Summer Smarty Pants

Mental Break
One of the best things about summer is the opportunity to take a step back from the serious demands and issues influencing “adult life,” and enjoy some leisure. Soak up the sun. Read a novel by the pool (I’m working my way through number three already!). Catch a few mindless action flicks at the cinema.

Because the truth is that nobody really wants to think too hard in the summer. Least of all me.

the Bigger Picture
Nevertheless, I can’t in good conscience shelve the Smarty Pants column for an entire 12 weeks (smarty pants is a regular column here focused on current events and issues in our world). So I thought every once in awhile, I’d take some time to look at the bigger picture behind a few of the summer topics I’ll be posting about. So when we spend a few weeks talking about gardening and growing food, I’ll probably write about how the local food movement has grown in popularity over the past decade.

And during the weeks on customizing your home/apartment, I would love to discuss when tract housing become the norm for residential building (and how that has affected the way our communities function).

And when we dive into outdoor living, I’ll probably mention how the way we landscape our yards influences the environment and those around us.

Why the Effort?
Why go to all the effort? Because even the simple and recreational things that we do usually have greater significance in our communities than we realize. There is almost always a larger story to be told, and taking a few minutes to listen can be very rewarding.

Just a few minutes, of course. The rest of time I'll be soaking up sun and reading novels.

Previous Smarty Pants Posts:
Protecting Yourself against Fraud
Blame the Pigs
Avoiding Pitfalls

Smarty Pants: Blame the Pigs

Like most people, I first heard of the Swine Flu yesterday morning when I got up. It was pretty hard to miss since it was a headline on every major broadcast channel and littered throughout the papers. I suppose this only makes sense since over 150 people have died from it in Mexico and it seems to spread very easily from human to human.

I Won't Get Carried Away
Now it is not in my nature to get carried away with these types of reports. And certainly this small outbreak seems pretty mild: no one in the US has died, and symptoms have not been too severe. And the media loves to make a big deal out of possible pandemics, because let's face it: they make for compelling news. But based on what we know so far, quarantines and runs on the hospital aren't likely.

A Common Trend
But given this recent news, I would like to point out one trend that commonly surfaces when there are potential threats to our health and safety. And that trend is a rising tension between paranoia and preparation/prevention.

Certainly when people feel threatened, their reactions fall somewhere along a continuum of panic on one end and apathy on the other. And eventually a debate arises about which end of the spectrum is most appropriate. For instance, inevitably some people, upon hearing the news of a possible pandemic, will purchase and start to wear blue medical masks. Others will stock up their pantry, or pull their kids out of school. But as soon as even the first person pops up with a face mask, someone else will accuse them of being paranoid, and suggest that their actions only exacerbate the issue and heighten the threat. This second person will favor going about their daily routine as normal, advocating for others to do the same.

Heated Public Debate
Of course most of us would probably agree that falling somewhere in the middle--between paranoia and preparation/prevention--is the wise choice. But that rarely stops the public debate from getting heated anyway. Because when people feel threatened, they get fairly passionate about the best ways to protect themselves. And likewise, if they feel that the choices of others are increasing the threat, their passion escalates.

Now, I'm not saying that we'll have much of this heated debate during the Swine Flu, mainly because it seems to be a fairly mild threat at this point. But one of my main goals in writing this Smarty Pants column is to point out trends and themes from specific headlines that can be applied more generally across the news. And this tension between paranoia and preparation/prevention in the face of a regional or national threat is certainly a theme we'll see occur again and again.

Stick Around!
So, what should our response be during a threat? Where along the spectrum should we fall? I don't have a perfect answer (mainly because there isn't one), but I am an advocate of preparation. So join me later today when I talk more about emergency preparation as one of a Recessionista's home grown solutions!

Other Recent Smarty Pants Posts:
Avoiding Pitfalls
Is Staying Home in a Recession Foolish?
Jobs vs. Livelihoods

Smarty Pants: Avoiding Pitfalls

On my quest to stay well-informed (because smart, modern ladies should be well-informed), I’m afraid that I’ve committed a current-event blunder. I should have known better--really, I should. After all, I’ve been writing about current events for over a year now. Writing about how to stay informed, and how to avoid pitfalls. But I’m afraid that in my excitement over Recessionistas, I forgot one of the classic rules. Which is:

Don’t fixate on one topic just because everyone else is.

