Let's suppose your boss called you into his/her office and explained the company's situation. He/she then gives you the option of getting laid off or taking a 50% pay cut. If you were to choose one of these options, what would it be and why? Most american tech corporations are located in silicon valley california. Taking a 50% pay cut is not an option for employees there. As the cost of living in those areas is so astronomically expensive most probably could not afford to pay their rent on 50% wages. The most likely scenario is a massive exodus out of california as the only link holding tech employees to that state are severed. The vast majority of workers will likely migrate to another state, where they will try to re-establish a tech industry in a place with lower taxes and reduced regulation. It is also possible that they will choose to migrate outside the USA as many have done recently. Mexico city for one is being inundated with migrants from america. As are many other regions. Personally, I would probably want to move out of california and reside in another state. States like texas and florida are popular off them having no state income taxes. Being laid off would therefore be the better option. |
|
|
|
The corporations that construct these autos are eyeing the know-how but in addition retaining a view of how rules would possibly develop for clear transportation. “We are continuing to invest in the combustion engine, and we are looking to see if we can use hydrogen in that application as well,” mentioned Jessica Sandström, senior vp, international product administration at Volvo Trucks. “One of the uncertainties, of course, is the political decisions regarding zero emission,” Sandström mentioned. “Is it zero CO2 or is it zero emission, full stop? If you have a combustion engine, even with hydrogen, you will get very small emissions coming out, nitrogen oxide.” Daimler Truck Group’s Detroit household of diesel engines can run on hydrogen, mentioned Martin Daum, Daimler Truck CEO. “If we see a market coming, we can pull it off the pre-development stage and put it into a full-fledged project,” Daum informed Automotive News. The truck firm is ready “because all the signals from regulators in Europe and California are to ban combustion entirely,” Daum mentioned. But there’s prone to be room available in the market for hydrogen combustion engines someplace, and their compatibility with diesel engines is a bonus, mentioned Daniel Sperling, founding director of the University of California, Davis, Institute of Transportation Studies and a member of the California Air Resources Board. “Just because Europe and California want something, that doesn’t mean that’s the whole market,” Sperling mentioned. Still, he is skeptical the trade will deploy hydrogen combustion extensively. “A fuel cell is much more efficient than combustion. You use less energy. You then don’t have the cost of expensive tanks on the vehicle. You don’t have the NOx emissions,” Sperling mentioned. “No one knows how this will play out, and we are all trying to figure it out.” https://www.newsncr.com/automobile/toyota-cummins-eye-hydrogen-combustion-engines/.... Toyota and cummins appear to be researching hydrogen combustion in the event of california and european proposed bans on fossil fuels being pushed through. With high fuel costs being a major issue atm. What policies and steps should be taken to address it. Is the time ripe for alternative technologies to take over the gasoline economy to pave the way to a brighter future. I'm surprised there isn't more discussion or debate on the topic. It has been a long time since I have seen anyone complaining about anyone in the USA having to choose between eating or fueling their vehicle. Have people already found solutions to issues with high gasoline and food costs? A hydrogen based economy is one potential alternative technology. More than a decade ago seemed like the peak time for hydrogen based investment. Many start ups experimented with portable hydrogen fuel cells which could be plugged into laptops and appliances to provide power. It was a modular based application which might have had potential if the cost of refining hydrogen were lower. Other start ups experimented with various hydrogen fuel storage solutions. There was one I remember that used borohydride as a fuel storage additive. They claimed that it prevented the possibility of fires breaking out in hydrogen fuel and went so far as to shoot their borohydride laden hydrogen fuel tank with guns to show its inertness. There are definitely many options on the table. And it would seem crucial that people have access to good and reliable information in order to select the best option for themselves. Yet it seems that people are not interested in discussing or learning about these topics. And so it would seem the likelihood of progress being made in energy markets decreases. Unless the free market can be relied upon to do all the guesswork and throw money at the best solutions. Which is more or less how energy based markets have progressed over recent decades. But still a lot of progress can be made by people learning about solar and other forms of energy and making an effort to diversify and decentralize their energy generation to encompass more than one source. |
|
|
|
|
No matter how rich or poor someone is, they only have 23.9 hours in a day to work with. It could be fair to say time management is the difference between success and failure, wealth or poverty.
We usually measure the cost and value of things in terms of monetary cost. The price tag attached to things. The amount of time spent on something however could be a better unit of measure. Time management and distribution of time might also be a good indicator of where our interests and thoughts lie.
