iPhone Sound Meters

Sound Meters

• Sonic Scan $0.99, rate:3.0 -- Displays sound pressure level [decibel] and frequency [Hertz] of sound in your environment. Features: Graph Sound Level, Frequency == Zero Crossings.
• Digital Sound Meter $0.99, rate:2.5 -- Display of the average and peak levels with a bargraph and with a numeric LCD display.
• dBMeter Pro $2.99, rate:3.0 -- General This application can be used to measure ambient noise in Decibels.
  Features: Graph, Meter, eMail Results.

Knowledge Space

It seems to me that it is convenient to categorize human knowledge in a 2-d space rather than along a 1-d line or a 0-d choice, This is inspired by Rumsfield quote:

• "There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we do not know we don’t know."

The two dimentions that I see are the the Quality of the Theories and the Quality of the Results.

• Known, Knowns -- Example: Classical Physics -- The theory is clear and it leads to exact fully reproducible predictions.
• Knows, UnKnows -- Example: Evolution -- The theory is clear but leads to statistical or trend predictions.
• UnKnown, Knows -- Examples: Heurictics -- The theory is ad-hock but leads to tendencies.
• UnKnown, UnKnowns -- Example: Religion -- The theory is disconnected from the real world and leads to no predictions.

On the other hand, others are moe comfortable with a 1-d classification or a 0-d Judgement.

• 1-d -- a Theory, area of knowledge, is Generally righter or wronger.
• 0-d -- a Theory ..., is either Right or Wrong.
  

Note: This is similar to the way the the Advocates for Self Goverment suggest that we catagorize political leanings. See: 10 question quiz.

iphone apps

There are a number of sites, (services) that allow one to get access to the applications for the iPhone/iTouch. This list started from the Winter 2010 issue of iPhoneLife magazine (Weekly Update Newsletter).

Apple Services

• On iPhone, iPhoneLive app -- WEB Browser // Plus // Add to Home Screen (or Bookmarks)
• On iPhone, iPhone genius -- App store, // Featured // Genius
  
• Apps for Everything -- Once you discover the App Store, you’ll see how applications can make your iPhone do just about anything.

Web Sites

• MacWorld Application Reviews: iPod touch & iPhone app reviews from our editors—and you!
• Apptism -- Check out the current Top Paid iPhone Apps and Top Free iPhone Apps!
• AppReview -- There are 123,438 total applications available from the Apple Store. AppReview has reviewed 37,633 (as of 12/22/2009).
• 148 Apps -- In addition to the reviews and news, we keep track of what’s selling, what’s new and what prices are dropping in the iTunes App Store.
• App Space -- an intelligent recommendation engine designed to find the apps relevant to you.
• App Classics -- From the front page users can see the top app classics across all categories, or search deeper into individual categories through the drop down menu.
• Info World -- interactive catalog of iPhone apps designed for businesses, professionals, and IT staff

Social sites

Free Enterprise theory

The conditions for a market/economy to be a Free Enterprise Economy that can be proven to be "Efficient" are:

1. There are many competing suppliers (consumers) such that none of them can effectively individually, or do conspire to set prices in the market.
   
2. There are no Economies of Scale, e.g. the Incremental cost of production does not decrease as the number produced increases. (I think that it must also be assumed that there are no Economies of Consumption e.g. that the value to the consumer for additional units consumed also does not increase as the number consumed increases [Q.1: Economies of Scale and interdependance])

If a market satisfies these conditions then it can be proven, the General Equiblirum Theory, that the market is efficient, as defined as follows, that (page 50):

1. Market clearing prices exist, one for each product.
2. Supply and Demand will be equal at these prices, i.e.,
3. Resources will be fully used.
4. Inputs will be used in the most productive way, e.g. there is no way to produce more by re-arranging the inputs, [Q.2: what is more]
5. The result are Pareto-efficient, i.e. it is not possible to improve anyone's situation except by degrading another's (or by obtaining more researces) e.g. [Q.3: Pareto-Efficient:] (page 54)
   

Note 1: The term "Free Enterprise"
(markets) will often be used as a synonym for:

• Competitive Economy
• Lessez-faire
• Capitalism

Note 2: I am not really sure what the exact assumptions for the Free enterprise system are. e.g. I don't see the mathemetical model.

