July 2018 Blog Topics
A New One-Dollar Coin?
A new and small coin should be introduced as a one dollar coin. It should be roughly the diameter of a dime (or a tad smaller) but somewhat thicker to distinguish it by touch from a current dime. It should have a yellowish color although, as are all U.S. coins of recent mintage, it might contain no copper or silver or gold content. The dime size is convenient for carrying a large number of them.
It would join the small to large progression of "yellow" coins of a century ago, the new sequence being: one dollar, five dollars, ten dollars, and twenty dollars.
Long time ago, the size and material of coins somewhat reflected their value and therefore denomination. The least expensive coins were "red," made of copper or bronze. In the U.S. the only red coin is the penny. Next came the "white" coins made of silver. The dime, quarter, half dollar and (whole) dollar are in this category, listed by increasing size. Finally came the "yellow" coins made of gold. Gold is much more valuable than silver by weight and the yellow coins started small. In ascending size and value were the five dollar, ten dollar, and twenty dollar pieces.
There were some exceptions, notably the nickel in the U.S. But originally, the intrinsic value of the nickelwas approximately five cents.
We could also re-introduce a five dollar coin with the same diameter of existing gold five dollar coins. For those who have never seen a U.S. five dollar coin, it is atout the same diameter as a nickel and thinner. The new five dollar piece could be made even thinner than an old five dollar piece to further distinguish it from a nickel but still thick enough not to be easily bent or mutilated.
NATO
President Trump should not have "ordered" European contries to contribute more money to NATO. Instead he should have said that the U.S. going to reduce its financing of NATO to a fair share and warn the other countries that the money may run out before the year is out and U.S. soldiers may then have to go home early.
Lawn Watering Regimen Should Take As Few Days As Possible
Here is an example. The lawn needs watering once a week. Your water pressure is low so only one sprinkler can be used and it takes six evenings to finish watering. One day it rains heavily. You say to yourself that the lawn can go five days without watering. On the sixth day you start watering again. The last section will not have received water for eleven days and may suffer from drought.
The answer: Rest for only one day, the same one day per week you rested before the rainstorm. Then get back on your watering schedule immediately.
Let's imagine your neighbor also needs to water the lawn weekly but can do it all in two days. After the rainstorm he can rest for five days and then complete his lawn watering again in his two days and every part of the lawn will have gotten water within a week.
Home Alone
From the Global Times back in 2011.
A family's "little angel" took that designation a bit too seriously after scattering 10,000 yuan (then US$1,567.74) in cash out of her fourth-floor apartment (in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, in China).
The unnamed four-year-old girl, having been left alone by her parents on the evening of Monday, suffered a burst of youthful curiosity and decided to scatter a few bills from the window. After noticing the rush of gleeful people, the girl decided to toss the remainder of the unattended bills.
"It was like a money rain," said a woman, a stall owner at a local market. "No one could believe what they were seeing."
The girl's parents and police were soon called to the scene.
The parents said that they left the money on the table in the evening, intending to use it the next day to purchase insurance. Of that formidable sum, they only managed to recover 1,100 yuan (worth $172.45).
Red Light Cameras? Slow Down!
Many cities have cameras at intersections to take pictures of cars running red lgihts. Then traffic violation tickets are sent out.
Some drivers have complained that the yellow light is too short to stop safely and in time for the red light.
Yes, for a given yellow light length, there is a certain speed above which it is sometimes not possible to stop in time.
But for that yellow light length there exists a lower speed below which it is always possible for a good driver to stop in time. This lower speed is really an "implied speed limit" given the length of the yellow light.
We are suggesting, for starters, driving at four fifths (80%) of the posted speed limit. Actually this writer believes that no one should go more than 30 miles an hour through any intersection since some other car or pedestrian or bike might run their red light or stop sign and come out in front of you.
By the way, there is no law that requires that you reach the posted speed limit.
Last updated July 26, 2018
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