Personal organizers were once considered the high tech applications to plan and keep track of things. In the information era perhaps we can have personal time management apps that record how much time we spend on various things. I would expect a graph chart of how people spend their time could be eye opening, if it were recorded in a way that made it easy to read and categorize.
|
|
|
|
All European regions will warm by over 2 degrees Celsius regardless of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.The European continent is bearing the brunt of climate change, warming at a rate that is twice as fast as the global average, a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) found. The report analyzed 30 years' worth of data from 1991 onwards, revealing a disconcerting trend of speedy warming across Europe that is faster than the warming experienced by any other continent. Average temperatures in Europe were rising at a rate of 0.5 degrees Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade over the studied period, reaching an overall average of 2.2 degrees C (4 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels. That is way above the 1.5 degree C (2.7 degrees F) limit set by the international climatology community with the goal of minimizing devastating environmental effects of climate change. The report(opens in new tab), which was compiled in cooperation with the European Earth-observation program Copernicus, stated that Europeans are already feeling the pinch of this warming. According to estimates, the summer of 2022 was the driest in 500 years, with widespread water shortage and wildfires affecting even those nations that are usually accustomed to wetter summers. Alpine glaciers lost about one hundred feet (30 meters) in ice thickness from 1997 to 2021 as a result of the warming, according to the report. In 2021 alone, weather related disasters, mostly related to floods and storms, caused damages worth $50 billion across all European countries. "Europe presents a live picture of a warming world and reminds us that even well-prepared societies are not safe from impacts of extreme weather events," Petteri Taalas, the WMO Secretary-General, said in a Copernicus statement accompanying the report. "This year, like 2021, large parts of Europe have been affected by extensive heatwaves and drought, fuelling wildfires. In 2021, exceptional floods caused death and devastation." Scientists don't know exactly why Europe is warming so fast, Samantha Burgess, deputy director for climate change services at Copernicus told Space.com in a previous interview. The fast-paced warming may have something to do with the proximity of the Arctic, which is by far the world's fastest warming region. "We know that the Arctic is warming about three times faster than the global average rate," Burgess told Space.com last year. "It's already 3 degrees C [5.4 degrees F] warmer than in the pre-industrial times. It is quite complicated to unpick the scientific reasons behind why the warming is happening so much faster there." The Arctic warming, which may be spilling over into Europe, may have something to do with changes to Earth's albedo, its ability to reflect sunlight, which is different for ice-covered and water-covered surfaces. While ice acts like a mirror, reflecting the vast majority of the incoming radiation away from the surface, the water pools that form on the thawing ice as a result of the progressing warming absorb heat, causing further warming. Antarctica, likely due to its underlying land mass, seems to be better protected from the worst of this effect, Burgess said. The new WMO report states that regardless of emission reduction efforts, temperatures in all regions of Europe will continue to rise at a rate higher than the global average. "The frequency and intensity of hot extremes, including marine heatwaves, have increased in recent decades and are projected to keep increasing regardless of the greenhouse gas emissions scenario," Copernicus said in the statement. "Critical thresholds relevant for ecosystems and humans are projected to be exceeded for global warming of 2 degrees C [3.6 degrees F] and higher." The good news is that Europe is also leading the way in greenhouse gas emission mitigation efforts. Across the European Union, greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 31% between 1990 and 2020, with a net 55% reduction target for 2030, according to the statement. https://www.space.com/europe-warming-twice-global-average-rate .... It seems that greater distance from the equator translates to greater warming effects through climate change. The polar region exhibits 3x times greater warming than normal. Which europe generally being halfway between the poles and equator exhibits 2x warming. The equator would appear to be near the average. I wish I had done more to track local temperatures over the years. Do people feel summers warming? Or is the deviation in average temperature being exaggerated. Its difficult for me to get a clear picture of things. Perhaps being located near to the equator limits the effects of climate change. While the opposite would also be true for those in closer proximity to the poles. Many have told me that this is the reason we need bitcoin mining. It funds the future expansion of renewable energy on a global scale. Do we have valid counter arguments to that logic? |
|
|
|
Last few days we saw making history after Mt.Gox. 55 million people got affected and lots of projects are on the brink of collapse. One of the major ecosystems Solana also having a hard time because of its exposure to FTX and Alameda. Why this is happening?
Satoshi saw a dream of financial freedom by eliminating all middle man. That is why he created bitcoin as peer-to-peer electronic money. But it seems people do not like that freedom which is why centralized exchanges have millions of users and they are playing with people's money. Mt.Gox, FTX, and all other centralized exchanges are the same. They are a threat to crypto. Do not keep your funds in those centralized exchanges. Not your key, not your funds. Dex is the future.
Many crypto exchanges were hacked for in excess of $1 billion. Many (if not all) were compromised via their bridge, a vulnerability which was never been patched despite it being a known issue for years. Hackers have stolen $1.4 billion this year using crypto bridges. Here’s why it’s happening- Crypto bridges, which link blockchain networks together, have become major targets for cybercriminals.
- A total of around $1.4 billion has been lost to breaches on cross-chain bridges this year, according to figures from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
- The biggest incident was the record $615 million haul snatched from Ronin, a bridge supporting the popular nonfungible token game Axie Infinity.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/10/hackers-have-stolen-1point4-billion-this-year-using-crypto-bridges.html How to explain this? Which explanation makes the most sense? |
|
|
|
|
Drones are the NFTs of the military industrial complex.
|
|
|
|
|
Definitely do not want greater regulation. Especially not on a global scale, which would apply to all countries. Transparency has nothing to do with the FTX case. Which was entirely based on fraud on a massive scale, as well as insider crime.