1. What is the original wealth of individuals? (if it matters)
2. How do individual's wages get determined?
3. How do individual's values get determined? (though this may be irrelevant)
4. Re: 2, is is required that the Demand:Value curves are decreasing and Supply and Demand curves are all fixed and independant?

Note 3: Though it may be 'efficient'
there are a number of other possible problems:

1. 
   

Question:

• Q.1: Economies of Scale and interdependance: Do the conclusions depend on there being no economies of scale for consumption, e.g. that the utility of consuming decreases as more is consumed, and does it depend on their being no cross value, e.g. that each product's worth or cost is independent of any other product. e.g. Gas is worth $2.00/gal whether or not one has a car?
  
• Q.2: What is more: Is this 'more' as valued by the Quantity*Clearing_Price, or is this a Pareto more, e.g. No more except at the cost of Less?
• Q.3: Pareto-Efficient: Is it even true that Pareto-efficiency exists based on the studies in Behavioral Economy that seem to indicate that increasing the Richness of the Wealthy, even if there is not reduction in the Poorer, decrease the happyness of the poorer.

Economic Theorists

• Adam Smith -FE- 1723-1790 (page 26): The Wealth of Nations - 1776
  
• John Stuart Mill -FE - (page 33): Principals of Political Economy - 1848
• Ludwig van Mises -FE- (page 29): Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis - 1922
• John Maynard Kaynes -WE-: Theory of Money - 1930, General theory of Employment, Interest and Money - 1936
  
• Friedrich Hayek -FE- (page 29): Prices and Production - 1931 (Recessions were a way of restoring the balance between savings and investment (page 38)) Economics and Knowledge - 1937 (market prices are primarly a way of collaring and communicating information) (page 14))
  
• Joseph Schumpeter -FE-: Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy - 1942
  

Note:

• -FE- A Free Enterpirse theorist
• -WE- A Welfair theorist
  
  
• LSE: London School of Economics
  

Free Market Capitalism (def)

A Free market, Competitive economy, is one in which there are a number of suppliers, and consumers, each of which can not, does not, signifficantly set the price for the "thing".

• Adam Smith (1776) - theorized that specialization lead to efficiency and that Free Markets could coordinate the supply of goods to allow specialization of function., thus raising living standards (page 28)
  
• The theory was that Free Markets would lead to a price close to the cost of producting the products, Raw Materials, Labor, and Capital.
• The purpose of Government was to provide for the National Defense, Ensure that Laws, contracts and property rights were properly enforced. e.g Laissez-faire, (but Smith also mentioned and somehow preventing swindles and speculative panics (page 35), erecting and maintaining certain public works and certain public instutions(page 34))
  
• The ultimate goal of an economic policy was maximizing a countries wealth, ... the gross domestic product. (page 31)
  

Note (Smith understood that:):

• some Un-regulated markets are unstable, not self correcting.
  
  
• some Public works and instutions would be beneficial.
  

Market (def)

A Market is simply [a real or virtual set of 1] somewhere[s] [physical, virtual, or other conceptual 2] things are bought [traded 3] and sold. (page 26),

• 1] Assumed, the somewhere can be also virtual and can consist of a set of interrelated single markets.
  
  
• 2] Things can be generalized to other than physical objects such as intelectual property, songs, software...
  
  
• 3] Similarly bought and sold can be generalized to situations where the more conventional "money" transfer is replaced by some "payment" in kind.

There are at least 3 different markets:

1. Goods Market -- Note: one can perhaps subdivide this into Consumables, Investment, and Tools, and probably others depending on how the good is "used", e.g. for "pleasure"..., for future wealth, or to permit production.
   
2. Labor Market -- Again this may be divided into the purpose of the labor to the buyer, e.g. is it for immediate consumption or for producing goods.
   