The topic of interest (or shall I say obsession?) is of course the economy. Naturally I would be interested in this topic given that I’m currently writing a series on the subject of thriving during the recession. And certainly it has been easy to fixate given that every major publication, from newspapers to ladies’ magazines to my own favorite glossies have been covering it almost exclusively.

No, I Do Not Want to be Exclusive
Exclusivity, however, is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to the news. Fixating on one topic--a habit that I’m afraid the modern news media nurses far too much--can lead to several unfortunate consequences. They are:

* elevating one subject inappropriately over other equally important subjects. The economy is of course important, but so are political events happening in the Middle East, for instance, or development across Northern Africa. These subjects deserve my attention, too, even if they don’t directly impact my day-to-day.
* loss of sight on the bigger picture. World events don’t happen in a vacuum. When I fixate on one topic, I tend to lose my larger perspective. The economy is important, yes, but it is still one component of a much bigger puzzle. I don’t want to miss the forest for the trees.
* fixation leads to fluff. Ironically, when a subject becomes popular, it tends to get watered down. Rather than have in-depth conversations covering a variety of points, the topic tends to become highly repetitive and shallow.

Unfortunately I am seeing these consequences in my own life. In a fairly short amount of time I’ve lost touch with the events in the rest of the world, and the bigger picture. Fortunately I can change that by spreading my focus around a bit more in the weeks to come.

Why Do I Care?
Perhaps you are wondering why I care so much? Well, it’s simple. I believe that as women we have a unique opportunity to lead right now. But leadership requires wisdom and knowledge. And knowledge includes being well-informed.

And being well-informed leaders means avoiding pitfalls. Or climbing out them when you’ve slipped.

Previous Smarty Pants Posts:
Is Staying Home Foolish in a Recession?
Visualizing a Trillion Dollars
Jobs vs. Livelihoods

Smarty Pants: Visualizing a Trillion Dollars

No series on the recession can be complete without some chatter on the tremendous amount of money that is being tossed around these days. The billions are quickly approaching the trillions, which is an extremely difficult number to comprehend.

So, for comprehension aid, my friends over at Mint.com (read how I love Mint.com here) have created this little ditty on the value of a trillion dollars.

It is shocking to say the least. Thank goodness there's a silver "Recessionista" lining!

Previous Smarty Pants posts:

In a Time of Economic Proposals, Here's Mine

The Federal Debt

Smarty Pants: Jobs vs. Livelihoods

note: smarty pants posts are my reflections on current events, trends, and perspectives.

I wrote this morning that as a society we tend to gravitate toward utilitarianism when we are stressed out about money. So I thought that this afternoon I would give you an example of what I mean by this...

I was reading last week's issue of Time magazine where they featured a series of short articles on "world changing" ideas happening right now. The very first idea that they listed was titled "Jobs are the New Assets," and I was curious. On the surface this article seemed to make a lot of sense. The basic thesis was that right now our jobs are the most important thing we have going for us. Since our investments are in the toilet, and our homes are losing value, our jobs have become the one nugget of security we can, and should, hold on to.

A Burr in My Saddle:

Underneath the top layer, though, something about this thesis bothered me. I mulled it around for awhile, and came to the conclusion that it was precisely this "utilitarianism" I've been writing about that bugged me. Let me explain.

One of the key points of the article was that our human capital translates into our economic output. In other words, our skills and knowledge can be "invested" into our jobs and earn "interest" in increased economic output. Now that's all fine and well, but I'm not sure I like being defined into categories like "capital" and "output." And therein lies the burr under my saddle: in a recession, particularly when our incomes are threatened, it is easy to start thinking of ourselves as little more than worker bees. The "bottom line" become a primary measure of value. Now this may be a practical (aka utilitarian) and helpful way of looking at things if you are an accountant, economist or banker, but it does not figure as well for stay-at-home moms, artists, writers, and caregivers.

An Unfortunate Temptation:

What I am finding is that during this "economic crisis," the temptation is to look at everything through the lens of "output" and "interest." Unfortunately, day-to-day life is not so easy to quantify. What "output," for instance, do we assign to raising children? What "interest" is earned from creating something beautiful? And do we really want to start measuring everything from that perspective anyway? I certainly don't!