What comes after global crypto regulation? Global bans on proof of work mining to "save the environment"? Global minimum income tax rates of 15%, which is something they tried to pass not long ago.
I would have to guess motives behind pushes for regulation are the only thing transparent here. The motives are not good and the results and implications would not be good, either.
|
|
|
|
Poland is spending billions, and other countries are expected to followSouth Korea is racking up multibillion-dollar defense deals in Europe as Seoul pushes to become a bigger player in international weapons sales. And it’s causing some jitters in the U.S. defense industry. The contracts for tanks, fighter planes and rocket launchers — all signed within the past three months — come as European capitals look to restock their warehouses after months of sending their own equipment to Ukraine. And Eastern Europe, which normally turns to the U.S. for new weapons, is increasingly considering buying from South Korea instead, which says it can deliver them faster and cheaper. South Korean defense firms have long been active in Europe, selling mobile howitzers and small arms to a number of countries over the past half-decade. But those deals have paled in comparison to the $5.8 billion blockbuster contract Poland signed with two South Korean companies in July. The agreement included 980 K2 Black Panther tanks, 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 48 FA-50 fighter planes, with deliveries on some of the tanks and howitzers expected to begin by the end of this year. The deals could be worth as much as $15 billion if all of the options are exercised in the coming years. And last month, Poland signed a contract with South Korean company Hanwha Defense for 288 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, with the first batch arriving next year, instead of waiting years to begin receiving the U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. Poland was initially seeking as many as 500 HIMARS from the U.S., but at an Oct. 19 signing ceremony with his South Korean counterpart, Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak explained that “unfortunately due to limited industrial capabilities, it will not be possible for the equipment to be delivered in a satisfactory timeframe. Therefore, we started talks with South Korea — our proven partner.” The sheer size of the contracts, and promises of a fast turnaround on delivery, has caught the attention of the defense industry in the U.S. “There is concern from U.S. industry that this won’t stop with Poland,” said one industry insider who has dealings multiple U.S. defense firms, and who — like others in this article — requested anonymity to speak about relations between the U.S., Europe and South Korea. The person downplayed South Korea’s ability to fulfill orders quickly. “This is purely a marketing blitz by South Korea,” the insider said, noting that the plan to have equipment begin arriving by the end of the year is an ambitious schedule, and one that will be hard to keep consistent over the next few years. “They haven’t proven they can deliver the equipment as fast as they’re promising.” The Polish deals are expected to force trade-offs that could come at some cost for Seoul, requiring the government to prioritize building for Warsaw over resupplying its own military, said Haena Jo, a research analyst for defense and military at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “It seems that the [South Korean] companies have the industrial capacity to meet the demands, which has been proven by the first batch of the K2 and the K9 having been handed over to Poland in such a short span of time,” Jo said. “The only way this could have been made possible must have been from the ROK reprioritizing Poland’s order over its own armed forces modernization, which is not common practice.” South Korea’s defense industry has long built weapons and equipment intended to be compatible with American gear, since the two countries would be expected to fight side-by-side in any conflict with North Korea or China. That familiarity makes it an attractive option for NATO countries looking to rearm quickly and relatively cheaply. A second U.S. defense industry insider was less worried. “Buying Korean is not yet a major concern” for the U.S., the person said, adding that the U.S. and European countries have a number of long-standing relationships that aren’t likely to be broken by the competition. American defense officials and industry executives have long acknowledged that U.S.-made equipment — and the years-long supply chain guarantees that come along with contracts — is more expensive and takes take longer to arrive, but it remains superior in most cases to weaponry produced overseas. The scale of South Korea’s ambitions is impossible to dismiss, however. President Yoon Suk-yeol said in August that his goal is to push his country into the top four in global weapons suppliers, challenging the U.S., Russia and France for contracts across the globe. The country is currently the world’s eighth-largest defense exporter, and has seen exports shoot up 177 percent between 2016 and 2021, according to data provided by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. A July report by the Export-Import Bank of Korea revealed that defense exports increased from $3 billion in 2020 to $7 billion in 2021, and will likely hit the $10 billion mark for the first time this year. And the European orders are expected to keep coming. In late September, Estonia’s top general traveled to Seoul to attend the DX Korea 2022 trade show and met with his South Korean counterpart, as Tallinn looks to beef up its own defenses as quickly as possible. Estonia has already ordered 18 K9 self-propelled howitzers from Hanwha, joining Turkey, Poland, Finland and Norway in fielding the guns. Likewise, Norway is considering buying the K2 tank, and Norwegian ammunition manufacturer Nammo has signed an agreement with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem to develop new 120mm rounds for the tank, whether