3. Financial Market --
   
   

Notes:

• 0: My comments are generally normal or italic text where as the original author's are BOLD.
  
  
• 1: One can "narrow" a market to dealing with a specific product or set at a specific location..., but it is important to remember that since money is fungible and since products are shareable, conplementary, and competative, the Market, for example, for food corn in Chicago is effected by the markets in New York, for Sugar and for Ethenal.

From:

How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities

~ John Cassidy 2009

• [D]escribes the rising influence of what he calls utopian economics—thinking that is blind to how real people act and that denies the many ways an unregulated free market can produce disastrous unintended consequences. He then looks to the leading edge of economic theory, including behavioral economics, to offer a new understanding of the economy—one that casts aside the old assumption that people and firms make decisions purely on the basis of rational self-interest.

Also see:

• Reviews of “How Markets Fail” Posted by John Cassidy -- November 16, 2009
• John Cassidy's New Yorker bio and Columns
  

Economic charts/graphs and discussions

The following are some sites
that generate
Charts/Graphs, on , or discuss
the Economic situation.
12/07/2009

Charts and Graphics

• Dshort.com gives me {Doug Short. a retired first wave boomer with a Ph.D. in English from Duke. } a chance to combine several interests — economics, web design, and pro-bono financial counseling. I'm also a contributor to the Motley Fool Rule Your Retirement subscription service.
  
  
• Visualizing Economics is an economics web site started in 2006 by Catherine Mulbrandon. I believe design can contribute to public debates by creating information-rich, easy-to-understand graphics revealing the meaning of data without hiding its complexity.

Blogs

• Economix: (New York Times) will analyze the news and use economics as a framework for thinking about the world.
• Rational Irrationality: (New Yorker): on economics, money, and more. by John Cassidy
  
  

Articles

• Rational Irrationality: The real reason that capitalism is so crash-prone. by John Cassidy
  

Books

• How Markets Fail: by John Cassidy
• The Soulful Science: What Economists Really Do and Why It Matters ~ Diane Coyle (Author)
  

Political Interaction sites

There are a growing number of sites that allow use, the citizens to "help" interact with our political leaders. The following is a list of these,

Set priorities of the Adminstration

• White House 2 lets you set your own priorities for the United States

Develop you own bills

• Open Government -- This online brainstorming session, open from May 21st to 28th, 2009, will enable the White House to hear your most important ideas relating to open government.
• WikiGov (TBD)

Allocate the National Budget

• Budget hero seeks to provide a values- and fiscal-based lens for citizens to examine policy debates during this election year.
  

HealthCareUS-3

1) VOUCHERS -- Each person gets a yearly voucher to pay for the actuarial cost of their basic Health Care that can be used to purchase Health Insurance from any conforming health care insurance vendor.

• The actuarial cost = The median cost based on the risk factors, e.g. Age, Weight, Gender... for the person and the area in which the person lives, to provide the health care for that individual
  
  
• A conforming vendor = An insurance company who will accept all people and provide full payment for the covered treatments.
  
  
• Note: The Government, e.g. Medicare will be the default vendor but the vouchers will be augmented, primerally by having the goverment provide centrallized billing, payment, approval free, so that the other insurers will be able to make a reasonable profit from just providing equivalent service and can increase their profit by providing extras such as:
  

• Additional insurance -- Coverage for additional services can be offered at additional charges.
  
• Reduced medical treatment costs -- Any savings will be shared 50% 50% by the patient and the insurance company, see 2)
  
• Wellness support -- Any improvement in the patients risk factors will lead to a 50% - 50% savings for the first 5 years to the insurance company and the patient, and after that 50% to the patient.
  
• etc.
  

2) SAVINGS -- Any savings in treatment costs will be shared 50/50 by the patient and the insurance company.

• The patient and the insurance company can negotiate with the medical provider to obtain less expensive (equivalent) treatment,
  
  
• Such negotiation may be done with medical providers within the area, or by getting the treatment in other less costly areas throughout the world from certified facilities.
  
