I've been considering mentioning that these updates are approximately weekly. That's sort of the intent. I have a list going of things I want to think through anyway, the writing process assists with the thought processing, and you my dear reader, have something to ponder or enjoy depending the piece of writing.
1. Who says you can't teach more than just language in an ESL environment?
One of the students in my adult class has a masters degree in physics. The class discussion started with where one might like to live. He mentioned at a space station and well, one thing led to another and it became very clear that an explanation of the theory of relativity was in order. This individual is usually a little quiet when it comes to more ordinary English language topics, but he did a great job explaining relative theory to the class. :) A great impromptu speech. I love it when I get an opportunity to direct class in such a way that learning beyond mere language practice occurs.
Speaking of the sciences and the natural world, I've been enjoying attempting to extract as much heat from my apartment window as I can. I've had the heat off for a little while now that the heat regularly reaches 15-16C. My apartment temperature ranges from 21C to 23C. My goal is 22C-24C using only solar energy given the current weather conditions. Of course there are so many confounding variables that the experiment is sort of ridiculous. Anyway, the goal right now is more heat gain during the day, less heat loss at night. Yay for solar heating! I've got a cup full of water in my window right now with a plastic bag on top and a thermometer inside. I wonder how warm it will get? Of course in a few weeks time I'll be more concerned about getting rid of the heat considering there's no air conditioning, for now though I'm having fun getting this apartment as warm as possible with out using energy that I'm paying for. Later the game will reverse.
2. Copper coinage
A good percentage of my readership, probably two out of four people haha, recall my talking last summer about the implications of the value of the base metal in canadian pennies and nickels ultimately effecting their demise. Now of course laws have been passed since to make it illegal for citizens to melt coinage for it's metal value in Canada and the United States. Hmm, I wonder how my copper horde is doing. Isn't that convenient that laws have been passed making the coinage practically useless. Who is happy that prices are rounded to the penny and not to the nickel? Not I.
The South Korean equivalent of the penny, the 10 won coin has also recently had protective laws put into place as foolishly, the coins are being minted at a cost of nearly three times their face value. They also contain at least 50% greater than face value of metal. I read an article laughibly titled the other day crooks are melting down the currency! So what if entrepreneurs are making a better use out of a resource than its intended purpose. Thankfully the Korean government has issued new 10 won coins which contain only a trace of copper. After all, who wants tax dollars to go to produce currency that costs more than the face value of the currency?
Ultimately, I imagine we'll see large quantities of copper coinage turned into infrastructure and buildings; illegally of course. Almost all silver coinage disappeared despite laws being past against the melting when silver prices shot up in the late '60s. This begs the question, why make it illegal to use a resource for it's best purpose?
Erich's NAQ on copper coinage (Never asked Questions)
1. Q. But Erich, if all the copper penny's are melted there might be a shortage of pennies?
A. Considering that governments can produce newer copper plated steel pennies at a cost of less than face value, it's not a matter of cost to the tax payers. I imagine under contract billions of pennies could be made each year if necessary. Even so, should we really have pennies in this day and age where even minimum wage in Alberta is a matter of a penny every 4.8 seconds?
2. Q. But melting pennies is bad, because the government told me so.
A. What do you think is more ecologically damaging? Mining for copper or reducing the amount of clutter in your house by getting rid of pennies? Think about the amount of time it takes to earn a penny at minimum wage, I'm sure on average the amount of time wasted on a penny is greater than that. Pennies have try transaction costs associated with them.
3. Q. What's the benefit of melting the pennies again?
A. To help alleviate copper shortages worldwide. What do you think is more important? Reduced housing costs to copper availability or being able to play with pennies? Besides, government's always seem interested in creating jobs. Think about all the jobs it will create if pennies are melted down.
4. Q. How will the government keep track of the amount of money in circulation if pennies are melted down?
A. They could keep track of the ratio of copper to steel pennies in circulation. That should give them an idea of how much wealth has been created by using copper pennies for their best purpose.
5. Q. I can't think of any other questions. Please send them in if you think of some.
A. Only after your question is sent to the writing team at erichinkorea.blogspot.com