Are We Overreacting to Income Inequality?

I admit my uncertainty, but for the most part I agree with you, Senator Bernie Sanders; income inequality is a problem. But, I am not convinced that putting more money in peoples' hands is the way for the little guy to get more stuff. I know there is data that says giving people a raise actually gets them more stuff, but I have to wonder if that is short term economics because of factors like ever increasing inflation.

Raise the Minimum Wage? Is this some kind of joke?

I keep reading about politicians who want to raise the minimum wage.  This is a pipedream at this point.  It seems more likely that Republicans will be able to thwart it in the next Congressional term.  What crosses my mind is that possibly key Democrats are trumpeting it merely as a way to get more votes for the November 4 election despite the fact that it is unlikely to happen.

Physics of Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower

On the web, I have come across many pages and videos on Wardenclyffe Tower, but so far everything I have come across on the way the this technology should work is missing key bits and pieces.

Nicholas Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower is very similar to the way a battery works.  For instance, the ionosphere which was to act as the energy source is comparable to battery acid in a DC (Direct Current) cell.  The ionosphere is as such because it consists of ions.  Ions are electrically charged because they pass electricity.  For example, deionized water does not carry a charge well because it is no longer ionic, to a certain degree.  The truth is that deionized water can pass a charge, although it is very resistant to that.  For instance, if sodium chloride (table salt) is dissolved in water, it ionizes into sodium and chloride, the sodium ion carrying a positive electrical change, and chloride carrying a negative charge.

The positive terminal was to be made of copper and placed at the top of the Tower.  The negative terminal was iron, and it was to be placed in the dirt (earth), so that earth would become usably charged instead of its usual role as an electrical ground.  In chemical reactions, copper is positive because it may receive electrons.  In chemical reactions, iron is negative because may give off electrons.  The reaction of copper and iron is sometimes referred to as a ox/redox reaction.

In my opinion, the best way to understand the Tesla Tower is to build a battery yourself.  Start with a lemon, a penny (copper or copper plated), and zinc plated nail (sometimes called a galvanized nail).  Like iron, the zinc functions as a negative terminal, meaning it may give off electrons.  These items are purchasable at regular stores; the local grocery store and local hardware store.  And oh yeah, you will want to pick up a cheap voltmeter at a store like Radio Shack, not because it is necessary for the DC cell to work, but because it is important to be able to know that your battery works.  If you are uncertain at this point, perhaps use a regular 9V battery, and play around with it until you are able to measure the voltage of the 9V battery with a voltmeter.

If you are able to figure out how to measure the 9V battery with your voltmeter, then the next step is to use the idea of this battery technology and apply it to a lemon.  There isn’t much hope for you if you can’t intuitively figure out how to operate a voltmeter.

If you have a store bought battery, then you have probably noticed that the way to complete a battery circuit is through its two terminals, one positive, and one negative.  The “+” or red terminal is positive.  The “-” or black terminal is negative.  It is even true that there can be multiple negative terminals, each passing current in such a system.  Thus, just as solid state electricity may be wired to carry parallel circuits, so to is it possible to differentiate electrical terminals in any system, be it the atmosphere, or water, etc.  

Just as we could use the electrodes of a battery to power a lightbulb, so can we use the current generated from the completion of copper and zinc electrodes embedded in a lemon to register on a voltmeter.  Yes, that is it! Use a lemon to power a light bulb!  Make sure the penny and the nail are actually part way into the lemon so that they are in contact with the juice.   You should be able to find video instructions that are plain on www.youtube.com (search for lemon battery).  You may try lighting up a Christmas tree light bulb with it by connect it.

Basically, what Telsa hoped for was that the entire ground of planet earth would become the negative terminal of a battery, so that we could access its electrical power without traditional power outlets, and also very inexpensively.  That is, as a negative terminal, the ground of earth would give off electrons from the stored energy in the skies completing a DC electrical circuit.

This invention is not new.  The origin of the Tesla Tower probably comes the idea of a classic water tower.  There is a reservoir of water in the water tower, where the tower itself may be likened to a Tesla's Tower, while instead of using water current to bring folks water, the Tesla Tower would deliver electric current as needed (instead of the water of a water tower). 

