. The same goes with sports equipment dispensaries and even guest furniture dispensaries. Car dispensaries will allow people who don’t have the room or the desire to own their own car the ability to borrow a car for a weekend getaway or some other situation that requires a vehicle. You simply show up and pick a car out and drive off the lot then return it when you’re done with it. The need for cars won’t be as great as it is nowadays as many people will choose to work near their homes and walk, or just take a taxi, which is always free. Buses may go all dodo as taxis are much more efficient anyway, and you remember what I said about efficiency, right?

The Vast Migration

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:09:08 +0000

Ironic isn’t it, that in this country what many call the wealthiest of all in the world today that so many Americans are saying goodbye to the United States and emigrating to various other countries. The scope of which all this migration is particularly acute. This is especially with the wealthiest Americans. Since 2007 the number of actual millionaires in the United States fell by over 800,000. Yet, the number of new millionaires that exceeded over 3,800,000 who appeared very suddenly in other countries around the globe is testament that something is very amiss here in the United States. American wealth is fast disappearing by the shear magnitude of individuals who are finding greener pastures overseas. Now the question is why so many of our wealthiest individuals are saying so long, especially now? It is not only the wealthy that are leaving in droves but countless others who have found it almost impossible to find work that they are trained in with enough wages to live on. In so many cases because of all the budget cutbacks in states all across the country public sector workers are being laid off all too frequently. Many are teachers whose livelihoods have been totally uprooted now are finding employment opportunities overseas while here in America they continue to find closed doors of opportunity. We don’t have to go too far to find the answers. When the United States has for years has had the most antiquated and unfair tax system where 51% of Americans paid actually no taxes in 2009 leaving the rest of us to shoulder nearly 82% of the federal tax burden. When you have laws like the Patriot Act in place what we get in return is an overbearing government that has the nerve to spy and pry into your private life, a brazen violation of the U.S. Constitution. Compounded to all this is the dollar’s collapse. Which in effect is a hidden tax that has destroyed the average American’s spending power. This chart shows the decline of Americans spending power in relationship to the value of the dollar. Note the starting date of this chart and you will find it coincides with the creation of the Federal Reserve that took place at Jackal Island. Coincidence, not when we take into account of all the interest that is paid when the Fed prints more money. The dollar’s demise has contributed to health care costs jumping 25%, food prices rising more than 14% and the cost of gasoline zooming up from $2 to $3.75 a gallon in the past five years alone. And, the trend is only going to get much worse. All this so that today everything we buy costs more and more every year. It’s estimated that over 6.5 million Americans are leaving (or plan to leave) the country each year. According to a Zogby Research study, a massive and silent migration is already underway. Families are packing their bags and leaving America at the rate of more than 750 per hour. They have realized that the closed doors of opportunity are opening up in other countries. No longer is America the land of plenty, only plenty of lost incomes, more foreclosed homes, and a dramatic rise in their cost of living. In other words so many Americans can no longer afford to live in America. Many argue that it is the Republican party joined with the Tea Party movement that is a driving force in why so many Americas are leaving America. Still, one of the biggest factors to consider in why the United States is faced with a virtual society that can no longer survive in their own country is the simple fact that America is the only industrialized nation that does not have Universal Health Care for all it’s citizens or job protected paid maternity leave by right of law for expectant mothers and fathers. Other factors that play a significant role in why people are migrating away from the United States is the fact that America has become the most crime riddled country of all industrialized nations with more than 2.5 million people incarcerated. This staggering loss of human potential continues to undermine the economic stability of America and contributes to the over-all sense that most Americans don’t really feel safe anymore in America today. It has come down to it that the only way to protect your identity, pensions from wall street bankers, and other crooks is to leave America. The only way to save themselves from medical bankruptcy is to leave America. The only way that individuals can ensure of job security with protected paid sick leave or maternity leave by law is to leave America. Statistically speaking today, the best way to ensure children will be able to graduate from high school and be literate is to leave America. The only way for our children to escape the crushing state and federal deficit that is going to be repaid by our children and grandchildren that by the way continue to pay for the tax cuts that Americans Ultra rich currently enjoy is to leave America for any other major industrialized country in the world. All of this is because our political process has become so embedded with special interest lobbyists leaving millions of those that are still working, the unemployed and the growing number of underemployed Americans with the sense that the only way out for them and their families, like the old pioneers is to settle outside of America. Today many feel that they are not abandoning America it is quite the contrary. It is America that has abandoned them. For so many the United States today is so unrecognizable as the nation we use to know especially given the rise of the Tea Party. When the Republican party especially Mit Romney said recently of Americas safety net in place to protect Americans form falling into the abyss of economic depravation they failed to realize that if this safety net is so expansive then why do so many millions of Americas are still falling through? A question not one has had an answer. The new economic reality of today is literally forcing millions of Americans to make a definitive choice. And for those millions that choice is like that old pioneer spirit and like Horace Greeley once said” Go west young man” is the harsh reality of today.

