tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post778106752137875709..comments2024-02-23T01:30:06.101-08:00Comments on Early Warning: Thursday LinksStuart Stanifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182839827506265860noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-72608039968708739112013-05-13T05:26:10.353-07:002013-05-13T05:26:10.353-07:00I live in a rural upstate NY town that banned frac...I live in a rural upstate NY town that banned fracking. We are not a bedroom community for a wealthier metropolis. About 50% of the towns in our area have banned fracking one way or another.EBrownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02894676347259218501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-22154486725416660252013-05-09T14:09:32.288-07:002013-05-09T14:09:32.288-07:00The glow in the dark plants are an idea to replace...The glow in the dark plants are an idea to replace streetlights. I don't know how much energy is used per year on that sort of lighting, but in any case it can hardly be called "useless".<br /><br />That said, I would perfer if we replaced most streetlights with darkness. Darkness, like silence, is a natural good that we seem to have forgotten has a value. Seeing the stars is kinda nice, too.<br /><br />On Jaron Lanier - he's basically pointing out the obvious, which is that the middle class is being hollowed out as the work is devalued, and an elite class is solidifying in IT. He wants to avoid it but I don't see how we can. Service economy labor makes up the bulk of the economy now - and it is very hard to survive on the wages from that (especially since the wages of the "entry level" jobs have been pushed toward minimum and "climbing the ladder" has become increasingly hard). As many articles online point out, there are now people with BA degrees behind the register at McD's. "Underemployment" is the term. But those jobs pay barely enough to keep up with bills. Minimum wage, in many if not most places, is not enough for food and rent (so it's subsidized with food stamps).<br /><br />In reality, IT already produces an elite. Salaries for IT professionals are extremely high compared to other jobs which require special knowledge and skills. Mechanics and plumbers aren't making as much, translators aren't making as much, etc. Not to mention the sheer number of millionaires in California due to Silicon Valley. I actually am teaching myself how to program partly for this reason - I would much rather be in the elite than be left making $10 an hour doing "customer service". <br /><br />I do wonder how to fix this - a truly decent minimum wage would help, but if you replace most of the cashiers with machines ("self-checkout"), than in the end what are you left with?Adam Schuetzlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447074170522503338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-53635835722262693772013-05-09T08:58:38.372-07:002013-05-09T08:58:38.372-07:00The glow in the dark plants may not be necessary, ...The glow in the dark plants may not be necessary, but I find the funding and organizing methodology intriguing. Research is going to be done differently in a less wealthy society, this may be one route.Glennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16509609643029842132noreply@blogger.com