Some time ago a close working colleague approached me about the possibility of putting out a short daily message, a "column" he called it, which offered my take on the economic news of the day. He wanted something to circulate amongst people he had been working with on a monetary-reform initiative. In concept he envisioned a slightly extended economic thought for the day that could act as a counter-perspective to the seemingly endless stream of dire stories pouring forth from the media. Ideally, it would not be lengthy, perhaps 400 to 500 words; just long enough to convey a meaningful thought, and short enough to read "over morning coffee," or some such break in people's hectic day.

I am a self-taught layman who has been pursuing an independent inquiry into the field of money and economics for almost three decades. In my present life, I travel around the country full-time responding to invitations to have conversations on the subject. I have discovered many things that are for the most part not being discussed elsewhere, whether in academia, media or the culture in general. This column will be one fruit of that quest.

My purpose is not to offer a Polyannish "bright side" to balance the gloomy realities. It is, rather, to offer an alternative economic worldview that is thought out from a wholly different taproot. Hopefully, there will be real answers here to our economic dilemmas. If this sounds abstract for now, or perhaps even a bit arrogant, the reader is invited to judge for him or herself the truthfulness of this proposition in the unfolding of the dialogue

US scientists have discovered people who can "hear" what they see.

The rare form of synaesthesia - a condition where senses intermingle - came to light after a student reported "hearing sounds" from a screensaver.

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology then found three more people with the same condition, New Scientist magazine reported.

Those affected performed better in tests of recognising visual patterns than those without the condition.

A more common form of the condition is being able to perceive numbers or letters as colours.

Here is some information about the number eight:

Numerology, Astrology, 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Date 8-8-08

Here is some information about the number eight:

8: The number 8 is tied to influence, m.o.n.e.y, karma, action, business success, business failure, control, material objects, status, loss, gain, administration, management, ego, leadership, power.
Balanced 8 energy: prosperous, high-powered, commanding, stamina, self-confident, persuasive, financial awareness, effective, ambitious, businesslike, clear-headed, disciplined, material freedom, honorable, enterprising.

Over-balanced 8 energy: abuses power, cold-blooded, egotistical, overreaction to m.o.n.e.y, scheming, aggressive, materialistic, corrupt, demanding, domineering, preoccupied with power and m.o.n.e.y, unsympathetic, over-ambitious, confrontational, rebellious, coarse.

Under-balanced 8 energy: passive, vulnerable, fearful, insecure, avoids power and m.o.n.e.y, poor judgment, gives personal power away, shortsighted.

As indicated above, eight can represent great rewards, yet it can also symbolize huge challenges, depending on the rest of the indicators in the charts.

The date 8-8-2008 is really, on the most important fundamental, numerological level, 8-8-1 (2+0+0+8=10, 1+0=1).

A Dutch primary school teacher has discovered what some are calling a "cosmic ghost", a strange, gaseous object with a hole in the middle that may represent a new class of astronomical objects.

The teacher, Hanny van Arkel, discovered the object while volunteering in the Galaxy Zoo project, which enlists the help of members of the public to classify galaxies online.

"At first, we had no idea what it was. It could have been in our solar system, or at the edge of the universe," Yale University astrophysicist Kevin Schawinski, a member and co-founder of the Galaxy Zoo team, said.

The find, nicknamed "Hanny's Voorwerp" (Dutch for object), soon had scientists training their telescopes on the object.
"What we saw was really a mystery," Schawinski said.

"The Voorwerp didn't contain any stars," he said. Made entirely of very hot gas, the eerie green object is illuminated by remnant light from the nearby galaxy IC 2497.

2008-08-07 - that way it sorts correctly.

...collides with minivan.

You're all over on the July 8th Open Thread, I bet.  Poor confused souls. ;)

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

Ten worst and best ideas of Marxism

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne

Dropping the bombs was probably the biggest crime against humanity ever committed as single events. No wonder the media doesn't like to bring it up.

I won't get into the arguments about it ending the war sooner. There are just some moral arguments that don't fit into a cost/benefit scheme.

Only in the last few months have some photos of the aftermath been released. As with the current wars showing people what their support of militarism really looks like is not to be allowed.

The bombs were acts of vengeance, something that the US does a lot. I tried to coin a new word to reflect taking out your desire for revenge on those that you can reach rather than those who committed the crimes, but haven't found it yet. "Blood lust" was suggested to me, I'll use that for the time being.

The kangaroo court in Guantanamo that just convicted a taxi driver is a perfect example. Can't get Bin Laden, take it out an the nearest person at hand.

I think the short sentence was designed so that his incarceration would end with the present administration. This leaves the hot potato of "enemy combatant" to be dealt with by the next admin.

Policies not Politics
---- Daily Landscape