Archive for November, 2009

Psykers

Check out these psykers I just put on the block.

See just the pics.

Fractional Reserve Banking Explained

Something for Nothing

The main street of the small town that I live in is about fourteen blocks long. I have counted about eight large bank buildings, each with attractive landscaping. This has led me to think: what are these banks making or providing that is so important that my little town needs eight of them on the main drag? Other than restaurants (food) they are easily the most numerous of any given type of business.

What are they making or producing or providing that improves the lives of the locals?

If you could view the economy of a city from above you would see a boiling pot: business that are making something, expanding quality of life, creating goods. The cobbler repairs shoes, the baker makes bread, the beautician cuts hair. Blue Table Painting paints figurines.

A bank could be seen more like a whirlpool, a vortex that serves to suck out the resources of the local community. Invisibly but efficiently.

I compare the process to that by which a fly eats. The fly barfs out stomach acid (credit) then sucks up both the acid and the now-goopified food matter (goods bought on credit).

Fractional reserve banking works like this: a bank gets $20,000 on deposit. It then puts that money “on reserve”, a special deposit that banks make (I think with the Federal Reserve). It is then allowed to make $200,000 in loans.

It keeps on reserve a fraction of the loan, thus fractional reserve banking.

So, where did the extra $180,000 come from? It came from nowhere. No one invested it, no one saved it. It does not represent labor or goods.

Let’s say the loan is made for someone to buy a house. That person then pays back the $200,000 with interest for a conservative payback amount of $300,000. Let’s say further that person makes $60,000 a year. That means that he will spend more than four years doing nothing except working to pay the bank the invented part of the principle.

But what is the real exchange here? He will have traded four years of his life (non-refundable! the only asset any human has) for the initial deposit of $20,000.

If you default, the bank now gets the house. It owns the home outright. But what did it trade for the finished product?

Imagine every debt that you have reduced to one-tenth. That is the real money involved.

Think of it another way. A bank is allowed to take gold, mix in 90% lead and then go spend that as if it were gold. Plus get interest. Then when the bust comes, harvest the homes and goods of the citizenry. In a more fundamental way, a bank harvests your very life; like the Skexis from the Dark Crystal– they are vulture-shaped husks that have to feed on the life essence of captured podlings.

I propose to you, dear reader, that this is a fraudulent exchange. It is legal. But I suggest to you that it is a monstrous fraud (by definition) done to nearly every citizen in this country. Every day.

There’s more. It is this concept, coupled with central banking, that allows a government to debase the currency (mix in lead so to speak) and go to war without the real cost being revealed to the citizens until later. Central banking makes it much more likely that countries will go to war.

A $5000 car in 1975 now six times that amount thirty years later. How is that? Prices aren’t going up. The value of the dollar is going down.

This is not conspiracy theory. It’s a simple fact of everyday life. It is the foundation of our so-called financial system.

For my part, I am working at reducing the number of transactions I have with banks. I am approaching this from a consumer’s point of view. I no longer wish to purchase a certain type of service from the bank.

I believe a more equitable way of doing things would be to require a 1:1 reserve ratio.

In recent years, the Treasury Secretary loosened these reserve limits. Some investment firms had 30:1 ratios or higher. Meaning they created out of thin air new debt (new money) at the rate of $300 for $3 on reserve.

Lastly, I would like to clarify, that I am only here being critical of ONE function of a bank: fractional reserve banking. I believe it is harmful. Banks provide other functions, eg the warehousing of valuables and the safe transfer of money (like Paypal). These are proper functions of banks. They can be good.

Terrain Fest

The last few days I’ve been making terrain. It’s a miserable process, and I don’t see myself doing it much in the future. It’s all good to make a set once in a while, but I usually get myself in over my head and it turns into a misery. I am, of course, just venting. Oh, TERRAIN, I can’t stay mad at you!

• Tzeentch Daemon terrain (for a client– turned out genius)
• Alpine (expansion to current set– made a lot of trees; it’s a misnomer it’s really just regular forest)
• Toxic Waste
• Chaos Mortals Display (for a client)
• Badlands (this is the best and largest set of terrain we made for the studio)

I tried some new techniques, for more realistic rocks, combining all the techniques I know: sandstone cutting, sanding, heat, and another one where I superheat a coat of wet housepaint and it makes tiny irregularities. I got a pretty handsome result.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day at the studio tomorrow.

