China in Africa

The latest on the China-Africa relationship. The article talks about the "trade not aid" approach to Africa that China has been pioneering. "Beijing doesn't do gifts; it does deals." The IMF doesn't like that the countries it's making loans to has another source of funding, though, and some argue that African nations are selling out their resources for cheap. There is a danger to having a colonizer-colony relationship, and there is already resentment of the Chinese from the local population. It will be critical to make sure Chinese companies are dealing with African countries fairly, for a fair price, and for there to be enough benefits to the local populations. In other words, after infrastructure is completed, the local population should be able to be technically proficient enough to maintain and use it and also be in charge of the management.

Jon Stewart on Energy Independent Future

On the Daily Show last week, Jon Stewart did a cool video essay on presidents who promised to move away from foreign oil and invest in alternative energy.

Shackleton

Some music I liked on Bats in the Belfry, a radio show on WMBR, MIT's radio station

China Appreciating Yen

I appreciate the Yen.

NYT article that China recently announced they're letting the RMB float, but that appreciation will be gradual.

Chinese Demands

Interesting article about the labor market in China.

Environmental Economics' Implications for Monetary Policy

Lately I've been trying to figure out exactly where money comes from and who really adds to the money supply. It seems that very few people really know the answer to this, and even now I think I still do not know the full answer. As far as I can tell, there is some initial supply of money, and then additional money is simply created when people take loans. There still seems to be a conservation law missing, though, since more loans are needed to pay interest on those loans unless the Central Bank really just adds to the money supply when paying interest when it borrows from private banks.

Smark and I watched a documentary called Money as Debt by Paul Grignon. The descriptions of how money is created and exchanged seem accurate although the ultimate message ends up sounding kind of paranoid. Even so, some of the suggestions for alternatives sound reasonable.



Maybe one thing that needs much more focus on is creating a monetary policy and banking system that is financially sustainable, but also environmentally sustainable.

Art Project Social Context

I think I have a good concept for an art project now that would allow me to draw lots of people, which I like to do, and also spaces (like architectural stuff) which is something I also really like to do.

I want to explore how people look silly or really good depending on the people around them and their surroundings. So it would be cool to make the same person look really good or really stupid with different backgrounds and people around them. I think it would be a good thought exercise for people, and it would show what I think about material wealth and pride.

Spiritual

People don't really need the fear of God. They need the fear of other people.

Sustainable vs Conventional Agriculture

Lynn said she wants to write an article disproving this article about why sustainable agriculture is no good.

Green Products

Sounds like sustainable product design is starting to make headway.