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Friday, June 28, 2013

June 28 (F), 2013 on fb - What are the functions of a pay scale of 788 : 1 ?

June 28 (F), 2013, posted on fb.

Crystal Huang shared a link via David Frazer.
9 hours ago
"In just one morning, a CEO at one of America's biggest restaurant companies makes more on average than what one of his minimum wage workers earns in an entire year.

That's one finding of a study released Thursday by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. CEOs in the restaurant and hospitality industry earn nearly $12 million a year on average, according to the study. That's 788 times more than the $15,080 made by minimum wage hospitality workers..."





Crystal Huang In fact, I admire most of the CEO's entrepreneurship, in particular, the "self-made" ones who might be able to trickle down, offering minimum wage jobs! The main issue is that most of our citizens care less this type of extreme inequality than the chances to obtain these types of opportunities.
9 hours ago · Edited · Like

Crystal Huang There are many other examples of 788:1 pay scale, or
one morning's show-up of someone = the other person's whole year's labor.
Yes, I guess, at this moment, some economists will argue - "but they are UNSKILLed/UNPRODUCTIVE workers"
- The Unworthy!! Fortunately, some kind CEOs "acknowledge" that, but are still able to offer minimum jobs- thanks GODS??
9 hours ago · Edited · Like

Crystal Huang http://reclaimdemocracy.org/powell_memo_lewis/

The Powell Memo (also known as the Powell Manifesto)reclaimdemocracy.org
In 1971, Lewis F. Powell, a corporate lawyer and member of the boards of 11 corporations, wrote a memo to his friend Eugene Sydnor, Jr., the Director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The memo influ...
9 hours ago · Like · Remove Preview

Crystal Huang Thanks to George E Mills Jr's sharing.
9 hours ago · Like
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Thursday, June 27, 2013

June 27 (Th), 2013. Cheap and Expensive Businesses in Hidden Operations

The steaming bipartisan debate has been tormenting many politicians at this moment in the Capitol Hill.
Here is my bias on Immigration.  Share :)!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAsV5-Hv-7U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GGFrB4um5hs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPiK_yGG8ag promedaddyj

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June 27 (Th), 2013 My Serendipitous Teaching&Learning (#6) on fb

June 27 (Th), 2013 on fb.
Crystal Huang
5 hours ago
Taking a break from online grading to browse next semester's Contemporary American Society textbook.
A minor reflection: Wish (ideally) all students (if student loans won't burden/drag you down ?!) have 4 majors/minors:
one from Social Science,
one from Natural Science,
one from Humanities.... and
the 4th one, could be...Guess______?

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David Richardson, Christopher Michael, 施坤育 and 3 others like this.

Crystal Huang A couple of required/selective courses in your program sheet night not be enough. This remixed idea was inspired by E. O. Wilson's Consilience - The Unity of Knowledge (well, yes, combined both formal learning and informal learning). As a professional student for more than 3 decades, I dare shamelessly to say: I am going toward that direction - but poor (thin bank account !) - Earning from teaching going to Learning ! You know better than I - Certain knowledge is still too expensive to "acquire" even though MOOCs are hot!
3 hours ago · Edited · Like

Crystal Huang My opinionated answer to the 4th major/minor (in fact, a very important one) => a career/occupational degree program from A Technical College !!!!! So workers can think and thinkers can work ! One of the ideal ways to solve many contemporary social problems. I think that Germany does it well. Yep, idealist!
4 hours ago · Edited · Like · 2

Crystal Huang Contemporary American Society is an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary introduction course consisting of the basic disciplines of sociology, psychology, and politic-economics - one of my coming fall semester courses.
10 minutes ago · Edited · Like · 2

Christopher Michael Political science?
3 hours ago via mobile · Unlike · 1

Crystal Huang Chris, 1/3 of this course is about basic political science including International Relations (the last part).
3 hours ago · Edited · Like

Christopher Michael Yeah i caught up on comments after i commented. Society would be better off with everyone studying these along with their chosen majors.
3 hours ago via mobile · Unlike · 1