To be fair, the article ended on a higher note, touching on the virtues of finding meaningful work that reflects who we are as individuals. Which leads me to my final thought: "jobs" are truly an important "asset," but I much prefer the term "livelihood" because it implies a better measurement for value: life. I want the work I do to impart life, not just "output." And I want to resist the temptation to start viewing the value of my work under and artificial register of "assets" and "liabilities."

What are your thoughts?

I'm curious to know what your thoughts are about this "recession perspective" of seeing everything in terms of capital and output. Do you find it helpful, or stressful? How do you view the work you do daily, especially during this time? Please share by commenting below!

Previous Smarty Pants posts:

In a Time of Economic Proposals, Here's Mine

Econ 101

The Middle East: steps to forming an opinion

Servin' up Solutions

A New Series:

It is true that I usually start chewing on ideas for a new series long before I actually introduce it to you, dear readers. The process begins with vague inclinations toward topics that are interesting to me, and then steadily builds into more definite themes and issues. One of the last things to come--something I usually struggle to find--is the title and "brand" of the series.

And so it was with Recessionistas. I've known for awhile that I wanted to begin to thoughtfully and intentionally engage the issue of the "economy in crisis," but I wasn't sure what approach to take. Would I become a humdrum prophet, lamenting future days and warning of dire straights ahead? Would I make references in passing, effectively turning a blind eye to the elephant in the room? Would I be flippant and cloy, glossing over the very real concerns and fears that effect day-to-day living? Worst of all, would I be boring, droning on and on about a morose topic that frankly we'd rather distract ourselves from?

Boring? I hope not!

Hopefully the answer is "no" on all accounts. With Recessionistas, and it's chirpy, coffee house impressions, I hope to address the current economic situation in a way that is relevant and practical and positive. Because I believe that a) we all could use a little down-to-earth conversation on the subject, and b) such talk could Seriously use a feminine touch!

What I mean by this last point is that I firmly believe that there are many, many ways to positively respond to these times, and that as women, we are particularly equipped for such a response. Even more, I believe that a lot of solutions we need are home-grown. Home-grown, I realize, is neither glamorous nor sensational (qualities our culture has strong affections for). But it just might be effective.

Five Tenants:

So, I purport a few tenants that will mark the conversation ahead. They will be the backbone of Recessionistas (you and I) in action. They are:

1. that creativity is our lifeline in times such as these. And by that I mean undertaking creative endeavors even if--nay, perhaps Because--they seem frivolous.

2. that preparation is a great antidote to fear.

3. that our relationships are perhaps the best currency we have.

4. that in terms of "economic recovery," the sun will shine on the small and nimble (which, incidentally, is us...)

5. And that our leadership is needed now more than ever.

First Impressions?

I'm curious to hear about your first thoughts. Are you nervous about the economy? Are you tired of talking about it? Do you feel, as one friend of mine does, that thinking about it induces too much stress, and you'd rather avoid it altogether? I want to know! Share you comments by clicking on the "comment" link below.

And stick around later today as I unveil another new feature for this blog that coincides with Recessionistas. I can't wait to share!

Previous Related Posts:

In a Time of Economic Proposals, Here's Mine...

My Recession-Proof Plan for the Work-from-Home Life

Grassroots Jobs: finding the right fit

Smarty Pants: the Federal Debt

Last week I wrote that I was about to embark on a quest to educate myself about the current economic situation so that I would be able to at least comprehend what a trillion dollar stimulus means, and what an educated response to the economy in general should be.  Now, admittedly that goal is ambitious--if world-class economists can't agree on the appropriate approach, what makes me think that I can hone in on an opinion?  Nevertheless, as promised, I started reading up.

Well, several days later I haven't gotten that far.  Not because I think it's boring (although I will confess that my latest knitting binge has kept me otherwise occupied), but because there is so much information to process--so much to learn--especially for an economic novice like myself.  

So I don't have much yet to share, except this--you might have noticed on the sidebar that I have added, just for today, the National Debt ticker on the above left.  My reading, as you might be able to tell, started with budget deficits and the federal debt, hence the rather alarming clock.

Here are some of my initial comments:

1.  I had a physical reaction when I visited the debt clock for the first time yesterday.  A sort of rising panic in my stomach.  Seeing all of those zeroes, and the millions adding up so quickly, made me want to check my own bank account!  Which leads me to say that..

