Money Matters Revisited

So I realize that I am actually quite lazy. It was over two months ago that I posted about my broken change jar. here & here. Well I finally got the change counted. I broke down and went to a coin star machine. I was reluctant to use it because they take a fee. I thought that I could get it counted for free. Maybe I'm just lazy and cheap?

So here is the final run down.
1c #5500 totaling $55.00
5c #1615 totaling $81.00
10c #2839 totaling $284.26
25c #1360 totaling $340.00

Grand Total: $760.26 and it only took me 9 years of saving!!!!

So this begs the question, what do you do with $760.26. In using the coin star machine they give you several options. You can get gift cards at all the usual places you would expect, Amazon.com, iTunes, Starbucks, and others. You can also donate money to several non-profits, as well as get cold hard cash in hand. Using the give card and charitable donation you can eliminate the fee. I ended up cashing out and putting some into my savings account. Some I redeemed into gift cards and I the remainder I donated to a hunger relief organisation.

The Simple Way

If you haven't heard a building owned by The Simple Way, a Christian community in Philadelphia, has burnt down, causing considerable damage to the property, and well being of many people. If you have a chance please check out there website and, donate to their rebuilding.

Dispatches From The Revolution

-Gods Kingdom is all around us
-It is just as visceral as it is spiritual
-God wants us to act so he can reveal his kingdom



For more on Revolution Cafe check out my friends blog.

Housing Justice: Part II or I wish I could get 750 million dollars from the government to help with my rent.

The BBC reported today that New York City is giving the financial company J. P. Morgan Chase $50 million over the next 15 years, totaling $750 million, in rent subsidies so that they do not move their headquarters to Connecticut. The city has also payed Goldman Sach's $650 million to build new offices. (This construction is to replace their offices lost on 9/11)

This isn't the first time we have seen corporate welfare, Walmart has been infamous for this practice. But why give the money to for profit corporation when you could use to benefit the middle class and poor of the city who are paying some of the highest housing rent prices in America. Where are their rent subsidies?

No Oil, No Power, No Problem!

Here is a great video of a passive solar house using a double envelope construction. I got this from the TreeHugger website. Enjoy

Housing Justice

Today in the Boston Globe there was an article on the status of housing in Boston. The story mentioned that a family making just over a six figure salary has trouble finding a house in Dorchester, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Boston. The article went on to say that the cost of housing in Boston is 5.4 times the median household income, the national average is 4.6, and the affordable range is 3 to 3.5.

How does this story get balanced with the booming development on Boston's new waterfront district. Most of the housing will be "luxury" condos, well out of the reach of even the middle class. It use to be that home ownership was the first step from poverty to the middle class, but lately it seams as thought those in charge of the America's city's have forgotten that.

Where will the middle class live when they can't afford to live in the poorest neighborhoods?

Where will the poor live?

Best Cover Song Ever