By Stephen Buller Robert Kiyosaki, famous for writing the number-one bestselling book on personal finance, “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” says savers are losers. If you’re able to get past the controversial and inflammatory nature of the statement, you will find much truth, especially in 2024. I’ll argue for the merits of saving for the future….
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Earlier in 2024, Microsoft’s current leadership proposed a plan to reduce power consumption from multiple groups within the company in order to re-route its capacity to its US-based Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) servers. GPUs power AI. The plans feature shifting the “compute” for core services, for products like MS Office, to…
By Stephen Buller How much is a dollar worth? If that sounds like a trick question, it’s because most Americans are used to measuring worth in dollars. The dollar is our “unit of account,” which is a standard measure of value, and one of the key traits of money. We could use other units of…
One of the Loop’s editors spotted a distinctive car this afternoon: A DispatchHealth car We assumed it was to “show the flag” for VHCD’s upcoming urgent care solution. But when we ran into DispatchHealth’s people, we confirmed that they are on-island and ready to provide care. What can they do? Stitches. Assessments. Limited blood panels….
By Bernie O’Malley Vashon Mayor, 2016 Neighborhoods across Vashon and the rest of unincorporated King County will look very different if the King County Council approves proposed changes to Housing and Zoning Laws when it votes in December. WAIT WAIT WAIT. STOP RIGHT THERE, MY NEIGHBORS. Put down the torches and pitchforks! This conversation is…
By March Twisdale By now, you may have heard that “new zoning laws” are being proposed for unincorporated King County (KC). This includes three rural towns: Fall City, Skyway, and Vashon. I have no idea what is best for the residents of Fall City or Skyway. But, like you, I have some ideas about what…
By Stephen Buller One of my readers wrote in, disagreeing with my claim that the United States dollar is a “fiat” currency. Firstly, let me say thank you for your interest! My mission in writing these columns is to educate my community about the monetary system as it exists today, and on how we could…
By Jane Valencia Our conversation with Thomas Vroom and Jordan Ashley Beck of Fernhorn Bakery has ranged through many topics. From the origin of their bakery, to concerns regarding commodity wheat, to benefits and connection with the exciting prospects of Vashon grown-grains and possibilities for strengthening Island resilience, we return to where Fernhorn Bakery is…
By Stephen Buller The cry has fallen on deaf ears for many years, but as the Fed struggles on both sides of its “dual mandate” to promote maximum employment and stable prices, more and more Americans are becoming aware of our central bank, what its role is, and its impact on our daily lives. It’s…
By March Twisdale Dear Vashon Island Visitor, Tourist, and Summer People, Roughly one year ago, I began a series of articles about “Bank Taxes.” This is what I call the predatory and increasingly ubiquitous money extraction technology also known as “transaction fees.” Wherever you live, these are impacting you negatively and directly, but even worse,…