2.  ...it is so easy to hear the words "billion" and "trillion" and relegate them to some abstract concept of monetary value.  But seeing the numbers scroll by like that made it seem a little more real to me.  Not completely real, but a little more real.

3.  The basic fundamental truth behind the federal debt is that the government is spending a lot more than it is drawing into it's General Fund (funded by our income and corporate tax dollars).  And these numbers don't even include the stimulus package currently being debated in Congress!

4.  The government borrows money from the Social Security and Medicare trust funds to help offset this debt, but that money only covers about half, which still leaves the country about $5 Trillion in the hole...

5.  ...and where does the rest come from to fill in the gap?  Foreign countries.  Like China, for instance, and the United Arab Emirates.  And they are charging interest.  Let's hope they don't come calling to collect anytime soon!

I read recently that people tend to dismiss things they don't understand.  Well, I certainly don't understand the complexities of our modern global economy.  But what I do understand is that spending more than you make year after year leads to one inevitable end: bankruptcy.  And I have no idea what bankruptcy would do to our nation, but I can't imagine that it would be pretty.  

I hope I haven't frightened you all into never returning.  I promise I'll take the clock down tonight (mainly because I can't stand watching it for too long).  But I also promise that I will keep routinely writing on this issue of the economy, because it is too important to ignore.  And I can't in good conscience write day in and out about the home economy and entrepreneurialism, or even spending money on swing-arm sconces, without paying mind to some of these bigger issues.  

note: Smarty Pants posts are my routine reflections on current events.  My hope is that we will all become smarty pants.

For Previous Smarty Pants posts on the economy, read below:

Econ 101

the Bailout

Election Exercise: Tabulating my Taxes

Smarty Pants: Econ 101

It's been an eventful week so far in the nation, what with the inaugaration of President Obama and all.  But while the celebration and fanfare has been roaring, the economy has been tanking.  Again.  Or, at least a slew of major financial institutions have reported disappointing--if not alarming--numbers, and the sensitive stock market has had yet another hiccup upon hearing the news.

Since the economy is Numbero Uno on the new President's list of priorities, and recent talks about possible remedies involved trillions (yes--that's Trillion with a T), I thought that perhaps it was high time that I devoted a little time to the subject.

Now, I don't mean that I'm going to brush up on my macroeconomic theory (brush up!  hah!  I don't know any macroeconomic theory to begin with!).  But I am going to check out some books I recently received over the holidays (no--not the craft books I mentioned on Monday, or the business resources I mentioned last week....are you getting the idea that I like books?).  Books like Common Cents and I.O.U.S.A.--both recently published on the subject of the economy, and both conveniently sitting on my bookshelf.

And I will probably get around to reading some magazine and newspaper commentaries and articles on the subject of the new stimulus and the banking malaise as well, because certainly those writers know a lot more about it than I do.

And I will be doing this because a) a Trillion dollars, not to mention several trillion dollars, is a Huge amount of money for me to ignore, b) I think that global economics and home economics are inseparably linked, and c) I want to impress people at parties with my super cool knowledge on the subject (naturally).

It goes without saying that I'll be reporting back on what I learn, minus the lame pie charts and stodgy acronyms, because I want you to be informed about this Trillion dollar issue too.  And so that you can be super cool at parties.

So, without further adieu, let the economic homework commence!

Previous Smarty Pants posts:

the Middle East: steps to forming an opinion

Striking my Fancy

the Bailout

Smarty Pants & the Middle East: steps for forming an opinion

note: the domestic life is great and all, but even I know that it doesn't exist in a vacuum.  Knowing the events around the world, then, helps me to respond at home, and that is what being a Smarty Pants is all about.

If you've been paying attention to the news lately, you are aware that armed conflict has broken out again between Israel and Hamas.   Now, I have to confess that when it comes to the Middle East, I find myself getting easily overwhelmed.  So many ancient alliances and tensions that run deep.  Not only it is difficult to keep all the parties straight (Hamas, Hezbollah, Zionists, Palestinians, Fatah, Sunnis, Shiites, etc. etc.), but it seems like conflict is inevitable.  Furthermore, how can I convince myself that understanding this region is important?  I mean, I'll be the first to admit that it is tempting to just want to wash my hands of the whole place and focus on other issues.