Oslo buys it or not. If the tanks, planes and rocket launchers can arrive as promised, other countries looking for a quick turnaround will likely consider calling Seoul rather than getting stuck in a years-long holding pattern with the U.S. defense industry, which is already busy with domestic orders and its own existing foreign contracts. Another selling point is South Korea’s willingness to allow the local defense firms of the purchasing countries to take part in manufacturing, which leads to “a possibility for customers to generate their own exports in future from technology acquired,” Jo said. The first 180 K2 tanks will begin arriving in Poland by the end of this year, with the remaining 800 to be built, at least in part, in Poland. Max Bergmann, European program director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sees Europe’s turn to South Korea as positive for allied unity as well as the countries’ respective defense industries. “There’s a real benefit to having greater linkages between our European and Asian allies,” as the U.S. continues to attempt to turn its gaze to the Indo-Pacific, he said. “I could see the U.S. defense industry being somewhat concerned about potential loss of market share, but from a broader U.S. national security perspective we should see that Europe has a real problem,” in getting its industrial base geared up to meet growing domestic needs. Concerns over the health of the European defense industrial base are long-standing, as many NATO allies have relied heavily on imports of American weapons and equipment while focusing their own industries elsewhere. “Most of Europe’s defense industry has been focused on exports, not for internal consumption,” Bergmann added, “and so there is a need in Europe to get their defense industrial capacity back.” During the July signing ceremony for the multibillion-dollar deal, Blaszczak, the Polish deputy prime minister and minister of defense, said that “due to Poland’s support for Ukraine, it was necessary to fill the void in ground and air power. The Korean weapon system was the most suitable considering the technology, price and the time of introduction.” The deals, he said, were “just the first stage of the two countries’ cooperation.” https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/01/europe-south-korea-weapons-00064427 .... South korea is stepping up to provide european nations with defense hardware in the wake of the ukraine russian conflict. They're offering faster production and lower prices in contrast to american contractors. As well as the option for nations to produce their own defense hardware based on military designs they have purchased. Given recent increases in shipping expenses, it makes sense for europe to turn to locally produced defense contractors to avoid the increased expense of having vehicles and equipment shipped overseas from america's distant shores. Poland for one seems determined not to be caught by surprise the way they had been in World War II. The more heavily armed europeans are, the greater the deterrent against russian invasion. Not certain if the following quotation is accurate but if it is, the content is eye opening: Poland was initially seeking as many as 500 HIMARS from the U.S., but at an Oct. 19 signing ceremony with his South Korean counterpart, Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak explained that “unfortunately due to limited industrial capabilities, it will not be possible for the equipment to be delivered in a satisfactory timeframe. Therefore, we started talks with South Korea — our proven partner.”
Considering what ukraine has been able to accomplish with less than 20 HIMARS. Wouldn't the introduction of 500 HIMARS by poland significantly alter the balance of power in the region. Or is HIMARS greatly reliant upon satellite data and electronic capabilities which non american nations may not have access to? |
|
|
|
It can all start from africa and India people there love MLM business If this will Grow big then the wall Street and bankers can play with each other with their stock market and money becouse people might be not interested If Market dont move  What about crypto MLM? The media has claimed that we could face shortages for food, energy and oil. As well as global supply chain disruptions. Organizations like MLMs are definitely a good prospect as they are one method of local communities organizing and forming mutual support groups. To cite one historical example, communists in cuba organized communal gardens to feed the country when food imports were sanctioned. In times of crisis, it is probably better to have community support. Mutual cooperation for growing food, producing oil and leveraging alternatives to oil is a good strategy. MLMs are one method. of organizing and coordinating these types of movements. But of course there are others. People could organize around community gathering places like churches or schools. Perhaps crypto can find itself a niche role in these areas, if inflation continues to become an issue. Local communities might go so far as to organize and produce their own local altcoin in an effort to escape inflation. As some communities have done in past eras. Aurora coin in iceland is one example that comes to mind. |
|
|
|
|
2022 is merely the latest round of controversial crypto history which began around 2017.
Bitfinex and tether were first investigated in 2017 amidst allegations of manipulating bitcoin and crypto markets. If I remember right that was around the time Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon and others have come forward, speaking publicly to offer a "united front" against crypto. That negative trend has only widened and deepened with celsius, FTX and other recent incidents.
I think the biggest userbase of crypto worldwide is generation Z and the youth demographic. The financial establishment could find itself in an uncomfortable position in years to come. Where they're attempting to cater to the youth demographic but also may be illustrated negatively by their association with negative crypto history.
