#disposable income

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - August 8-14

Like these weekly* compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon! (*sorry this one’s a day late, I had a family emergency)

1. Rio’s grassroots agroforestry sustains birds, bees & communities

“[Community-created and -maintained] agroforests have reshaped the urban landscape and now attract an array of fauna, from birds to bees and even fireflies, drawn by the diversity of plant life thriving on improved soils. Perhaps most importantly, the agroforests offer free food and medicines to residents in need, plus shade and educational opportunities for the whole community[….]”

2. First giant pandas from China in decades make their public debut in San Diego

(image source) “Tensions between the U.S. and China had temporarily paused the program known as "panda diplomacy" in which China loans its native animals to zoos around the world […] as a show of goodwill[….] But the presence of [the two pandas in San Diego] appears to show a mending of the diplomatic relationship, which Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work toward in a meeting with President Biden last year. [… Gov. Newsom] called the giant pandas an example of how strong worldly partnerships can protect wildlife and their habitats[….]”

3. Good news for Europe's top economies as disposable income rises

“Poland experienced the largest increase in disposable income per capita, rising by 10.2% compared with a decrease of 2.7% in the last quarter of 2023. According to the OECD, this growth was "mainly driven by increases in employee compensation, social benefits other than in-kind transfers, and property income". […] In Germany, [household income per capita] rose by 1.4%, compared to just 0.1% in the previous quarter, partly driven by an increase in employee compensation.”

4. FDA approves nasal spray as first needle-free treatment for anaphylaxis

“The spray, which will be sold under the brand name Neffy, is seen as an alternative to EpiPen and other autoinjectors. […] “Some people, particularly children, may delay or avoid treatment due to fear of injections,” said Kelly Stone, an associate director at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, adding that the availability of the nasal spray may reduce barriers to rapid treatment.”

5. [Colin Farrell] is launching a foundation to support adult[s] who have an intellectual disability

““We want to take a good look at residential potential for families with young adults who are ready to go out into the world and have a greater sense of community and connection,” says the actor. […] "It’s really important for James and for all of our kids to feel like they are wanted, to feel like they’re part of the community. Not just out of charitable endeavors or being nice and doing the right thing, but out of a sincere desire to engage and learn about each other."”

6. The Berlin Zoo is hoping for more German-born giant pandas as scans confirm a pregnancy

“Giant pandas have difficulty breeding and births are particularly welcomed. There are about 1,800 pandas living in the wild in China and a few hundred in captivity worldwide. […] The zoo noted that female pandas are only capable of reproducing for about 72 hours per year.”

7. Arizona school district highlights the benefits of free lunch

“A study by the University of Washington found free meals at school help reduce hunger, reduce the stigma tied to free lunch, and can help reduce childhood obesity. [… A cafeteria worker] said since the school district began offering free lunch, they have seen a positive shift in the cafeteria culture, and students seem happier. […] In September of 2023, the USDA […] loosened up its application threshold for applicants, allowing an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high-need areas to participate in the [CEP] program.”

8. Gigantic millipede lost to science for 126 years rediscovered in remote Madagascan jungle

“A further 20 species 'lost' to science were rediscovered during the expedition, including three iridescent species of fish and several species of ant-like flower beetles.”

9. The climate law’s $8.8B in home energy rebates are starting to roll out

“New York and Wisconsin are the first to launch their long-awaited Inflation Reduction Act programs meant to deploy everything from heat pumps to insulation. […] Once deployed, the DOE estimates, the home energy rebates will help save consumers up to $1 billion in annual energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in construction, manufacturing, and other sectors. They’ll also help clean up buildings, one of the biggest sources of carbon pollution in the country.”

10. Advance in stem cell therapy: New technique for manipulating stem cells opens door to novel treatments

“Recently, a team of McGill researchers discovered that by stretching, bending and flattening the nuclei of stem cells to differing degrees, they could generate precisely targeted cells that they could direct to become either bone or fat cells. […] The first applications of this discovery are likely to involve bone regeneration, possibly relating to dental or cranio-facial repair[….]”

August 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[monsterkong]

Rethinking Our Disposable Culture: How to Spend Wisely and Sustainably in the 21st Century 🌍💚

As we delve deeper into the 21st century, our society stands at a crossroads. The path we've been on—characterized by a growing throwaway culture fueled by increased disposable income—is unsustainable. It's time to consider how we might turn the tide.

The Economics of Disposability

Disposable income has undoubtedly improved living standards for many. Yet, this financial flexibility has also led to an increase in disposable products, fast fashion, and rapidly obsolete technologies. This trend is economically beneficial in the short term but environmentally and socially detrimental in the long run. 📉🌎

Rethinking Consumption

To mitigate the impact of throwaway culture, a shift in consumer mentality is essential:

Value-Based Spending: Align your spending with your values. If sustainability matters to you, support brands that prioritize eco-friendly practices.