The trouble, of course, is that I can't afford to wash my hands, because the Middle East is a part of my life whether I like it or not.  The fuel that heats our homes and runs our industry is from the region.  For many of us (Jews, Christians, Muslims), the birthplace of our religion is nestled in the region.  And for us citizens of Europe and North America, our military troops are currently stationed in the region.

So how do I attempt to make heads or tails of this very complex place, and this most recent conflict?  Well, I start with:

1.  Identifying the parties involved.  Knowing who is engaged (and who isn't), and a little bit about their background goes a long way in understanding the conflict.

2.  Identifying my personal bias.  For a number of reasons, I recognize that I am predisposed to sympathize with Israel, and that this predisposition will affect the way I view these events.

3.  Identifying the bias of journalists, reporters and commentators.  Like most people, I look to news professionals to keep me informed about the conflict.  But like me, they have their own perspectives that are transmitted through the way they report the news.

4.  Paying more attention to the views that differ from mine.  Only listening to the opinions that support mine is a disservice to the complexity of this conflict.  So even though I might get irritated at other viewpoints, listening to them is just good practice.

5.  Finally, I attempt to form an opinion.  It may not be an expert opinion, or one I'm even comfortable sharing with others, but knowing where I stand helps me to make other decisions about how I think policy makers should respond, what steps, if any, I want to take, and what issues to watch for in the future.

Following these steps does take a little bit of time, but with conflicts as serious as those in the Middle East, I think the investment is worth it.  

Share with me the way you approach complicated political issues by emailing me at shillberry@comcast.net (even if your approach is to turn off the news and take a walk).  

Previous Smarty Pants posts:

Introduction to Smarty Pants

The Bailout (or at least my first response to it)

My Election Exercises

Come back tomorrow for more on Nesting!

Smarty Pants: striking my fancy...

We've almost reached the entry.  You know the one--the weird vortex of holiday festivities where every week is filled with office parties and potlucks and gift exchanges and shopping trips and travel.  During this hyper-social, super busy time of year, it is often easy to pay no mind to the events in the nation and around the world.  And who can blame us?  During the time of year to be jolly, who wants to listen to some decidedly un-jolly headlines? 

Well...okay, so maybe I do, but I'm weird like that.  Read ahead to be weird too...

The headlines that have captured my attention thus far this week are:

Somolian pirates successfully hijacked a GIANT Saudi oil tanker on its way to the US--the largest capture ever.  This is second time this week I've encountered stories on Somolian pirates, and it's forcing me to pay attention.  Though the headlines seem to be straight from a James Bond script, I regret that they are very real.  Please join with me as I learn more about the plight of the Somolis--

California staged one of the largest ever emergency drills in an attempt to prepare citizens and emergency workers alike for the possibility of a cataclysmic event (like an earthquake).  My first thought?  Way to go, Cali!  I hope that the prep is never put to the real test, but I sure admire the effort.  And I think we should all take a cue from the Golden State and do some preparation ourselves.  Click here to learn more.

I confess that prior to most recently, I've been tuning-out the food tainting scandals coming out of China.  But again this week I've run into a number of articles on the subject, and I think it deserves more of my thought.  My initial impressions are that these troubles are a symptom of a dysfunctional global food system, of which the US plays a large part.  This issue of food safety, security, and provision is actually on my list of top issues that I think every woman needs to be informed about.  How it took me so long to connect the melamine conflict with the larger picture is a mystery!  Duh!

Finally, I read this article on slumping retail sales, and the forecasts for lower holiday spending.  This will be, I'm sure, only the first of many times I address the issue of spending during this holiday season.  So, to kick off the discussion, for the record I think that an economy that is so heavily reliant on holiday consumer spending is imbalanced and unsustainable.  I'm not against spending during the season, but I think there has to be a better way to keep the economy afloat than to charge up the credit cards so that Junior can have the latest and greatest toy.  

What do you think?  Which headlines are jumping out to you today?  What are your thoughts on holiday spending?  And what perspective do you have on the global food chain?  I'd love to know.  Email Me today and share!