Image via Wikipedia

Variable Cost

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:08:25 +0000

A variable cost or cost variable is one that is modified according to changes in volume of production (or activity), whether both goods and services. That is, if the activity level decreases, these costs decrease, whereas if the activity level increases, so does this kind of costs.

CV = wL + rK ,

where:

     w is the wage
     r is the interest rate
     L is the amount of labor
     K is the amount of capital

Except in cases of structural changes in economic units, or units of production, variable costs tend to have a linear behavior, giving it the characteristic of having an average value per unit tends to be constant. All those costs are not considered variables are fixed. This distinction is essential for use in the tools of cost-based decisions.

In microeconomic theory variable costs are generally considered non-linear, and there is a first tranche of increasing returns followed by a stretch of diminishing returns.

In a supermarket, ATMs are a variable cost, since managers can easily adjust working hours to fit the number of buyers who come to the site.

Employers Lose $623 Per Employee Each Year Due to Unhealthy Behavior!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:17:04 +0000

An index was created by Physicist Reuters, proverbial as “Men Welfare Forefinger”. This index was specifically premeditated and created in arrangement to appraise the integrative welfare of U.s.’s personnel. The Men Wellness Indicant demonstrates that the improving destitute eudaemonia is causing English employers to take out solon money apiece twelvemonth on examination costs.

$623 is the norm expenditure that an employer module lose per employee apiece year. Suppose almost it, what is that expenditure to 30 proportion or statesman of English workers who are the sickest and fattest. As an employer, this effectuation that you gift poverty to housing out 623 dollars for scrutiny costs per employee (per employee!) if they get displeased due to their own chilblained activeness – this is the share where you shrieking “It’s not blond!”

Around 14 percent of the complete examination costs are linked to 6 measurement criteria:

Gore pushing Gore glucose Cholesterol Body prayer index (BMI) Steroid use Baccy use

The BMII measures, is the human “size” of the Ground aggregation, and it is the large figure in “obesity” and also the large broker in examination costs.

You may be one of those employers who really does not require to pokeweed your poke in your employees’ job after they off the timekeeper. But you may beggary to reconsider your “No prying” standpoint, if you strongly anticipate that an employee’s sick activity could outgo you a beautiful sum.

As an employer, shelling out a lot of money on examination costs (because your employee just had too some evaporation and drinkable the opposite nighttime at a bar and passed out while employed on one of the lathe machines) is not something you necessity to straighten a usance of. The big query is “why is it that we as a people, conceive that we can right fare set on treat and inflamed foods, sit in confront of the television with the removed know permanently stuck in one pointer, smoke equivalent a flue, consume line in rubicund practice routines and conceive that we are going to be just powdered?”

Why do we eff a custom of making a muss and expecting additional people (in this frame, our bosses) to remove up a wipe and mop and alter up our mussiness!

As an employer, you also pauperism to head sure that your employees are perceptive a bouncing lifestyle by also making trustworthy that you oblige welfare and soundness policies.

Cellphone Use and Selfishness?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:49:15 +0000

Gone are the days when we had to be home to hear from family and friends. Long car trips with the family meant we were disconnected from others besides our family and grocery shopping could be done without a phone call from a friend while browsing the aisles.

Have you ever been visiting with a friend and been interrupted by a cell phone call? Or had to shush a cell phone user at a social function? A new study by Robert H. Smith a researcher at the University of Maryland has found that technology like cell and iphones can make people selfish.

According to the study people are less likely to exhibit prosocial behaviour in a way that benefits others once they have a cellphone in their hands. People distracted by phones were found to volunteer for community service less, or participate in activities that would benefit charity.

The study also found that cellphone use brings to mind our basic human need to feel like we belong, evoking feelings of connectivity to others. The phone essentially replaces a person’s need to participate in good works and connect with others.

While cellphone use mimics a feeling of connectivity to others it can actually pull us apart and make us selfish to the needs of others around us. By putting our cellphones on hold once in awhile we can begin to reconnect with people and events around us.

Photo Credit: Victorgrigas

Scientists Find Arsenic in Baby Formula Sweetener

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:14:38 +0000

Scientists are warning parents to avoid some infant formulas that may contain high levels of arsenic, an extremely poisonous metallic element that has been shown to cause cancer. The hazardous baby formulas are sweetened with arsenic-containing organic brown rice syrup, which some manufacturers are starting to use in place of high fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners.