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK (AP) — The rate of deaths that can be directly attributed to alcohol rose nearly 30% in the U.S. during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new government data.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already said the overall number of such deaths rose in 2020 and 2021. Two reports from the CDC this week provided further details on which groups have the highest death rates and which states are seeing the largest numbers. “Alcohol is often overlooked” as a public health problem, said Marissa Esser, who leads the CDC’s alcohol program. “But it is a leading preventable cause of death.” A report released Friday focused on more than a dozen kinds of “alcohol-induced” deaths that were wholly blamed on drinking. Examples include alcohol-caused liver or pancreas failure, alcohol poisoning, withdrawal and certain other diseases. There were more than 52,000 such deaths last year, up from 39,000 in 2019. The rate of such deaths had been increasing in the two decades before the pandemic, by 7% or less each year. In 2020, they rose 26%, to about 13 deaths per 100,000 Americans. That’s the highest rate recorded in at least 40 years, said the study’s lead author, Merianne Spencer. Such deaths are 2 1/2 times more common in men than in women, but rose for both in 2020, the study found. The rate continued to be highest for people ages 55 to 64, but rose dramatically for certain other groups, including jumping 42% among women ages 35 to 44. The second report, published earlier this week in JAMA Network Open, looked at a wider range of deaths that could be linked to drinking, such as motor vehicle accidents, suicides, falls and cancers. More than 140,000 of that broader category of alcohol-related deaths occur annually, based on data from 2015 to 2019, the researchers said. CDC researchers say about 82,000 of those deaths are from drinking too much over a long period of time and 58,000 from causes tied to acute intoxication. The study found that as many as 1 in 8 deaths among U.S. adults ages 20 to 64 were alcohol-related deaths. New Mexico was the state with the highest percentage of alcohol-related deaths, 22%. Mississippi had the lowest, 9% Excessive drinking is associated with chronic dangers such as liver cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. Drinking by pregnant women can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or birth defects. And health officials say alcohol is a factor in as many as one-third of serious falls among the elderly. It’s also a risk to others through drunken driving or alcohol-fueled violence. Surveys suggest that more than half the alcohol sold in the U.S. is consumed during binge drinking episodes. Even before the pandemic, U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up, and Americans were drinking more than when Prohibition was enacted. But deaths may have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began for several reasons, including people with alcohol-related illnesses may have had more trouble getting medical care, Esser said. She added that the research points to a need to look at steps to reduce alcohol consumption, including increasing alcohol taxes and enacting measures that limit where people can buy beer, wine and liquor.  Image link: https://i.ibb.co/cJB8SX8/alcohol-fatality.jpg___ The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. https://apnews.com/article/alcohol-death-toll-rising-pandemic-c25878b044f46b1cd275a8e2738148a5 .... Sad. With euthanasia not being a publicly available option. It appears alcohol is becoming a popular alternative. Can't recall if news claiming amazon sold suicide kits was true. But there was a news story making the rounds recently: A parents' lawsuit accuses Amazon of selling suicide kits to teenagersAmazon is facing a lawsuit accusing it of selling so-called suicide kits, brought by the families of two teenagers who bought a deadly chemical on the company's website and later used it to take their own lives. The parents of 16-year-old Kristine Jónsson of Ohio and the parents of 17-year-old Ethan McCarthy of West Virginia say the retail giant assisted in the deaths of the two minors by selling them sodium nitrite, a food preservative that is fatal at high levels of purity. The complaint filed in California state court in September claims Amazon recommended that customers who purchased the chemical also buy a scale to measure the correct dose, an anti-vomiting drug and Amazon's edition of a handbook on assisted suicide. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/09/1127686507/amazon-suicide-teenagers-poison Other news articles published recently claimed that american life expectancy had declined as much as 5 years in a 12 month period. During the 2008 economic crisis, cases of crime, overdose, violence and suicide rose dramatically. It would appear similar trends are rising post 2020 pandemic era. People need hope and to think positively more now than in times of peace. People need something to look forward to. |
|
|
|
My region has been deep into economic instability and facing economic crisis in various aspects and I want to know if there is any way bitcoin or crypto currency can help resolve the problems and revive the economy? I know that bitcoin didn't come to the world to take over fiat currency but is there anyway bitcoin can resolve it?
Regions like venezuela were able to mine bitcoins using free electricity generated by hydroelectric dams. Areas of africa which have a high level of infrastructure support for cellphone based payments were able to utilize bitcoin and crypto as alternate methods of payment. Countries like cuba once enjoyed bitcoin as a means of sending payments home to families in the country. Nations like vanuatu have offered tax free citizenship for crypto whales who can afford the high cost of expense. The claimed 4 billion unbanked demographic around the world have been said to be one key reason behind bitcoin's global mass adoption. There are historical road maps for how bitcoin has helped various places around the world to boost their local economies. Perhaps your region can follow a pre established trend. It all depends on local circumstances. |
|
|
|
- The EU has listed at least nine points in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act that could be in breach of international trade rules.
- South Korean officials have also raised similar concerns to Europe.
- A taskforce between European and American officials, which had its first meeting on this subject last week, will meet every week to discuss how to address Europe’s concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act.
