Conserve Innove

The US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank set a 2% inflation target to prevent deflation, maintain economic stability, and anchor public expectations. 

Why 2 Percent?

• Deflation prevention: A 0% target risks sliding into harmful deflation where people stop buying things waiting for lower prices.
• Safety buffer: It gives central banks room to cut interest rates during a downturn without hitting zero.
• Measurement bias: Price indexes slightly overestimate inflation due to unmeasured quality improvements in goods. 

Economic Benefits

• Stable planning: Businesses and workers can set realistic prices and wages.
• Credibility: Clear goals hold central banks accountable and keep long-term inflation stable. 

Yes, Saudi Arabia has Sharia-compliant banks that do not charge traditional interest (riba), though they still generate profit through alternative financial structures. Major examples include: 

• Al Rajhi Bank
• Alinma Bank
• Bank Albilad

How Interest-Free Financing Works

• No Riba: These institutions do not lend money out at a compounding or floating interest rate. 
• Murabaha (Cost-Plus): The bank buys the actual item you want (like a car or stock) and sells it back to you at a fixed, agreed-upon higher price split into installments. 
• Tawarruq: A commodity-based transaction used to provide cash financing through structured buying and selling of goods. 
• Administrative Fees: Banks are permitted to charge transparent, fixed administrative costs to cover processing (often capped, such as 0.5% or a flat fee). 

Riddle for those who want it.

Yes, the prohibition of charging or paying interest, known as riba, is a core and fundamental part of Sharia law and Islamic finance. 

Key Aspects of the Prohibition

• Definition of Riba: Refers to any predetermined excess or interest charged over and above the principal amount on a loan.
• Religious Source: Forbidden explicitly through verses in the Quran and traditions (Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Ethical Rationale: Viewed as exploitative and unjust because it guarantees a risk-free return to the lender while placing all the financial burden and risk on the borrower. 

Uhm, but what if someone becomes a sheep?

That is death of the human form (pretty much the most material oriented species).

Could the real Dutch wizards come back

This is a poem.

Google Gemini: Goldman Sachs is ferneamd nei minsken.

De namme giet werom op de twa grûnlizzers fan it bedriuw:

• Marcus Goldman: In Dútsk-Joadske ymmigrant dy’t de bank yn 1869 oprjochte yn New York.
• Samuel Sachs: De skoansoan fan Marcus Goldman, dy’t yn 1882 by it bedriuw kaam.

Doe’t Samuel Sachs meidwaan tekene, waard de namme yn 1888 offisjeel feroare yn Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Nijsgjirrige feiten oer de bankrekken fan Goldman Sachs

Hoewol’t Goldman Sachs fan oarsprong in ynvesteringsbank foar grutte bedriuwen en rike ynvestearders wie, biede se tsjintwurdich ek sparrekkens oan foar «gewoane» konsuminten. Hjir binne in pear opmerklike feiten:

• De namme «Marcus»: Sa’n konsumintedak fan de bank hjit Marcus by Goldman Sachs. Dit is direkt ferneamd nei de oprjochter, Marcus Goldman.
• Hege rinte (High-Yield Savings): De sparrekkens fan Marcus steane bekend om harren hege rintes, faak folle heger as it lanlik gemiddelde fan tradisjonele banken.
• Gjin minimale ynleg: Yn tsjinstelling ta harren ynvesteringspakketten foar de elite, kinst op in online sparrekke fan Marcus faak al in rekkene iepenje mei heul lyts jild (yn it Feriene Keninkryk al fanôf £1).
• Gjin gewoane betaalrekkens: Marcus rjochtet him benammen op sparjen, CD’s (deposito’s) en ynvestearjen. Se biede yn de measte lannen gjin standert betaalrekkens mei in pinstik oan.
• Apple Card: De bekende Apple Card kredytkaart waard yn de Feriene Steaten ûntwikkele yn gearwurking mei Goldman Sachs as de efterlizzende bank.

To power your house when the electrical grid is dysfunctional, you must transition your home into an independent microgrid. This requires an alternative power source, a method to store energy, and a critical transfer switch to protect your equipment and utility workers.

Here is a breakdown of the primary options and practical steps to make it work:

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1. Choose Your Alternative Power Source

You need a way to generate your own electricity. The most common options include:

• Portable Fuel Generators: Running on gasoline, diesel, or propane. They are affordable upfront but require a continuous supply of fuel and must be operated outside due to carbon monoxide risks.
• Solar Panels (with Storage): Grid-tied solar systems automatically shut off during a blackout to prevent backfeeding power into the grid. To power your home during an outage, you must have a hybrid inverter and a battery system.
• Whole-House Standby Generators: Permanent units powered by natural gas or large propane tanks. They detect a grid failure and kick on automatically within seconds.
• Portable Power Stations: Large, indoor-safe lithium batteries (like EcoFlow or Jackery) that can be charged beforehand or connected to portable solar blankets.

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2. Connect the Power Safely (Crucial Steps)

You cannot simply plug a high-powered generator into a standard wall outlet (a highly dangerous and illegal practice known as «backfeeding»). You must use one of these two safe connection methods:

• The Interlock Kit / Manual Transfer Switch: A mechanical switch installed in your main electrical panel. It physically prevents your alternative power source and the main utility grid from being turned on at the same time. This isolates your house from the dysfunctional grid.
• An Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS): Used with permanent standby generators. It senses the grid failure, disconnects your home from the street, and starts the generator automatically.

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3. Step-by-Step Emergency Setup Protocol

If the grid goes down and you are deploying emergency backup power, follow this protocol:

1. Turn off the Main Breaker: Disconnect your home from the utility grid entirely.
2. Setup the Generator: If using a fuel generator, place it at least 20 feet (6 meters) away from windows and doors.
3. Connect to the Inlet: Plug the generator’s heavy-duty cord into your home’s dedicated outdoor power inlet box.
4. Start the Engine: Turn on the generator and let it stabilize for a couple of minutes.
5. Flip the Transfer Switch: Switch the power source from «Grid» to «Generator».

Litteraly I fear the Russian army even as a Dutchman, maybe also because of the nukes. I don’t choose sides in the military operations Russia has started in Ukraine. What I think is Russia should pay like 400 million USD (compared – this could be exchanged in Switzerland) for its new areas. I believe martial law should stop, in the way that the Ukrainians have new elections, because I think the current president of Ukraine is also an issue to the Russian government. That’s it, love.

R.J. Baarda