Cravin’ Skaven Special

The Skaven Spreadsheet has a special on it: a deal for 60 clanrats in a bulk shot.

Here’s the other one I’m going to be running:

A run of 100+ clanrats/slaves as follows:
$115 for models (that’s over 30% off)
$325 for painting L2 (that’s $3.25 per model)
$200 for assembly

TURBO! Skaven
1500 pts for $1100 (deposit of $550 pulls the trigger)
2000 pts for $1400 (deposit of $700 pulls the trigger)
2500 pts for $1700 (deposit of $850 pulls the trigger)

Go for a L2/4 split and get it for less:
1500 pts for $900 (deposit of $450 pulls the trigger)
2000 pts for $1200 (deposit of $600 pulls the trigger)
2500 pts for $1400 (deposit of $700 pulls the trigger)

Cirrus

Check out this sunset. This lasted for like ninety seconds. I turned around and it was gone.

Just put up some Ork boyz on the block. There are 27 of them being sold in groups of nine. And a nob. I plan on doing more of them. You can buy as many as you want, in fact, we can get them done as soon as you like.

The Skaven.

The Skaven are on the way. Gah! I can hear them in my mind!

They’ll be here on Friday. I ordered enough to do one extra army. I just need a taker. Someone who is all hot to trot to get their Skaven army done. If you’re that person I’m willing to sweeten the deal: the army will be done by November 30, and you’ll get free shipping.

First time clients get 30% off on the cost of models on your first order.

I am currently booking projects for completion in December. We’re ready whenever you are. The studio has never ever been more muscular.

PS- here’s the extra Skaven on order:

We also make a mean scratch-build Warp-Lightning Cannon.

We also plan on making conversions for unusual army list entries for which there is no published model.

Monday Monday

Hey all, it’s Monday morning and I’m pretty much caught up. I’m just sitting here by the phone/in-front-of-the-computer waiting to set up some new projects. I’m available for anything you might have in mind.

Some little-known facts:

• You don’t have to do it all by email. You can (if you want) call me and set everything up by dictation. I will type all your instructions, discuss army options, make suggestions and take your deposit by credit card; all over the phone.
• I accept payment by almost any method you could imagine: check, money-order, cash, precious metals, and even trade-in. And of course credit card by phone/email or Paypal.

I forgot to put up the link to various tanks and fateweavers.

I’m currently setting up for the December run of your Pandora’s Army or a Turbo Army.
Pandora’s Army is the least expensive option: we pick what army you get and what’s in it and how it’s painted; but you can narrow it down. You pick the point level.
Turbo Army is you say “make me a certain number of points of this particular army” for a flat rate. We decide what’s in it and how it’s painted. For example: $850 for a 1500 point Warriors of Chaos army.

See here for details on those particular specials.

There’s more. In the next week or so I plan on making a run of terrain. If you want some made I need a budget (usually $200-600 for a set) and your general directions of what you want done…

Just checked the weather. Looks like it’s on for this Wednesday, November 4. And Thursday most likely.

Multiple Weather Personality

Big news in Gately’s life: I just finished season one of Arrested Development. What a hilarious waste of time. No regrets.

Autumn in Utah is schizophrenic. Green trees of summer, trees are yellowing, and snow is already starting to fall. It’s the short autumns. Fall in Oregon is very long, and sort of merges into winter. It rains a lot. Oh, how I miss the rain.

Thank goodness for Sunday. It really gives me a chance to recharge.

Today in Sunday School my wife came in with Willow. She is ever so mild mannered. Even when she fusses it is in a soft sort of muted squeal. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The teacher played a little something on the piano, and when she saw that it’s all we could do to restrain her. She got away, crawled over to that piano and somehow got a hand up there. CHUNG!

She’s a musical baby.

I had a two chicken pot pies for dinner with a thick chocolate milk (hot) with marshmallows to wash it down. So filling.

My back is screaming, hurting as much as it’s ever hurt.

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