Creating, collecting, and sharing thoughts and ideas. And learning along the way.
Sign outside the WSU Tennis Courts that warns against cricket-players on court! That’s funny because most people here (unless they’re originally from a Commonwealth country) associate the word ‘cricket’ with a noisy insect that comes out at night!
President Barack Obama set a goal of reducing the U.S. deficit by $4 trillion within 12 years or less, in a speech outlining his plan to tackle the country’s massive debt problem. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has laid out a dramatically different vision of a future debt-free America. Here’s a snapshot of how they compare. Add your views in the comments.
DEFICIT REDUCTION
Obama believes a goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 12 years or less is achievable, and projects that it will reduce deficits as a share of the U.S. economy to about 2.5 percent of GDP in 2015, and put deficits on a path toward close to 2.0 percent of GDP toward the end of the decade.Ryan’s 2012 budget reduces deficits over the next decade by $4.4 trillion, calls for $5.8 trillion in spending cuts and also calls for lower tax rates for businesses and individuals.
SPENDING CUTS
Obama suggests cuts in non-security discretionary spending will generate an additional $200 billion in savings over 10 years, beyond the $400 billion in savings in the fiscal 2012 budget proposal he offered in February. The White House said that would generate $770 billion in deficit reduction over 12 years.Obama’s debt reduction framework sets a goal of holding the growth in base security spending below inflation, while ensuring the capacity to meet national security responsibilities, which would save $400 billion by 2023, the White House said.
In addition to savings already presented in Obama’s budget to such programs as agricultural subsidies and the federal pension insurance system, Obama’s plan includes a target of $360 billion in savings from other mandatory programs by 2023, the White House said.
Ryan’s budget reflects $178 billion in savings identified by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Some $100 billion is reinvested in combat capabilities and the rest is used for deficit reduction. Ryan calls for bringing other spending down to 2008 levels and freezing it there for five years.
HEALTHCARE
In addition to his healthcare overhaul law, Obama is proposing reforms to the government’s Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs for the elderly and poor that the White House said would save $340 billion over 10 years and $480 billion by 2023, including proposals already included in Obama’s budget. Over the subsequent decade, the president’s proposal will save well over $1 trillion, the White House said.Ryan’s proposal would dramatically alter Medicare and the traditional fee-for-service program would eventually be eliminated. To save the federal government money, seniors would be given federal subsidies based on income and health status to shop for health coverage from private insurers. Medicaid would become a block grant program where the federal government gives states a chunk of money to run the health program for the poor without federal interference.
TAX REFORM
Obama is calling on Congress to undertake comprehensive tax reform that produces a system that is fairer, has fewer loopholes, is less complex and is not rigged in favor of those who can afford lawyers and accountants to game it, the White House said.Ryan’s plan would cut the top tax corporate and personal tax rates to 25 percent, down from 35 percent. He calls for repealing Obama’s healthcare overhaul and the roughly $800 billion in tax increases contained in the law.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Obama’s plan calls for efforts to strengthen the government’s Social Security pension system but does not seek to privatize it. A factsheet on the plans offered no specifics.Ryan’s plan includes no specifics on Social Security. He calls for bipartisan efforts to improve its finances.
Cast your vote, if you wish or simply review the differences in the two plans.
Heard this on the radio this AM driving in to work; reminded me of the fact that the Traveling Wilburys were first introduced to me by this very cool-collected-very worldly young man I met in New Delhi many moons ago. He later went on to become my husband, and continued to influence me with his tastes in music that ranged from folk-rock to classic-rock. This particular one, End of the Line is an old favorite. “…the best you can do is forgive”
And FYI, The Traveling Wilburys were an Anglo-American supergroup consisting of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, accompanied by drummer Jim Keltner. The band recorded two albums between 1988–1990, although Roy Orbison died before the second album was recorded.
So, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: public art installations are just one of those things– you either love them or you loath them. I happen to always be curious about them and am in no hurry to label my interest in them to fall into either of those two ‘L’ categories.
Well, the latest such public art installation is one that I found yesterday right inside my office building. It is part of a larger project called Art X at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit that features works by 17 recipients of the 2009 Kresge Visual Artist Fellows Award. There’s a link right here to the article that appeared in the campus newspaper yesterday.
