Archive for category JCC Snippets

Petition

Apr 18

Posted by J.Charles in JCC Snippets | No Comments

Here is something fun to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw.

You won’t believe it. While watching this video keep in mind that these are real people being asked to sign a petition. They walk among us, they reproduce and horror of horrors, the vote.

Farm Subsities

Apr 18

Posted by J.Charles in JCC Snippets | No Comments

While wintering in an RV Park in Arizona several years ago I was talking to a fellow who inherited some dry land wheat farming land in central Washington. He was not yet old enought to qualify for a social security check but said he was doing okay in retirement as the federal government sent him a nice check every year for not growing a crop on his land. He said something like, “Imagine that, the government pays me for not having a job. Stupid, but I’ll take it if they want to give it to me.”

Nowadays, one significant component of the price increases in some groceries is the governmental subsity of crops being used for biofuels. Corn is the example often used.

Home Size

Apr 17

Posted by J.Charles in JCC Snippets | No Comments

The average U.S. house size grew from 983 sq. ft in 1950 to 2.377 sq. ft. in 2010.

Source: Betsy Towner, aarp bulletin

My first home purchase was a new 3 BR single bathroom and single garage on a large lot. Total square footage was around 1,000 and it cost me $10,200 in 1961. My income was $550/month or $6600 per year so the house cost 1.55 times my annual income. In today’s dollars that purchase price would only be 6.39 x 10,200 or $65,178.