Many processed food products today are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. But concerns that corn syrup might be contributing to obesity has led many food manufacturers to turn to organic brown rice syrup, believing it to be a healthier alternative to the high fructose corn syrup.

Now, researchers say that brown rice syrup may be an unintended source of arsenic, a highly toxic metallic element that’s been shown to increase the risk of cancer when present in drinking water.

A researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire, Brian Jackson, says scientists were curious about the amount of arsenic in foods consumed by babies.

“Because of their low body weight, if they are exposed to arsenic, then they are exposed to a disproportionately high exposure rate on a high kilogram body weight basis,” Jackson said.

Jackson, who led the study, and colleagues randomly purchased more than a dozen baby formulas to test them for the presence of arsenic. He says almost all the formulas contained very low or trace amounts of arsenic, including those that had rice starch.

“And then I selected two other formulas that I found in a local supermarket, brought those back to the lab, tested them and they turned out to be 20 to 30 times higher than any of the other formulas that we tested. So when we get an anomalous result like that, we retested this and got the same results again. And at that point I turned a jar around and looked at the label and the first ingredients in that label were organic brown rice syrup,” Jackson said.

Researchers found high levels of inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form, in soy based formula.

Jackson explains that growing rice needs a mineral in soil called silica. But Jackson says arsenic is chemically a lot like silica, and the growing rice plant takes up both silica as well as arsenic, which is also in the ground. When the rice is fermented to make organic rice syrup, Jackson says the arsenic dissolves easily in the watery brew and becomes part of the syrup.

For this reason, Jackson urges parents to read the label on baby food products and to think twice before purchasing infant foods that contain organic rice syrup.

“I would recommend that. Obviously the amount of arsenic – it varies in rice depending upon the cultivar of rice, where the rice is grown — so you are going to get that same variation in brown rice syrups. It’s true that rice as a grain takes up more arsenic than other grains,” Jackson said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a statement saying it is not aware of any baby formulas that contain organic brown rice syrup. An agency spokeswoman said FDA regulators are studying aresenic in all rice and rice products and could issue recalls after the report is completed later this year.

An article on arsenic concentrations in baby food and other products is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

While March in Kinshasa is Banned, Analysts Fear for Congo

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:59:41 +0000

Photo: AFP Congolese Christians stage a peace march called by the archbishop of Kinshasa after presidential and parliamentary elections last year that the church said was tainted with irregularities on February 16, 2012.

While a protest by religious leaders against last year’s botched presidential and legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been quickly suppressed, U.S-based analysts and activists fear for the country’s future.

The Carter Center issued a statement deploring the suppression of a Thursday march in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital Kinshasa.

Priests and nuns were arrested by tear-gas wielding police, while several radio stations were reported shut down.

The march had been planned to reject results from last year’s vote, which protest organizers said in no way reflected reality or justice.

Mvemba Dizolele from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies says unfortunately international powers brushed off major problems in the run-up to the still controversial 2011 vote. These included a rule change making it a one-round contest and faulty voter rolls.

“A lot of these issues were issues that we all had flagged before that come to now bite us. So at this moment, we have a crisis where the election results were proclaimed but you have (Mr.) Kabila claiming to be the winner, you also have (Mr.) Tshisekedi claiming to be the winner,” Dizolele said.

Congo’s electoral commission declared the incumbent President Kabila the winner with nearly 49 percent of the vote to Mr. Tshisekedi’s 32 percent.

But election observers reported gross violations from ballot stuffing and suspiciously high registration in pro-Kabila areas to polling stations being burned down and security forces tying people up and voting in their place in pro-Tshisekedi areas.

In the legislative elections, more than 300 results from a new 500-seat assembly are being contested in court.

Pro-Kabila parties have been credited with winning 341 seats to 42 for Mr. Tshisekedi’s party.

Congo expert Jason Stearns from Yale University says a best case scenario of having a revote is being dismissed.

“If you talk to diplomats, if you talk to people in Kinshasa, they look at you as if you are in la-la land if you start talking like that,” Stearns said.

But Tony Gambino from the U.S.-based advocacy group Eastern Congo Initiative says if the fraudulent election results stand, he sees many possible doomsday scenarios.

“Congo could descend into a deeper humanitarian disaster, become unstable once again affecting all of Central Africa and beyond. Surely, we do not want to see this. That is what is at stake,” Gambino said.

Gambino also points out that the International Monetary Fund and World Bank contribute about half of Congo’s budget.

“Anyone who suggests that the West has no influence, that we cannot do anything, they are just blowing smoke. It is wrong,” Gambino said.

Gambino is calling for what he calls financial consequences from international banks and donors.