Crystal Huang Could be spread too thin, though. It's all about determination and time management skills/techniques.
3 hours ago · Edited · Like

Christopher Michael Agreed
Honestly i think the govt should require hseds and strongly push society to do 2yr lib arts degrees at minnimum. I think itd help todays youth grow to be well educated individuals
3 hours ago via mobile · Unlike · 1

David Richardson Economics
2 hours ago via mobile · Unlike · 1

David Richardson Media's mass intervention in society has taken away a lot of the youth's will to make it in a trade, sad, even us that are uneducated see that degrees are becoming a burden and not payin it forward for a lot of today's youngsters
2 hours ago via mobile · Unlike · 1

David Richardson That said, I have 1 in community college and 2 more going next fall, I see the value in an education as long as it is in a field that can benefit the time and money spent on a degree. Sadly, unless something drastically changes in America, today's graduate are bound for hard times and disappointments. It must also be in a field that they have passion for or it is pointless in life.
2 hours ago via mobile · Unlike · 1

Crystal Huang @ Chris and David, I can understand. "Education" (formal vs. informal, self-taught vs. credentialism) and "Training", indeed are quite different things. In earlier time, edu was deemed as "leisure " or luxury. Only a few monopolized the opportunities of "education, in particular, the Liberal Art disciplines- yes, a very social class thing !". We can be "trained-to make a living" which is much easier/economical than educated-making a life ! "Training" can be disguised under the name of "Education" for it is less political, and connoted with class, gender, race and other relevant factors affecting one's tendency for upward social mobility.
8 minutes ago · Edited · Like

Crystal Huang I used to use the words "Edu-capitalism vs. Edutopia" to express two sides of thoughts about education vs. training. Sometimes, even hard to obtain the opportunities of "training", not to mention education, though. See all sorts of cuts and reshuffle budgets and resources to benefit certain segments of our society which could reinforce/widen socio-economic gap. Having said so, it is very "bio-sociological" too. Furthermore, as David mentioned, the passion-induced job/career opportunities in the digitized-global economy, whether tech creates jobs or deprives/eliminates jobs and to what extent - you tell me ! We just covered the theory of McDonalization of society in the last class session. My guess of the emerging robotization (can + dehumanization) of society - just a hypothesis - I think many of us feel it, even though I have been trying to be up-beaten.
4 minutes ago · Edited · Like

Crystal Huang There is an optimism in my current learning - Learning Technologies (or Instructional system and technologies). One of its goals and functions is to HOPEFULLY use all sorts of Web 2.0/Cloud Computing/Internationalization 3.0 and E+M learning to take advantages of the Internet for democratizing/leveling the playing field in enhancing the edu/training possibilities, in particular, the very hot MOOCs (mass open online courses) and the rest to defy bricks+mortars+4walls type of expensive edu. But, in reality, there could be more hypes, commercialism , consumptionism which might overshadow or confound the good things to be brought forth to benefit the true economy and humanity, perhaps. Many ways/lens to look at it.
2 minutes ago · Edited · Like

Crystal Huang Waiting for what sorts of Supermen/women, I constantly ask myself. Technology is a "multiple"-edged sword - could be a mixed-blessing thing... How to foresee and weight the benefit-cost is a huge task. We just need to be conscious/conscientious, be aware, and audacious to chart the uncharted territory- steps by steps => We make the roads by walking together.
39 minutes ago · Edited · Like
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June 27 (Th), 2013. DOMA, Super Moon...etc.of June 2013


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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

June 26 (W), 2013. Crystal's Serendipitous Teaching&Learning (#5)

Quite a busy day on fb.


  1. Crystal Huang
    about an hour ago
    Crystal's cooking while reflecting (#2)
    While cooking, keep on thinking of my last night’s "Hybrid+ Accelerated" Intro to soc class (cases, very often, and happening all the time!)

    I need advice, again and again.