EU member states are standing resolutely firm against President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act amid fears it will harm their domestic companies and economies. The sweeping U.S. legislation, which was approved by U.S. lawmakers in August and includes a record $369 billion in spending on climate and energy policies, was discussed by the 27 European Union finance ministers on Tuesday. This came after the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, said there are “serious concerns” about the design of the financial incentives in the package. “Each minister agreed that this is a subject of concern at the European level and that we need to see what is the best response,” an EU official, who followed the ministers’ discussions but preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the issue, told CNBC. The same official added that “there is a political consensus (among the 27 ministers) that this plan threatens the European industry.” The EU has listed at least nine points in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act that could be in breach of international trade rules. One of the biggest sticking points for the Europeans is the tax credits granted for electric cars made in North America. This could bring challenges to European carmakers that are focusing on EVs, such as Volkswagen. “That’s what we’re eventually seeking: that the EU should be, as a close ally of the U.S., in a position which is more similar to that of Mexico and Canada,” Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU’s trade chief, said at a news conference Tuesday. South Korean officials have also raised similar concerns to Europe, given the set of measures in the U.S. could also restrict Hyundai and others from doing business in America. A second EU official, who also followed the ministers’ discussions but preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said the conversations were “not very deep” — highlighting unity among the ministers on a broader level. The same official said that France’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, told his counterparts that he was not asking for a strong negative decision against the EU’s American friends, but rather asking for a “wake-up call” for his European counterparts who need to protect the interests of European businesses. Earlier on Monday, Le Maire told CNBC, “We need to be very clear, very united, and very strong from the very beginning explaining [to] our U.S. partners [that] what’s at stake behind this Inflation Reduction Act is the possibility to preserve the level playing field between the United States and Europe.” “The level playing field is at the core of the trade relationship between the two continents and we don’t want to see any kind of decision that could harm this level playing field,” he said. French officials have for a long time advocated for strategic independence — the idea that the EU needs to be more independent from China and the U.S., for instance, by supporting its own industry. Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that the EU should also look at a “Buy European Act” to protect European carmakers. “We need a Buy European Act like the Americans, we need to reserve [our subsidies] for our European manufacturers,” Macron said in an interview with broadcaster France 2, adding, “You have China that is protecting its industry, the U.S. that is protecting its industry and Europe that is an open house.” A taskforce between European and American officials, which had its first meeting on this subject last week, will now meet every week to discuss how to address Europe’s concerns over the Inflation Reduction Act. The idea is “to continue promoting deeper understanding of the law’s meaningful progress on lowering costs for families, our shared climate goals, and opportunities and concerns for EU producers,” the White House said in a statement. Despite the regular contact, U.S. officials are dealing with the midterm elections and the Inflation Reduction Act has already been legislated, meaning that any changes would have to come during the implementation phase. Fredrik Erixon, director of the European Centre for International Political Economy, told CNBC that “it is obvious that the EU has legitimate concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act and direct and indirect discrimination in it.” “Many of IRA policies that take a ‘America first’ attitude will hurt competition and EU firms, and especially so in sectors where the EU is competitive, not least green industries and cleantech. The EU may go to the WTO [World Trade Organization] to sort these issues out but it is far more interested to get them addressed bilaterally,” he added. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/09/europe-shows-a-united-front-against-bidens-inflation-reduction-act.html.... I began reading this article expecting europe to have legitimate concerns over the inflation reduction act. But it turns out they're only upset america is throwing money at american automakers, while european automakers receive none. European nations say that they should be treated as if they were located in canada or mexico. Rather than on the other side of the world. They claim america is discriminating against europe and will request the WTO - world trade organization to compel america to throw money in their direction. Emmanuel Macron went so far as to say that europe should create their own "Buy European Act" to stimulate european economies. If europe has legitimate concerns to air over the inflation reduction act, I hope someone explains them. This article definitely does nothing to elaborate on or support the stance. It sounds as if europe is desperate for money. Which is never a good sign. |
|
|
|
- Ford on Thursday revealed the 2023 Ford Transit Trail Van, a new model of its full-size van equipped with more durable, off-road parts for outdoor enthusiasts.
- The automaker is attempting to cash in on the boom in sales of recreational trailers and vehicles, or RVs, during the coronavirus pandemic.
- The vehicle also could make “living in a van down by the river” more comfortable than late comedian Chris Farley — a cousin of the automaker’s CEO — made it out to be in a well-known “SNL” sketch.
DETROIT — Ford Motor wants to make “living in a van down by the river” a bit more comfortable than late comedian Chris Farley — a cousin of the automaker’s CEO — made it out to be in a well-known “Saturday Night Live” sketch from the early 1990s. The Detroit automaker on Thursday revealed the 2023 Ford Transit Trail Van, a new lifted model of its full-size van equipped with all-wheel-drive and more durable, off-road parts for outdoor enthusiasts. It also comes ready for customization, also known as “upfitting,” to turn the vehicle into a living or sleeping space. Ford is attempting to cash in on the boom in sales of recreational trailers and vehicles, or RVs, during the coronavirus pandemic. Ford already is one of the main companies that provides trucks and vans to upfitters to make them into RVs. It also has launched a slew of off-road vehicles in recent years such as the Ford Bronco SUVs and F-150 Tremor pickup. “We will have more demand than supply, based on all the numbers we see,” Ted Cannis, CEO of the automaker’s Ford Pro commercial vehicle business, told CNBC. Ford is touting the Transit Trail Van as a gateway into “van life,” a community of travelers who fully or partially live in their vehicles. Photos released Thursday by the automaker show the vehicle immersed in a scenic setting, including a couple who appear to be living by a river. The 2023 Ford Transit Trail Van will go on sale in the spring, starting at $65,975. That’s about $15,000 more than a base passenger Transit van. The vehicle will be available in three cargo van configurations, including medium- and high-roof models and a high-roof, extended-length version. The van will be produced at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri. The vehicle does not come standard with a living or sleeping space, but Transit Trail owners will have access to Ford Pro’s network of upfitters and interior installers. The vehicle will be sold to consumers as well as commercial upfitters, which Cannis says can spend tens of thousands of dollars customizing such vehicles. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/03/ford-transit-trail-2023-targets-boom-in-rv-van-life.html.... The following is an interesting claim. “We will have more demand than supply, based on all the numbers we see,” Ted Cannis, CEO of the automaker’s Ford Pro commercial vehicle business, told CNBC. If the above quotation is accurate and demand for live in vehicles exceed supply despite large automakers like ford devoting entire production lines to satisfying demand. It would seem to mean large numbers of americans no longer can afford to rent a home or apartment and are instead living in their cars, trucks and vans. It would seem that a massive cultural shift is occurring. Away from residential living, towards a more nomadic lifestyle. Whether or not the shift accompanies a trend away from city living towards more rural population growth remains unknown at this time. It is possible that growth in business will occur along avenues which satisfy demand for these markets. Custom outfitting for vans, trucks and cars to make them more accommodating as live in vehicles could be on the rise. As well as products devoted to these areas. These trends will introduce new obstacles and issues for people to overcome. How to receive mail while living in a van. Demand for PO boxes and similar services could rise dramatically. It is also possible that the unbanked demographic for the country will rise as it becomes more difficult to qualify for a bank account without a permanent residence. This trend could grow the number of americans who actively use bitcoin and other financial services catering to the unbanked. |
|
|
|
We want to create the money making system without much of liability or respondebilities.