He also says upcoming provincial elections should be delayed so these can be better prepared.

The United States is Congo’s largest donor country, having contributed over $900 million over the past year.

This week, a U.S. government statement said it was still closely monitoring the electoral process and that it was deeply concerned about multiple allegations of human rights abuses by Congolese security forces.

The Dark Side of Drugs I

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:43:16 +0000

People start to use drugs because they want to change one factor in their life, which without drugs they can’t do.

The most popular reasons why the youth use drugs are:

-They want to fit in

- are bored

- want to be big shots

- they have hardness in learning

-from curiosity

All of this reasons are one problem which youth can solve alone. They escape from these problems with drug using.They hope that drugs will solve their problem. But these problems will be en creasing bigger and bigger. So communication is a preventive program before someone want to use drugs.

These sings show that someone uses drugs:

1. Renounces the world,retires from his/her family , Retires from his friends, withdraws into himself, loses his circle of friends.
2. Sleepiness, continuous tiredness, fall in, ringed, grey periphery of eyes, numb pupils
3. Take no care of his/hear appearance, environment, cast all over the place
4. Continuous headache, confusion of concentration ability, stopping of the attention and lack of curiosity
5. Confusion in behavior, fit of hysterics, burst of fury, delirium
6. Suddenly, extensive losing weight, in spite of he/she feels him/herself fat and ugly
7. Wilfully hurts her/himself
8. Mark of the pin-pricks on the internal cubit, forearm, or on the other side of the body
9. Frequent alcoholism
10. Uncertain moving, disturbance of equilibrium, frequent sickness

Under the influence of alcohol and narcotic they could be the victims of sexual assault.
To get money for drugs they could be easy victims of self or forced prostitution.

Have You Ever Seen Half a Head Man

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:34:37 +0000

“The man with half a head” urges young people to stay away from drugs on their YouTube channel

It’s been almost a year since “The man with half his head” was signed by Miami police after seeking sexual services to an alleged prostitute who was actually an undercover cop.

When the newspaper “Miami New Times” published a picture of this strange man named Carlos Rodriguez and Carlos Sosa, many were the times that pointed that it was staged, but it was the police themselves said that the shape of the head of this man was real.

“Halfy” (which is how he calls himself) suffered a terrible accident that left him maimed for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and now has decided to open its own YouTube channel to tell their experiences, says “The Huffington Post. “

In the videos, “the man with half a head” advises young people away from drugs, while speaking about his sexual tastes and criticizes Obama’s policy while smoking marijuana.
It is not the only case

However, “Halfy” is not the only man who has survived a severe head injury of this type. A British man named Steve Gator lost a large part of his skull after being attacked walking home from work

In Scotland, Alan Hind has only half the lead after 25 meters after falling from the ceiling and is now unable to work.

“Maximum Exposure on Low Cost Internet Ad”

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:32:20 +0000

Advertising had long since been a major determinant of a business’ success. This would include the presentation of the product / service to the consumers. What really matters is how it is presented to the target market to be able to capture it.

Whatever the package, the ad media also plays a great role in determining the success of the product or service awareness.

What may be its advantages over other proven medium like the best-selling TV ads?

Advantages

1. Low Cost

Eventhough the Internet ad might be viewed as “classy” or far-reaching, as compared to other medium, this is far cheaper than most. Internet Ad Packages are offered for as low as $29.99 for a one-month run-time period.

2. Capture market

Should your product / service aim to cater to the younger generation or the corporate-oriented ones, Internet ad would be best since they would always be “hooked-up” into the net surfing sites that might have a link to your very own. Result, a great number of “hits” on your site!

2. Hassle free

All you would ever really need is a PC (and some knowledge and bright ideas in forming your site) wherein you could open your site, search for the best Internet Ad package, and check / update the status of your ad. You may actually never have to leave your home to advertise!3. Updated ads

Unlike the TV ads that need to be updated on a regular basis, Internet ads may run for quite some time without the need for change. If so, change in the site is very minimal and may be done easily at home.

Disadvantages

1. Scope
Limited market may be captured if one would solely use the Internet Ad for advertising. Although most people now are into the use of technology, i.e. surfing the Internet, still, majority of the average consumers still relies on the old form of advertising as a means of gathering information about certain products / service.

2. Additional cost

If one would enlist the help of another professional or establishment to produce the site for their product or service, this would entail additional costs on the part of the entrepreneur.

Given the stated list of advantages and disadvantages about low-coast Internet Ad, an entrepreneur may now weigh in its applicability to his / her product or service.

The aim of Internet ad is to offer the widest range or “Maximum Exposure” of the brand at the least possible cost. Now, does that not sound good or what?