  
• Any savings will be shared by the patient and the insurance company so that both have "skin in the game", while still assuring that no one is denied treatment.
  
  
• Similarly: The insurance company can pay for wellness services, e.g. Weight Reduction, Cholesterol Drugs... and any reduction in risks will be shared for 5 years even if the patient enrolees in another plan. After 5 years the patient continues to be rebated 50% of the risk savings.
  

3) ADMINSTRATION -- The Government will offer to do all the Record Keeping, Billing, Paying, Results collection, etc. at no charge.

• This will be a mechanical process which will, in no way determine the HealthCareUS policies
  
  
• This is estimated to currently cost the insurance companies 10-30% of their costs and thus will be a "hidden" subside to the independent insurers.
  
  
• Obviously, if the insurance company has negotiated a different rate, they can get a rebate from the medical provider to be shared with the patient.
  
  
• Any rebates will be reported to the government to be used to adjust the median costs for next year's vouchers.
  
  
• This will centralize the Doctors billing and approval for the HealthCareUS procedures so that the Doctors paper load is decreased.
  
  
• The results of the procedures will also be reported to the government so that the Cost/Benefit for various procedures can be computed by them or other interested parties.
  
  
• This will also allow the quality of medical care can be made available to the insurers and the patients so that they can determine which providers to support.
  
  
• If an insurance company is accepting HealthCareUS vouchers then it must at least report the costs and results of their services.
  

4) COVERAGE -- The procedures covered by the HelthCareUS will be determined as those that have highest benefit within the amount of money allocated by the government/tax payer.

• Note: Any additional procedure can be covered by additional insurance or by direct payment for the patient, as is done now
  
  
• Note: Any plan must determine which procedures they will cover, so does HealthCareUS, but in this case, those procedures are determined by the amount of money that we democratically determine to spend and then by the procedures that are most cost effective, rather than by some bureaucrat or CEO.

5) GRANDFATHERING -- Any current plan will be "grandfathered" in except that the tax benefit will be limited to the Voucher amount and any tax benefit over 50% of the voucher will be available only if the current plan provides at least the coverage of the HealthCareUP plan.

Also see:

• Is Health Care Special? By UWE E. REINHARDT (NYT, Economix) 8/6/2010
• Toward a 21st-Century Health Care System: Recommendations for Health Care Reform, Arrow...
• Why markets can’t cure healthcare - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com
  
• Uncertainty and the welfare economics of health care - Kenneth Arrow
  
• Vote: YES or NO , results , poll comments (please use the WeMatter area)
  
• HealthCareUS (12/08/2008),
  
• HealthCare goals (08/09/2007)
• A Comprehensive Cure: Universal Health Care Vouchers, Ezekiel J. Emanuel, R. Fuchs, - The Brookings Institution 07/01/2009
  
• Signing On to an Obama 'Dream'." - WSJ 05/12/2009
  

National Sunshine

Promote national sunshine (Preliminary) 0.1

Resolved: Until all Bills, Amendments, and Laws are posted days before they are discussed, voted on, or signed, I will contribute $4.00 a month to the opposition.

Background: The current national administration and representatives had committed that they would not take action on laws until they were posted 2-5 days on the internet. This commitment has been violated. This is important is it gives "We the People" a chance to understand the details of these potential laws and comment on them to our representative BEFORE they become law. Obviously not all bills will be read and understood by each of us, but the Internet allows them to be analyzed by the internet crowd and thus giving us a chance to see the implications of these bills.

Action: In order to give us this power, each Bill, Amendment, and Law must be available in FINAL form, on the internet, early enough so that it can be analyzed. I would prefer that they be available 7 days before they are officially discussed, voted on, or signed, thought the administration has proposed 2-5 days. Since they committed to post the bills and have not, I will contribute $1.00 to the opposition of the President and each of my Representatives, $4.00 in all, each month until there is a BINDING rule and the rule is followed. I suggest that others also follow this policy to show how important we feel it is that we can see what is being passed in our name soon enough that can have some effect on the laws.

Reference: For further information please see:

Petition site {TBD}
Pledge site {TBD}