Coming up on Smarty Pants:  I think a bit of background might be in order.  After all, some of you might be wondering why a blog on domestic affairs and entrepreneurialism has a regular column on current events?  And why I choose to highlight some headlines and completely omit others?  Some explanations, I know, are in order.  Stick around this season to hear them!

Dirt, Money and the Globe--in the news today

note: smarty pants posts are my routine thoughts on current events.  Because being a lady is no fun without the smarts.

Now that Obama mania has subsided a bit, I thought I would check the headlines to see what else is going on these days.  Here are a few things that caught my attention, and why I think they should catch your attention too--

I was drawn to this article on turning dirt into energy in Africa.  Obviously the technology itself sounds promising (the phrase "off the grid" caught my eye for obvious reasons), but here are the other things that stood out to me in the article: 1) the use of the term "entrepreneurial."  One interviewee said that Africans are creative and entrepreneurial by using their household resources in clever and sustainable ways.  He said that this was "entrepreneurial, but in a different way."  Can I become entrepreneurial like that?!  2) the founders of the company exploring this technology are good examples of brains meets compassion.  I've read a lot of articles recently about young graduates using their technical degrees to improve the world.  Brains well applied in my opinion!

This article, published the day after last week's election, talks about reactions to Obama's win around the globe, and I have a few questions: Could we have elected a "global president"?  Do we want a global president?  What does this tell us about the world (that it is globalizing, for one thing), and what does it tell us about the future?  My thoughts are that we are becoming more global by the day, but that the transition is not all champagne and roses.  As our institutions get bigger and bigger (banks, governments, etc.), it is important to remember that scale matters.  I, for one, would like to see some things remain small--like community support, sustainable food production, micro-business, etc.--and fear that our rush to globalize threatens to compromise that necessary "smallness."

And of course I couldn't make it through the paper without catching up on the economic news (it's rather grim, frankly).  One of my concerns with the $700 billion bailout (which is now being referred to as the "government investment program" (how nice, how sterile)), is that scale (again with scale) is So Large that it opens the door for more spending to follow.  Case in point--discussions to bailout the auto industry are underway, and financial companies (ex. American Express) are changing their status to take advantage of bailout money.  

Is anyone else concerned that all the money is funneling into a smaller and tighter pool? (Small in this case is Not Good.)

Share your thoughts with me on the headlines!  Email me at shillberry@comcast.net or post your comments here.

Smarty Pants--we interrupt with these brief messages...

I know that everyone is a buzz with the recent election of Obama, but I thought I'd interrupt the chatter with these brief messages....

Since Smarty Pants posts are focused on the value of being informed (and not about celebrity gossip), I thought I would address the biggest obstacle keeping me from staying as informed as I'd like: it takes time!  I mean, I like to read the newspapers, and think that they provide more in-depth coverage than television--but reading them requires a time commitment that I can't always give.

So, what is my go-to source when I want the news but don't have time to read it?  It's National Public Radio--a multi-tasker's dream.  

I was reminded of how much I rely on public radio when I read a post this morning from Etsy's blog titled "gifts for public radio fans."  I mean, I listed to public radio all the time.  I turn it on when I'm cleaning or cooking, when I'm driving, and even sometimes when I'm jogging.  Their correspondents from all over the world bring great stories, and I especially love the Marketplace segment (what a surprise, I know...).  Bit by bit throughout my day I manage to smuggle in some important info with very little effort.

Anyway, being a well-informed woman in today's age is really important (or at least I think so).  And though I probably don't prioritize it as much as I could, I am very appreciative of NPR, and highly recommend it for busy gals trying to keep up.  

You may now commence with the Obama buzzing.

Meanwhile, in other News

note: smarty pants posts focus on current events, and not the celebrity kind.  Sadly, the events of late are...well, a bit sad.  So if you prefer "ignorance is bliss," read no further.

The end of a presidential election race is kind of like a tornado--it sucks up everything in it's path.  Meaning that it consumes the news, the commercials, and the internet.  Who can escape it?  

Meanwhile, the rest of the world keeps on turning.  So for a bit of perspective, here's what is happening outside of the election:

*  We aren't the only ones struggling with economic troubles.  Read about how interconnected our global economy really is through this account of monetary woes in Eastern Europe.  If you don't have the stomach for more economic articles, here's the skinny: Eastern European countries borrowed a lot of money to spruce up their nations in order to be accepted into the European Union.  Their bankers were Western European countries, which are currently under the same credit crunch we are experiencing.  And with currencies suddenly dropping like flies, everyone is feeling the squeeze, and the IMF (International Monetary Fund--aka Big Bank) is shelling out some bailout money of its own.