For this we need high supply coin so we can mint or by mining it will be liquid and all borrowing will be happening with this.
How it should work ?
There could be room for growth in cryptocurrency based venture capital. It would be like the reality show Shark Tank. Where an inventor pitches an idea or invention to investors who can provide funding and financial backing. Except all support would be denominated in crypto. To produce profits in loan (or investment) markets, usually requires wealth multiplication of some type. In an ideal sense, the loan has a goal of multiplying the value of the loan beyond its initial value. Venture capital investment in inventions and ideas is one method of achieving this. But of course, there are other methods. Offering loans to professional house flippers, people who buy low cost goods at auction repair and upgrade to sell at profit. There are many established markets where loans can be offered to receive a return on investment. |
|
|
|
|
Labor costs are one of the largest liability chunks for large corporations. Especially tech based industry with high skill labor wages. The net sum of innovation and development for large tech corporations has diminished significantly in recent years. Which doesn't justify the expense of skilled labor wages in exchange for lack of expansion and invention. For whatever random reason, the intellectual muscle aren't pulling their weight, which leads to an era of fat trimming and slimming down to maintain viability.
Economic slowdown certainly doesn't help as it leads to forecasts of reduced advertising revenue, upon which internet platforms like facebook and meta depend heavily upon.
To an extent, the large amount of silicon valley headhunting and hoarding of personnel could have been implemented in the expectation of a future silicon valley dot com bubble. Everyone wants to control the developers and intellectual assets, perhaps expecting one of them to contribute towards a spin off side project that grows into the next billion dollar big tech monolith. With economic recession on the horizon, growth and innovation expectations are on the decline. Which leads to layoffs. Although, of course there are many other variables and circumstances in play.
|
|
|
|
|
Bitcoin used to peak in value during the black friday and christmas holiday season. The 1st quarter of the year is usually when there is a lull in transaction volume, which is when bitcoin historically declines in value.
With the exception of the latest drop in bitcoin value, bitcoin has exhibited considerably less volatility than stocks, bonds and forex.
If we're discussing market mechanic based influence on crypto prices, its certainly an interesting discussion we will have. The evolution and shifts of crypto price trends has certainly been an interesting ride for anyone who bothered to pay attention. The faces of crypto traders has certainly changed over time. With each shift and introduction of new trader classes, trends in crypto value have shifted.
New amendments to crypto trading such as commission less trades in 2017 also have exhibited a noticeable effect. As has the introduction of stablecoins like tether.
What will the next few years hold in store for crypto as an asset class. As some mentioned we have the upcoming halving which historically has been extremely bullish for btc.