So, what you see here are images of this piece of art that is installed in the atrium of my building. I can’t quite tell what exactly it is, and perhaps that is the very idea! It could be representative of a conglomeration of ideas: perhaps everything from animal body parts to the building materials used in the construction of houses. It questions notions of conventional beauty, and makes you wonder about what greater idea the artist must have sought to convey.
This is going to be here for the rest of the week, it seems, and so I shall ponder its meaning for a few more days. It is a show, for sure!
Post Script: Information on the artist and the piece is as follows:
Push Let
Rose Rivard, BFA Sculpture and Printmaking
Mixed media
Push Let focuses on the varying ways the idea of shelter can manifest itself. The use of human made and natural forms illustrates a comparison between the bodily need for physical protection, and the mental construction of feeling sheltered or nurtured. The combination of these two realms of need suggests that they are not separate, but dependent on one another.
A pile of snow that refuses to melt! (Outside a parking structure on the WSU campus)
And how do I dress up my couch? With the most exotic of cushions, each one a work of art itself because the front of each one is an intricate handwoven piece of kilim. For more on kilims, check out the wiki entry right here.
It doesn’t always have to be a PBJ (Peanut-Butter-Jelly) Sandwich– it can be anything you like. Check out some of these ideas from Home Hacks.
We’ll assume for a minute that your usual fall back add-ins are a given. The two most popular are usually slices of banana and jam or jelly. While those are great, they aren’t much of a surprise. Listed below and pictured above are 10 of our favorites that pack a little more punch. We were missing a few of the items (what do we look like a grocery store?), but we’re pretty sure you can guess which ones!
Do you have a favorite or quirky peanut butter and “insert weird item here” combo? Let us know in the comments below!
What You Need
Materials:
Bread of choice
Peanut Butter of choice
1 or more of the ingredients listed below
Knife for spreading
Flavorful Add-Ins
1. Dill Pickles: Hands down our favorite way to enjoy a peanut butter sandwich is with a few slices of cold pickle on it. Yes it’s weird. Yes, we’re ok with that and yes, we think you’ll like it too!
2. Tomatoes: During the summer months when tomatoes are coming out of your garden like… well tomatoes in summer, slice one up and add it to your sandwich. Some prefer the tomato to be salted, though we’re purists at heart. Well, purists who like tomato that is.
3. Marshmallows: It doesn’t matter if you’re a purist and love your marshmallow fluff or you like the little bite size marshmallows themselves, peanut butter and marshmallows has been a long time favorite through many a generation.
4. Onion: Though it might not be a favorite for little kids, peanut butter and onion is a favorite for many. Some like their onions cooked, though most prefer them raw, a nice slice with a bit of salt and pepper nestled between two pieces of bread and a layer of peanut butter? Yes please!!
5. Chocolate Chips: While you can also melt some chips and spread on the chocolate first, we like the hidden surprises of the chips in each bite. It’s a sweet treat that keeps our need for dessert at bay.
6. Cheese: Plain old yellow American singles are a great addition, sharper cheeses are great for adults as well. Sometimes we’ve been known to skip the bread all together and just put our peanut butter right on our cheese… though we fear you might judge us for having said that out loud.
7. Apple Slices: Peanut butter and apples is a common lunch time snack, but not usually found between two pieces of bread. Slice your apple thin so its easily bit through while eating and enjoy a little tart and sweet with your ooey gooey delight! (for a double whammy, add a slice of cheddar on there as well!)
8. Cabbage & Carrots: This one is probably at the top of the weird list when it comes to things most people wouldn’t usually think of. A stout cabbage leaf and some julienned carrots (sometimes with a dash of soy sauce) is almost a lettuce wrap and feels slightly Thai in nature. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! (for those with a keen eye, the “cabbage” above is really Romaine lettuce… but we figured it was an ok stand in!)
9. Bacon: This combo isn’t sure if it’s breakfast or lunch, but it’s great for a burst of energy and a little out of the ordinary. It sure is tasty though!
10. Raisins: Just like Ants on a Log, we love raisins here too! We’re partial to Golden raisins, though you can use whatever you have on hand.
Additional Notes
You can of course use different nut butters for those with allergies or personal preferences. So please try our suggestions with vigor, even if peanuts aren’t your bag — just remember, we haven’t taste tested pistachio butter and pickles, so we can’t suggest it as a tasty treat (though we bet it’s swell).