Invest in Repairability: Choose products designed for longevity and that can be easily repaired, reducing the need to buy new.

Community Engagement: Get involved in or start local initiatives that promote sustainable living, from community gardens to tool-sharing libraries.

Policy and Change

Policy change can also drive significant shifts. Advocating for regulations that require producers to be responsible for the lifecycle of their products can decrease the volume of waste generated.

By adjusting how we view and utilize our disposable income, we can combat the rise of throwaway culture. It's about creating a future where we value what we own, understand the true cost of disposability, and choose a sustainable path forward. 🌍💚

Each of these posts could be adapted for platforms like WordPress, Medium, and Tumblr, considering the audience's preferences and engagement styles on each. For WordPress and Medium, a more formal and informative tone can be used, while Tumblr allows for a more casual and direct conversation style, incorporating relevant images, gifs, and interactive elements to engage the readers effectively.

[rowanthestrange]

You ever heard of ‘second childing’? That thing where for your first child you read all the books, you hyperfocus on every little thing, plan out their life and time, and rush them to the doctor if they hiccup; but for your second child you just watch casually as Jessica ricochets off the coffee table and you’re like…‘eh, they’re fine’.

Second Childing this puppy hard. Are we fully puppy proofed? Beh, it’s safe. Sure the ground level food cabinet door hasn’t been reattached yet and we’re gonna see him wander in with a packet of instant noodles at some point, but whatever.

[sportsandlaughs]

[lisayourworries]

Soon come.

[kimberlymckenzie-klemm]

Workaday Blues

When workaday blues hit and you reconsider that job you might have to think about changing where you live. Follow this link to "Workaday Blues": https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/workaday-blues-dr-kimberly-mckenzie-klemm-ulvle/

[aesthetically0b5essed]

gold braces. i've seen everything now.

[cherryblossomshadow]

What do liberals think about trickle-down economics?

PRam Osmu (MBA, Rice University, Economy and Strategy):

I can tell you what I think about Trickle Down Economics. Like any economic theory, it either works or doesn't depending on circumstances. There are a few instances in which Trickle Down Economics (which from now on I shall call Supply Side Economics, or SSE) work. I will give you three examples where it could work, at the end of this post. But it is patently clear those are circumstances the United States is not in. Therefore, SSE does nor work here. I'll explain why with a thought experiment:

Imagine there are 3 large car tire manufacturers in the US. They pretty much cover the market.

A Republican president and a republican senate decided on that SSE policy, and give a huge tax break to large corporations. They argue that this will create the incentive to make more goods, to expand their plants which will lead to employing more people, etc. Richess will trickle down.

The CEO of one of the auto tire plants calls an executive meeting. He wants to do what is right and invest so that he can indeed help the economy. He tells this plan to his executives and gets the following response:

The sales manager argues: “Sir, sales of tires were 1,000,000 tires this past 12 months. We have a 30% market share. Why do you think we don't sell 1.5 million? Do you think it is because we don't have funds? We are currently enjoying the lowest interest rates ever. Any bank would be happy to loan us the money.

The reason why we don't sell more tires is because there isn't demand for more tires. Period.

“If you order a plant expansion we will do it. But we will not be able to sell those additional half million tires. Not at a profit or without stating a price war”

Therefore, what do this CEO decides to do?

The same thing others are doing. They take the tax break funds and buy back their own stock. The less stock in the public, the higher the stock price goes. Stock price is how the executives performance is measured, because their true boss is Wall Street, so they get big bonuses and raises. Nothing really trickles down.

Now imagine a different idea coming from the white house.

The deficit this president will incur in tax breaks he either gives them to the middle class, which now have, say $4, 000 in extra income , or uses the funds to build and repair infrastructure, which makes a lot of contractors hire a bunch of people.

In both instances, the middle class will be able to afford a few more things, for instance, a set of 4 tires for the family car.

All of a sudden, the big auto tire firm sees an increase in demand, they talk to their bankers, obtain a line of credit to expand the plant, which generates construction jobs and a few extra employees.

Corollary: if you want the economy to grow, you must provide better conditions of living to consumers.

Remember: They will end up giving their money to the rich anyways. To Ford, General Motors, GoodYear, Nike, Reebok, Dell computer, HP, Cinemark, Olive Garden, Walmart, Amazon, Budweiser, Samsung, Apple, Microsoft, etc.

.

In a nutshell, this is the thing that gets stupidly overlooked:

Do you want the economy to flourish?