*  More talk and action on the "Green New Deal" concept.  If you follow environmental news, and wonder where the headlines have gone since the economy and elections have taken the spotlight, read this analysis published in Britian's Guardian for an update.

*  On a side note, I found that some of the Guardian's sidebar headlines read like a morbid menu: "Um, yes--I'll have the 'recession special' with the 'week of wrath' and a side of the 'banking crisis timeline.'  And for fun I think I'll order the 'credit crunch in cartoons' for dessert.  Thank you."

*  To remind us that the Middle East still has it's share of turbulence, read this article about a recent US strike in Syria.  Also, the Iraqi political leadership is sandwiched between the US and Iran as it tries to decide whether to allow US troops to stay in the country past the end of this year.  Can you guess Iran's opinion on the issue?  click here to read more.

*  And the US isn't the only one with an election looming.  Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, forced to leave his post due to accusations of corruption and scandal, will vacate the seat, with contenders Binyamin Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni dueling for the post.  Elections are likely to happen in early 2009.  read more here.

*  Back to the economy, it is important to remember that currency and credit crunches here equals food crises in the Southern Hemisphere.  Read this article to learn more about the growing global food crisis.  (I know--yet another crisis.  We're apparently crazy for crises these days...)

Okay...so I didn't mean to make you depressed by the headlines.  But the truth is that there really is a lot more going on in the world than Obama vs. McCain.  And if we don't know what is going on, how will we know how to respond?  

Did you miss my Election Exercises, designed to help me prepare for the coming vote?  Click here to catch up!

Election Exercise #5: Avoiding End-of-the-Stretch Election Traps

note: smarty pants posts are my routine thoughts on current events.  And even though we're all getting terribly tired of it, the elections are indeed current...

Well, I've studied my issues.  I've gotten to know my candidates (the local ones).  I've figured out where I need to vote.  And I've even tabulated my taxes.  Just one last thing before I hit the poles:  I have to dodge the cleverly laid, end-of-the-stretch, election traps.

These traps are designed to distract me, to tickle my fancy, and elicit an emotional (as opposed to rational) response.  They are as follows:

1.  Apocalyptic claims.  You've heard them before.  They are the ones that promise the END of the WORLD at the advent of so-and-so being elected. or this bill being passed, or that judge being confirmed.  Yes, I understand that people are passionate about candidates and causes, but do we really think that the immediate outcomes of this election cycle will dramatically result in civilization as we know it crashing to an end?  Given the testimony of history, I'd say it's highly unlikely.  And I'm skeptical of anyone who suggests otherwise.

2.  Hyper-partisanship.  As if we don't have enough partisanship during the year, it seems intensified during this final stretch.  Now, a dose of partisanship is good for any country--keeps democracy on its toes.  But when members of either party start publicly suggesting that all the troubles that ail us are strictly to blame on the "other guys," I start to tune out.  In government, like everything else, it takes two (or more!) to tango.

3.  Oversimplification.  In our age of 30 second sound bites, it is efficient and practical to squeeze highly complicated issues (like the demise of our economic system) into neat, finger-pointing, stump-ready packages.  Oh lament the listener who believes it is that simple!  Contrary to what we may be led to believe, politics, regardless of who's driving, never have the luxury of operating in a vacuum.  Rather, they are thrown into the jumble with everything else (like business, education, religion, and culture), and thereby Way exceed the sound bite time limit.

I, for one, will resist these attempts to persuade my voting decision, and will instead make a choice based on the information I learned from my other election exercises!  Trap endured (only 2 more weeks) and avoided!

Did I miss any traps?  Let me know what you think by emailing me at shillberry@comcast.net or commenting here.

To catch up on previous election exercises, read below:

Tabulating my Taxes

Reading my Ballot Book

Getting Ready to Vote

Election Exercise #4: Knowing My Candidates

note: smarty pants posts are my routine thoughts on current events.  And even though we're all getting terribly tired of it, the elections are indeed current....

