At my job there is a vending machine. That machine takes dollar bills. Once in a while, I put in a dollar to get a package of Pop Tarts. Brown sugar if they have it, otherwise I defer to Blueberry Frosted. If not the Blueberry Frosted, then nothing. The only other choice is Strawberry Frosted and morally, I can't go there.Once in a while of the once in a whiles that I put a dollar in for a Pop Tart, it hits me. Someone somewhere else in the world works all day for this same dollar. I don't think of this every time I use a dollar, but sometimes. I certainly don't think I am better for being able to frivolously spend a dollar on Pop Tarts. I certainly don't think those someones are worse for earning a dollar after a day of hard work. I simply take notice of it. I don't know where that puts me. We are just in different situations that have led us to where we are.Honestly, I never considered this much until I moved to where I live now. I live in Vail Colorado. Vail and its neighboring areas are not like "normal." In this neck of the woods an 754sqft 2 bedroom, 1.75 bath ground floor (or below) unit is running a minimum of $320,000.
In this area of America's strip of top ski resorts we are surrounded my multi-million dollar duplexes and single family homes. Here you have to specify single family when you refer to a home. Of these muti-million dollar (as much as 25m) ski in/out, 3000, 4000, 5000, 12000 sqft abodes, more than 70% are lived in less than 6 weeks a year. You read that correctly. These are 2nd, 3rd and 4th+ homes. When we get over 1 million, most of the people are not in them. Sometimes they may not visit for as much as 2yrs or more.
As you can imagine, this irks some of the year round fodder population. It doesn't bother me. The way I see it, as long as they didn't steal the money, they are free to do with it what they wish. That said, I am sometime around friends at dinner and such who bitterly describe the lavish activities and possessions of the uber rich that exist in our locale. They describe these people with what is mostly disdain and a clear feeling of unfairness. (many feel it's "unfair" regardless of their own blatant mishandling of their finances)
Earlier this year at one such dinner, I decided to share my vending machine moment.
"We here at this table are still the richest people in the world by global standards. Everytime I pull out a dollar, which is nothing to 'us', somewhere else in the world, people work all day (and longer than 8 hrs) for that same dollar. Therefore to much of the world, 'we' are those same 'rich' people."
I basically felt like I was being a dick right after saying that. People did agree. I didn't mean that we were better or worse. I hope it gave that brief perspective that people around the world could easily talking the same way about us American's with our $90,000, 3 bedroom, 1 bath mansion in rural Nebraska. You didn't steal your money either, so it doesn't feel good to be talked about in that manner.
That is only the minor point or setup of this blog entry. The point of this is that while money can be and is tight, you can still make even a small effort to reach out to others. Kiva.org is an online organization that disburses micro loans to small business owners all around the world. Micro loans are the genius Nobel Peace Prize winning solution by Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
If a small business person in Africa, Asia, South or Central America needs a business loan of $300.00 (yes only $300) you can sign on for $25.00 of the loan. Once 12 people loan $25.00 each, the $300.00 loan is distributed to eh remote person by a non-profit organization in their area. It is a business loan, not charity. They pay back the loan with interest. The interest goes to the non-profits to keep the system going. The lenders get the original amount back after the loan has been repaid.
Why don't these business owners get a regular loan? It costs a bank almost as much in processing and paperwork to give a loan of a few hundred as it does to give a loan of thousands. Banks understandably opt for the higher profit levels of standard large loans.
You can learn much more at Kiva's FAQ page.
I actually choose the people I would invest in by their proposed plan. I evaluate it as if it is a business I would've invested in. $25.00 is not much. You can come up with $25.00 at least once. It is likely you can find something that you blow $25.00 on and can skip at least this one time. Remember that these people actually have a real business because they had the vision and courage to start it. They, like any other business, need business loans to grow but are cutoff from the standard finance options available to us. A loan of several hunderd dollars to some of these people is the equivalent to a $50,000 or more loan to you and I. Once the loan is repaid, you may cash out or loan to a new business.
Keep in mind that helping does not always have to mean money. Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer service that I think is great for homeowners and future homeowners. You get to go into a house that is being built for a person in need. While you show up every once in a while, the future recipient is often there a majority of the construction days. It obviously helps the recipient but if helps you too. Maybe you are not into the warm and fuzzy feeling of world healing as a payoff. With H4H, you get to be a construction worker for a day. You are working alongside real construction people who guide and oversee what you do. Think of it as an apprenticeship. You volunteer and now you will learn how to install wood flooring, install electrical work, work with drywall, install doors and any number of things related to home construction. These things will be handy when you want to do them in your own home.