Make sure the middle and lower class make a decent living and have disposable income to become true consumers

Do you want the rich to get even richer but in a fair way, not by handing them money?

Make sure the middle and lower class make a decent living and have disposable income to become true consumers

Do you want true democratic capitalism to work the way its supposed to?

Make sure the middle and lower class make a decent living and have disposable income to become true consumers

.

Now, do you think Republicans in congress don't know this?

Of course they do! And that is corruption.

Corruption, because republicans are sworn to give as much money as possible to their donors. That is the sad truth.

.

Oh, this edit is two days later. I said I'd give examples of those rare conditions in which Trickle Down Economics work:

1). Very High Taxes to the top: A situation where the top 5% are being taxed at an extremely high rate, like 90%. Taxes so high that usiness owners prefer to move elsewhere, or shutter their plants and invest in the stock market, real estate or abroad. In such cases the economy can be improved by providing incentives to the very rich, like lowering their taxes . This is what is called “being to the right of the Laffer Curve”, after an analysis performed by economist Arthur Laffer, on how government tax revenue changes according to how much it taxes people.

United States is definitely NOT in this scenario

.

2. Thrifty Consumers: A situation in which consumer do have plenty of disposable income but choose not to spend it. This could be caused by a few reasons:

> Cultural: Mature societies, older demographics that are just not in spending sprees. Japan and Switzerland come to mind.

> Historical: Perhaps a recent war, or bad recession, the reminder of huge unemployment make people cautious about their spending

> Financial: High interest rates make saving a preferable proposition, or currency devaluation may cause people to keep money abroad in a stronger denomination.

Neither of those scenarios apply to the United States.

.

3. Lack of good local options: A situation where people have a healthy, large disposable income, but prefer to buy imports, not liking (or not finding) equivalent locally made alternatives: BMWs better than Ladas. Nikon or Leica better than Kodak or Polaroid.

This applies more to developing countries with a weak local production, where government can incentive local industry with soft loans, or duties and quotas on imports to help the local 1%ers develop better and more appealing local products, if a tax break is given to them

United States is definitely NOT in this scenario either.

.

So there you go. You give to the rich and what you are actually doing is corrupting the best socio-political system ever created. A healthy democratic capitalism.

The rich, themselves, should realize this, but they salivate at the prospect of free handouts, in a greedy and myopic view of the economy and the country.

[supraveng]

[zentaiges-blog]

Hey

I just got some disposable income and thought about saving it. Then I thought about buying a book that I really liked cause it looked so quirky and interesting.

Then my mind wandered and I found out about the Share a meal app where you can donate to eradicate hunger and help those who need it the most in the world. And if you're reading this, I encourage you to do the same.

Disposable income is made to make it sound like its 'money that you dont really need so spend it on whatever', but the truth is, disposable income means money that you dont need and someone else could use better. Someone who actually needs it.

Good Night.

[frombehindthepen]

Got Money to Burn?

Got Money to Burn? #DisposableIncome #Finances #Spending

Image credit: Jp Valery As I have gotten older and hopefully a little wiser, I evaluate my wants and necessitates even more now than I have in the past. I have tried to watch the amount of coins I spend throughout my life, although I have made some financial decisions that did not work out to my advantage. I couldn’t believe how gullible I felt when those investments didn’t pan out as planned.…

[indizombie]

In 2014, a survey revealed gambling problems running three times higher among professional male footballers and cricketers, compared with young men in the general population. A potent combination of more leisure time, more disposable income and a strong desire to win at all costs can create an ideal environment for addictive behaviours to germinate and grow.

Daniel Gallan, ‘Gambling addiction: Why elite sportspeople are especially vulnerable’, BBC

[sludgefactory95]

New additions to the ever growing CD army

[biglisbonnews]

UK Prices soar as food inflation hits record highs Food inflation in the UK has been on a steady rise, and the situation is only getting worse. According to the Office for National Statistics, food inflation reached a staggering 18.2% in February. This dramatic increase is primarily attributed to poor crops resulting from bad weather in southern Europe and Africa, leading to the rationing of fruits and vegetables in UK supermarkets. — Read the rest https://boingboing.net/2023/03/24/uk-prices-soar-as-food-inflation-hits-record-highs.html

[tuliptiger]

I think the only acceptable solution in this situation is to find someone with disposable income so great they can't help but waste it. Waste it specifically on me. I can be your little meow meow, your fucked up little pog champ at the cost of 2000 a month I will give you absolutely nothing in return other than knowing I'm living happily and unburdened and maybe I'll send you pictures of birds and trees but that's it.

Personally I think it's a good exchange.

[augustinewrites]

overheard today at hot topic:

girl 1, holding up nanami shirt: if i get it we can't get food

girl 2: for nanami? i'm okay with that