These days it's good to be a candidate for a federal office.  Lots of media coverage, fancy commercials, interviews and sound bites and snazzy websites....  Of course, it costs a fortune, but at least the people know who you are!

When I say that I want to know my candidates this election, then, I'm not talking about those candidates.  Rather, I'm talking about the other ones--the candidates running for local councils and state seats and county posts.  The candidates who don't have money to spend on commercials and snazzy websites.  The faces I'll never see on the evening news or morning talk shows or hear on the mainstream radio.

These are the candidates that I need to research a little more.  I need to at least know their basics: their names, experience, philosophy and background.  For some of them (like my local city council members, for instance), I can't even fall back on the golden standard, the party affiliation, because affiliation isn't even listed.  So I need to know something more.  I need to do my homework.

And how?  Well, I'm finding that the local newspaper is a great place to start for coverage on local candidates.  In addition to the myriad of opinion letters that my local peers write-in to the paper regularly, there are also the "get-to-know" pieces that most papers run during an election cycle.  Plus there are the local blogs.  And the various leaflets and pamphlets that are circulating about town.

And why do I think it's important to know about these people?  Because I'm convinced that their decisions impact my life at least as much as the federal decisions do.  Plus, they are usually Way more accessible if I have questions or concerns.  And I think they--and the unglamorous offices they are running for (often while also holding down regular jobs)--balance out the rather sensationalized and expensive business of politics these days.  

And because I genuinely appreciate the sacrifice they are making, I think they deserve my informed vote, not just my absent-minded-fill-in-the-blank vote.

Share your thoughts on this up-coming election by commenting here or emailing me at shillberry@comcast.net.

Read about previous Election Exercise posts:

Election Exercise #1: Reading my Ballot Book

Election Exercise #2: Planning ahead to cast my Vote

Election Exercise #3: Tabulating my Taxes

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Election Exercise #3: Tabulating My Taxes

note: smarty pants are my regular musings on current events; thus, I'm currently writing on the current elections.  It just makes sense.

Right from the onset of this third election exercise I have to confess that it is more like extra-credit than a regular assignment.  I mean, knowing where you need to go to vote and reading about the issues seem like obvious activities.  Tabulating your taxes, on the other hand?  Well, that's a stretch.  But it's one I decided to try this time around.

I got the idea to start paying more attention to the taxes I pay awhile ago.  For some reason it occurred to me that I have absolutely no idea how much I'm actually paying in taxes during any given month.  This is probably not surprising since I usually don't know how much I'm paying for anything during the month! (I'm working on changing that...).

And then somewhere from the archives of my memory I remembered someone once say that government's greatest power is not to wage war, but to tax.  Given that idea, I started to think that it was a little crazy that the government takes my money all the time and I don't even pay attention to how much I'm giving!  Even crazier is that during an election year I'm always asked to make decisions about taxes and I've never actually counted the dollars and cents!

So this year I decided to change that.  With my new nifty online budgeting program (Mint.com), I've been using my receipts to record my "taxes" as a budget category.  And I started to look a lot closer at my utility and mortgage statements to see where I'm paying taxes there.  Incidentally, I now know approximately how much I'm spending in monthly taxes from purchases, property and utilities (it's almost $300!--imagine the clothes I could buy!).  And that, of course, does not include the Big Daddy of them all--income tax.

Now, I'm not saying that this information will prompt me to aggressively vote down all taxation--I still think taxes can be good.  But what I am saying is that making a choice about specific taxes through my vote seems kinda shortsighted if I don't know what that choice actually means to my pocketbook.  On an even larger scale (and especially with the recent passage of The Bailout), dismissing the government's ability to take my money by not actively participating in the process seems a little dangerous.  About as dangerous as choosing not to vote.

So, yes, I know that taking the time before election day to tabulate taxes seems like an activity for overachievers.  But it has definitely been an eye-opener for me.  And I feel better about my decisions regarding taxation now that I know how much money we're actually talking about.

Share your thoughts with me about taxation and this election cycle by commenting here or emailing me at shillberry@comcast.net!

For more election exercises, read the links below:

Election Exercise #1: Reading my Ballot Book

Election Exercise #2: Planning Ahead to Cast my Vote

Stay tuned tomorrow for my final "back to the basics" post, where I answer the question "did it work?"  (Catch up on Back to the Basics by clicking here!)