    Are there any other pedagogical models, theories, best practices etc., in addition to the hot Flipped Classroom, the Differentiated Instructions, 12 Steps, 7 Principles, 8 Quick Solutions…. to facilitate me when students are crying for help?

    In this case, she is a single mom raising 3 young children all by herself and working for 3 part-time jobs with chronic fatigue to attend school rendering all sorts of academic demanding?

    I told in class: "I can barely hold on a job without children and still suffer severe sleep deprivation problem…." -Waiting for what kind of supermen/women??
    Like ·  · Promote · 


  2. Crystal Huang
    about an hour ago
    Crystal's cooking while reflecting (#1)
    Perhaps, the only STRENGTH that men could be superior to women is that the former have not been able to have the fun of "Periods" ! plus, the rest of dramas why gods-damned-favorite given them to women !
    Like ·  · Promote · 
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June 26 (W), 2013. Serendipitous Learning&Teaching (4)

June 26 (W), 2013.  My posts on fb:

Post #1Accidentally, picked up an old book. Might as well do something….

EDU-CommonSense #1 - reinterpreting Mr. Confucius' Secret Recipe of Theory of Teaching&Learning:
1/3 of the educator’s art of teaching/facilitating
(passion, calling, pedagogy, andragogy etc.)
+ 1/3 of the learner's desirable to learn/responsibility/readiness
+ 1/3 of a nurturing edu-environment (the intensity of parental involvement, a visionary edu-policy, the relevant stakeholders’ advocacy)
= a potential of a healthy way to grow a nation.

Post #2
EDU-CommonSense#2 - Those who live off or play off Education (formal and informal), either intentionally or unintentionally, retard a nation's growth... 
Post #3
















Comments:
Except those men who can reproduce (not just BABIES), in addition to produce, to be able to bear the other half of the lesser sky !

Post #4
The misleading, blindness, and danger of the Extremism
- both Left and Right...
One of the "intended" consequences is to produce and reproduce Cults and Occults !
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

June 24 (M), 2013 My Serendipitous Learning and Teaching (3) Go Vertical! Solar Power Tower Pageant.








 








  • Crystal Huang Go vertical, not just in the hydroponic farming, solar energy has been standing toweringly for a while. Just downloaded some other countries' operating projects !
    • Robert Fenton Gary I would need to see cost figures. Also I want to see the Megawatts produced by the German Solar Towers. 200 seems a big low for such a large structure, how does it compare cost/yield -wise with the German units? Homework for Crystal.
      4 hours ago · Unlike · 1
    • Crystal Huang Woow, need to take the prelims of Micro and Macro Economics to answer these questions ( just kidding- I only took 14 credits). Hope my econ colleague professor Flint can come to rescue !

      A little bit background understanding why we are behind some European countries regarding how to collaborate with our almighty, loving, in particular, generous SUN. Such as Germany, has a fertile ground for "green peace". That could help reduce lots of implicit costs/ externalities (yep common sense. You might know better than my gibberish here)- the short term cost includes all sorts of input variables and the fixed cost, so at the beginning, the per unit productivity could be very high, but as the marginal cost, based on law of diminishing marginal returns could make the long run average total cost changed. 

      Many oil-dependent-businesses having hard time to move to different directions, one of the reasons could be the long term (more than 90 years!!) super large scale of investment, operations and habitual gains/humongous profits (reducing per unit cost) that make them very difficult to move around. 

      Solar energy investments are more common in countries that realize by asking SUN's help which could be much cheaper than asking from War On Oil (or they just could not AFFORD an oil war- maybe !) Surely, if looking from the short run for solar investment, could be scarily expensive, like the VERY first oil drilling platform and the VERY first refinery was built. As more input variables, scale expansion, the long run average total cost could be reduced. 
      Here is an esoteric formula:
      Accounting profit = total revenue-explicit costs
      Economic profit = total revenue – (explicit costs+ Implicit costs)