"The 1956 Republican Platform" What changed?

It is not about being a Republican or a Democrat, and that one is necessarily wrong, but there is a degree of correctness that is inherent to politics despite the commonality of differing opinions. Politics is a question of the heart, and the bottom line, both of which are not mutually exclusive. The Republicans in the Red states generally have a different sense of goodness, as compared to the Democrats of the Blue states. If something is in fact good, it should bring a sense of wholeness in its resonance in souls, yet I am not one to say that the Red states have it all wrong because in those states there is a greater preponderance of inept folks than the Blue states. In consequence, the ways folks will vote show some natural discrepancies, and that is okay.

Faith in Hashem's Providence

I am really liking Pandora. Today is my first day trying it because we now have internet. This stuff is so inspirational for me to practice while it is playing in the background. It has occurred to me that all this guitar practice may one day lead to a paying job. However, if I have one student who is successful, - even if it is learning only patterns that help with memory, not necessarily a gig - and has no money, I would take that over several students that were not serious, but padded my bank account. Gd is not money. Work with what you have, money or not, and I have a firm belief that anything is possible with faith.

Physical Health in the New World of Technological Modernity

I fear humankind is headed to creating our own dreaded Star Wars Death Star through the inventions of technological modernity.  Honestly, I don’t know why human life expectancy has increased so much in modernity, because historically our ancestors were lucky to live past 30yrs old, and at the same time they were probably in better physical shape. Our success is probably due to health zealots.  Everywhere you go people are reading labels, trying new diets, and buying local.  People are showing concern.  They want to know where their food comes from, what kind of pesticides where used, where GMOs used, and does it have gluten.  This probably adds up with new healthcare technologies to produce people that at least live longer happier lives. Despite the good news, I do foresee some obstacles to physical health in the modern world. Many of us in the 1st world are overweight and suffer from diabetes. Many of us go from watching television to the internet or video games and back again exercising minimally each day.  That is, we go from watching one box to another box with no physical improvement, and very little brain exercise. Many of us leave our houses in order to travel in automobiles, rather than walking.  That is, we go from living in one box, such as a house, to another box, such an office, to another box, such as a car getting virtually no exercise. Rather than traversing to a person’s house for communication, we talk on cell phones.  How many of us can honestly say that we know our neighbors? Musicianship has been replaced by gadgets that resemble toys more than musical instruments. Though we may live longer now we need to do some self analysis.  We need to ask; who can walk a few miles? Because proportionately many of us probably can’t walk a short distance comparative to the historical Dark Ages, and medieval period, despite all the concern about diets, and health. As technology increases, is the world of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator coming or is it a reality now?  What of machines making other machines with a program of how to take over the world, a threat mention by Stephen Hawking.

The Problem of Oligarchy to the USA

Small businesses should be able to compete with big businesses. They have been unable to for some time. Big businesses took over the USA economy, such that the system of government is more similar to as oligarchy than a democracy.  An oligarchy is a small group of people that make all the decisions in the country. I propose that the USA oligarchy has far too much power in Washington. The USA oligarchy has an inordinate amount of power, and we will see this in the next election, as media is always slanted. The lobbyists in Washington of this oligarchy essentially have the power to control legislation through monetary influence, and it has the power to correct the many trillions of dollar debt in a short time, but it is not doing so, no thanks to the legislature. It is not that I say, "If you are rich, then you are a bad person."  Many wealthy individuals are good people.  However, this wealth has the potential for abuses, such as how the Koch brothers are trying to buy the legislature. The USA oligarchy to which I refer largely consists of those companies in the Fortune 500. In fact, this oligarchy probably has the power to make President Barrack Obama popular or unpopular based upon its whims. Who can know the extent of Wal-Mart’s power, and companies like it? Right now, it is a guessing game, but there are those, such as Bernie Sanders, that report this power is far too great and are angry because of it. Who then should pay most of the taxes? I suggest that the businesses in power, particularly the Fortune 1,000 should pay virtually all of the taxes. This is a radical reform, but they are the ones that hold the money, and they are the ones who dominate.  It takes big government to protect big business, so we should turn to the people who the government does the most for.  That is only fair.