Do good for others while learning skills that will save you tons of money. A.K.A. "Win Win"
So here I sit at Loaded Joe's, which is this hip mountain cafe/bar with free internet. My least favorite times here are when I roll into the normally quiet and laid back scene only to find some "function" that often involves a drink special. While I am happy for the owners, Kent and Kristie, it doesn't really work for me.
Tonight's event is some promotional deal thingy for Barrack Obama and his campaign for the presidency. I seem to have missed the presentation portion. There is a big screen video that is paused with Obama looking directly into the camera. This is causing me to frequently look up at the screen to see what appears to be a large floating head of Barrack sternly looking at me like an 8th grade algebra teacher. He is not "looking" at me, but he is.
Curse you optical illusions!
So this young woman who is part of the campaign approaches me. I know her from this same bar. She talks to me a little about the political scene. I know that she is very smart. It is one of the thing that makes her really attractive. It is not often that you meet young people with heads on their shoulders in a ski resort town. Often at this age they are "hiding out" from the world they don't want to take part in. Sadly, more than a few never stop hiding and progress well past the age where this is cute.
Unfortunately I hate politicians, politics and all politic related things. <facetious>Which is odd, for I do love a good campaign slogan. Who can forget the classics like Clinton/Gore '92 and the sequel of Clinton/Gore '96. Regan/Bush '84 was a winner too. Everyone remembers Mondale/Ferraro '84 losing big largely due to bad slogan development. I like Obama '08, it has that Prince or Madonna single name lure. Very rock star!</facetious>
So how do I engage this woman and somehow spin my displeasure for all things politic?
"No thanks, I don't really want a sticker."
"Yes, I understand it will get me a free beer." (there is always a drink special)
"Even though I don't want a sticker, know that I think what you are doing and your level of involvement is awesome." (that is sincere)
"Of the leading candidates, Obama sounds the least like a politician." (I think Kucinich is unaware that he is in a political election. Someone should seriously tell that man to start lying.)
"Here's the thing. I haaaaate politicians and all things political." (gee, wonder why I am single?)
Yeah, that is pretty much how it went. I suffer from Dennis Kucinich-itis. Sadly, I too am unelectable. I did explain that as a programmer, I am good at detecting patterns of behavior and/or flawed logic. In politicians (big and small) I detect a pattern of trying to get elected with whatever tool they think will get them to their ends.
In programming, when we are faced with a problem, we have to arrive at what "is" actually going on and determine our options. We then go with the only or the best option we have. The only time this process has ever been thwarted is when management says "we cant do that, say that, or show that" with no reason. The answer for this is always, "it's political." So in my line of work, the only times we have knowingly NOT gone with the right answer, it has been political!
If you are still here we have now reached the actual point of this blog. I don't believe in the players. I know that every system/process can benefit from and honest review and changes. That said, I do love the process and how it occurs because I can see beyond the individuals that I may personally despise.
The greatest moment in recent political history is what I have only heard referred to with ridicule. The Gore Bush 2000 election. All I have ever heard are the classic small minded arguments.
"Bush stole the election."
"Gore should've resigned."
"This is so embarrassing that we can't pick a president."
Maybe one or more of those statements are true, maybe not. I don't really care. The issue that I didn't hear raised was the one I felt was the most important. That issue is what did not happen. Arguably the most powerful job in the world, aside from being a bouncer at posh L.A.nightclubs, went undetermined and heatedly contested for about a month or more.
It went without tanks.
It went without gunshots.
It went without people dying
It went without death squads, mass arrests, although it did have lying. (I'm a Dr. Seuss child. What can I say.)
That was the greatness of the very same moment that so many complained about. We continued to go to work. Stores continued to sell milk to mothers who inexplicably worried everyday on their way home if they had milk for the kids. Did people make grabs for power? Yes, but without the bloody news reels that normally would accompany such an event. That is the civics lesson for the grade schoolers:
You can be a power greedy bastard without killing people. At least during the election. That is the beauty of our system.
100, 200, 300 or more years from now, who will care about Bush or Gore. The benchmark will be that extreme power was determined without bloodshed.
So now "smart cute girl" thinks I am deep even though I rebuked her cause. (Nice save!)
Sadly, I didn't have the heart to tell her everything probably went so smoothly because our country is now driven more by consumer spending than the presidency. Dammit, I have to get over this Kucinich affliction quickly before I run into "smart cute girl" again.
Ok, here is another "fun" thing. I swear, don't get used to this. I am a bitter old man in training. I promise that I have many un-fun topics and discussions to post. However...
I don't even like cats.
What the hell is wrong with me?