      In the long term large scale investment on solar energy (surely, the SUN is in his prime who will die much much later, so don't worry, be happy- long live the SUN), the economic profit might be bigger than the sum of oil fighting, warring, weaponry manufacturing, drilling, refining, transporting, all sorts of externalities, such as, the famous one, carbon emission relating to climatic change- if you believe it is not a hoax, AND the COST from the arguing/speculating of poli-ticks - format !
    • Crystal Huang A little bit background info, now, asking for help- Maybe Josh Tewellhas the detailed info of solar energy investment prospectus and the cost of production, and ROI...etc. to compare to German/Belgium/Netherland...etc productivity. Or, Mr. Robert Fenton Gary, and any fb friends, provide links/sites for us to take a look, if available. Thanks.
    • Crystal Huang I got an easy way out - wikipedia has some info
      The solar power tower, also known as 'central tower' power plants or 'heliostat' power plants or power towers, is a type of solar furnace using a tower to receive the focused sunlight. It uses an array of       flat, movable mirrors (called heliostats) to focus the sun's rays upon a collector tower (the target). Concentrated solar thermal is seen as one viable solution for renewable, pollution free energy.
      Early designs used these focused rays to heat water, and used the resulting steam to power a turbine. Newer designs using liquid sodium have been demonstrated, and systems using molten salts (40% potassium nitrate, 60% sodium nitrate) as the working fluids are now in operation. These working fluids have high heat capacity, which can be used to store the energy before using it to boil water to drive turbines. These designs also allow power to be generated when the sun is not shining.
      Contents 
      1 Examples of heliostat power plants
      2 Cost
      3 Design
      4 Commercial applications
      5 Novel applications
      6 See also
      7 References
      8 External links
      9 Institutional links
      10 Commercial links
      Examples of heliostat power plants

      The THEMIS Solar Power tower in the Pyrénées-Orientales, France.

      Jülich solar tower power plant
      Power plants Installed capacity (MW)Yearly production(GWh)CountryDeveloper/Owner Completed
      Ivanpah Solar Power Facility 392 (U/C) 420 United States BrightSource Energy 2013

      Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project 110 (U/C)500 United StatesSolar Reserve 2013
      PS20 solar power tower 20[1] 44
      Spain Abengoa 2009
      Gemasolar[2] 17 100 Spain Sener 2011
      PS10 solar power tower 11[3] 24
      Spain Abengoa 2006
      Sierra SunTower 5[4] United States eSolar 2009
      Jülich Solar Tower 1.5[5][6] Germany 2008
      Mersin Solar Plant 5MW Turkey 2013 Cost 

      (This chaos is a chart which was re-posted in my above status).

      The 11MW PS10 near Seville in Spain.
      The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has estimated that by 2020 electricity could be produced from power towers for 5.47 cents per kWh.[7] Companies such as Solar (backed by Google.org) are continuing development of cheap, low maintenance, mass producible heliostat components that will reduce costs in the near future.[8] ESolar's design uses large numbers of small mirrors (1.14m²), which reduce costs for installing mounting systems such as concrete, steel, drilling & cranes.
      Improvements in working fluid systems, such as moving from current two tank (hot/cold) designs to single tank thermocline systems with quartzite thermal fillers and oxygen blankets will improve material efficiency and reduce costs further.
    • Crystal Huang More detailed info about the aforementioned Julich Solar Tower in Germany:
      "Jülich Solar Tower is a 60-metre (200 ft) high experimental concentrated solar power tower. In September 2008 the plant was put into operation on a trial basis. Over 2,000 dual      ...See More
    • Crystal Huang My home"work-in-progress".... To know is to empower, maybe. 
      Just curious who those investors for the above 3 huge projects are???
      19 minutes ago · Edited · Like

      -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    • Friends asked why I am fanatic with solar energy, since I don't have money to invest in this line of interest?

      Well, here is a not-quite-weird notion to share with you-
      I am not a Zoroastrian, but since when I was a kid I have been charmed by our Almighty SUN, so I picked my pen-name 
      昶 = Forever Sun (even though he will die someday... ).

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