|
|
|
|
The Bank of England has warned the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, as it raised interest rates by the most in 33 years. It warned the UK would face a "very challenging" two-year slump with unemployment nearly doubling by 2025. Bank boss Andrew Bailey warned of a "tough road ahead" for UK households, but said it had to act forcefully now or things "will be worse later on". It lifted interest rates to 3% from 2.25%, the biggest jump since 1989. By raising rates, the Bank is trying to bring down soaring prices as the cost of living rises at the fastest rate in 40 years. Food and energy prices have jumped, in part because of the Ukraine war, which has left many households facing hardship and started to drag on the economy. A recession is defined as when a country's economy shrinks for two three-month periods - or quarters - in a row. Typically, companies make less money, pay falls and unemployment rises. This means the government receives less money in tax to use on public services such as health and education. The Bank had previously expected the UK to fall into recession at the end of this year and said it would last for all next year. But it now believes the economy already entered a "challenging" downturn this summer, which will continue next year and into the first half of 2024 - a possible general election year. While it will not be the UK's deepest downturn, it will be the longest since records began in the 1920s, the Bank said. The unemployment rate is currently at its lowest for 50 years, but it is expected to rise to nearly 6.5%. The interest rate announcement is the first since former Prime Minister Liz Truss and former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled their controversial mini-Budget in September. Their plans for £45bn worth of unfunded tax cuts - much of which have been reversed - sent the value of the pound tumbling and sparked market turmoil, forcing the Bank of England to step in to restore calm. Mr Bailey told the BBC he believed that the mini-budget had "damaged" the UK's standing internationally. He said that at a recent International Monetary Fund gathering in Washington "it was very apparent to me that the UK's position and the UK's standing had been damaged". That same week, Mr Kwarteng was sacked as Chancellor.  Image link: https://i.ibb.co/BZZCdR6/img1.jpgChancellor Jeremy Hunt said: "The most important thing the British government can do right now is to restore stability, sort out our public finances, and get debt falling so that interest rate rises are kept as low as possible." But shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said families could not withstand such high rate rises "when we've got rising food prices, rising energy bills and now higher mortgage rates as well". The latest rate hike - the Bank's eighth since December - takes borrowing costs to their highest since 2008, when the UK banking system faced collapse. The Bank believes by raising interest rates it will make it more expensive to borrow and encourage people not to spend money, easing the pressure on prices in the process. But while its latest rate rise will be welcomed by savers, it will have a knock-on effect on those with mortgages, credit card debt and bank loans. 'I'm nervous about the loan on my van'Michelle, 58, from East Riding in Yorkshire has a loan on a van and is nervous about rising interest rates. "My disposable income has gone down dramatically recently and I earn more than the amount to get benefits," she told the BBC. "They need to help the middle earners." Michelle needs the van to get to work as there's no public transport near her. But if her loan repayment costs rise she fears she'll have to give up the vehicle. "I can work from home, but like most places my place of work wants us back in the office at least three days a week and I've had to have talks with them about how I can afford that. "It's a 60-mile round trip, it's expensive." Those with mortgages are also feeling nervous. The Bank forecasts that if interest rates continue to rise, those whose fixed rate deals are coming to an end could see their annual payments soar by up to £3,000. It said that it would increase interest rates if inflation remained high. Financial markets had been expecting rates to peak at 5.25% but the Bank does not expect them to rise this high. The Bank's rate decision comes before the government unveils its tax and spending plans under new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the Autumn Statement on 17 November. On Thursday, the pound slumped 2% against the dollar and the cost of government borrowing rose in response to the Bank's warnings. The Bank has done something it doesn't normally do in the published minutes of its decisions - it has given guidance that seems to suggest a peak in interest rates of about 4.5% next autumn. For those with a glass half-full - this is lower than the 6% assumed just a month ago in the post mini-budget market turmoil. While government borrowing costs and the level of the pound has somewhat recovered after a series of U-turns since, mortgage markets and business loans are still showing some stress, adding to the prolonged hit to the economy. The forecast predicts that the unemployment rate will rise, while household incomes will come down too. It is a picture of a painful economic period, with the UK performing worse than the US and the Eurozone. Indeed, what was forecast as a sharp energy recession just three months ago, is now a shallower, but more prolonged energy and mortgage shock. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63471725.... I follow UK residents on social media. If they're concerned about facing the longest recession ever, I haven't seen much evidence of it. It appears to be the same for much of the world. People have noticed prices are higher but indications of a recession or something that should concern them don't yet appear to be felt. UK interest rates were raised from 2.25% to 3%. Forecasts project UK unemployment will near double by 2025. New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will unveil tax and spending plans at the Autumn Statement on 17th of November 2022. Usually the american media reports on all the bad things happening in the UK and around the world. To take american minds off how things are screwed up in our own country. I have to wonder if the media is claiming an over optimistic forecast in some of their recent UK statistics. Aren't forecasts typically more doom and gloomish? |
|
|
|
|
I used to know someone who worked as a male model. He could attract the most healthy women in the neighborhood simply by walking outside with his shirt off. Making friends for people like that comes easy. People will throw opportunities and job options at them. But because things and people come so easy. It means that they usually don't have to work to gain knowledge or develop a skillset. Their physical presence alone has something impressive about it which others admire and covet.
It all comes down to priorities. There are many employers who only want impressive appearing figureheads and spokespersons. No need to know how to read or write. Don't need to be able to program a DVR. Looking impressive and speaking well makes candidates overqualified to earn the figurehead CEO position.
In other job markets, elements like brains, knowledge and intelligence are important.
The way people dress and their appearance doesn't matter to me. Anyone can change their clothes. Or change their fashion sense. Its the other things which are not so easy to change that matter.
|
|
|
|
|
Glass steagall may have been reintroduced to a degree by the volcker rule, which I think was implemented when the TARP bill (bank bailout) was passed.
Banks appear to be doing fairly well for themselves under current economic conditions. Which would appear to imply regulation has thus far prevented negative circumstances similar to 2008. At the moment, we can't find much fault with glass steagall amendments. Although perhaps that will change in the future?
|
|
|
|
|
Show Posts
