Looper and Argo

Looper: 3 Stars (Blue) * * *
I really enjoyed this movie.  However, there was a plot device in the second half that caused the movie to drop from amazing to just pretty good.  The concept was fantastic, but it had too much additional stuff put into it.  Had it not drifted into absurdity, this would have been a 5 star movie.  As expected, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis are great, and theres also a great performace by Jeff Daniels.



Argo: 5 Stars (Gold) * * * * *

I went into this not really knowing what to expect, but I left with the feeling "that was a great movie".  Which I'd say makes it worthy of 5 stars.  Based on a true story, though I need to look up how accurate it is.  Either way, very entertaining, informative, and overall great.  Tons of great actors, especially Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston.

Complete Guide to the Coins and Bills of the US Dollar

Most people that know me know that I'm a currency enthusiast, and my favorite physical currency is my own home currency, the United States Dollar.  Here I shall do a complete rundown of all denominations of the Dollar, ranging all the way from $0.005 to $100,000.


Coins





The $0.005 Coin (Half Penny): The smallest denomination of the dollar ever made.  This coin was made back in the 1800s when the dollar was worth significantly more than it is now, where the cent could actually buy you something.  Once a common coin, inflation rendered this coin practically worthless and it was gradually phased out of circulation.  However, if you were to find one today you could probably sell it for a pretty significant amount.  The obverse has a depiction of a generic "lady liberty" as was common in the 1800s, before it was considered proper to have depictions of existing people on your currency while the reverse has a design encircling the word "Half Cent".



The $0.01 Coin (Penny):  What today's American will think of when they think of the smallest division of the dollar.  This coin is commonly seen today and often thrown away when recieved as change.  Once made of copper, now made of an alloy of zinc and copper since the value of pure copper in a penny exceeds its own face value.  Calls have been made to cease production of this coin do to inflation rendering its value to nearly nothing.  The obverse has a depiction of Abraham Lincoln while the reverse has commonly had a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial though has changed recently to depict a sheild.  A long time ago, the coin also depicted a generic figure like the Half Penny.



The $0.05 Coin (Nickle): Also commonly used today, the coin depicts Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and commonly Monticello on the reverse, Jefferson's plantation, though this has changed as well throughout the years.  The "Liberty Head" series nickle from the 1800s is said to be one of the most valuable coins in the US in the eyes of collectors.



The $0.10 Coin (Dime): The name meaning "tenth" as in a tenth of a dollar.  This is actually the smallest US coin in terms of size but not value.  Dimes in the past were much larger and made of actual silver while moden coins are small, made of nickel, and depict Franklin D Roosevelt on the obverse, and a torch on the reverse.



The $0.25 Coin (Quarter): The name referring to its value being a quarter of a dollar.  The most commonly used coin in the US today.  Most popularly has George Washington on the obverse and a bald eagle on the reverse, though the past decade saw the "state" series where the reverses of the coins depict each state in the US.



The $0.50 Coin (Half Dollar): One of my favorite coins and one that sadly doesn't see very much use.  The half dollar is the largest coin still minted by the US and depicts John F Kenndy on the obverse and the Great Seal of the United States on the reverse.  Though this is the largest coin still minted in the US, the largest ever minted in the US was the Dwight D Eisenhower dollar in the 70s.



The $1.00 Coin (Dollar Coin):  An uncommonly used yet increadibly frequently redesigned coin, the most recent being the gold colored dollars with each of the presidents depicted on them.  There have been many attempts to get this coin to replace the $1 bill, though all of them proving unsucessful.  This is the highest denomination of coin minted in the US today.  Prior versions of this coin were the Susan B Anthony Silver Dollar and the Sacagawea Gold Dollar. 



The $2.50 Coin (Quarter Eagle): The first of the discontinued, ultra-rare, solid gold, and presently extremely valuable high denomination coins.  The Eagle is a slang term meaning "Ten Dollars" so the name Quarter Eagle means a quarter of ten dollars, or $2.50.  All coins of this denomination and higher depicted generic portraits, being of a generic Native America, or a generic Lady Liberty.



The $5.00 Coin (Half Eagle):  Worth half an Eagle, or $5.  These coins contained what was at the time, their face value in gold, which today is FAR higher than what their face value was at the time.  This combined with their extreme historical value, can cause these Eagle coins to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to collectors today.



The $10.00 Coin (Eagle):  Same as the other Eagles, but worth $10.  The reverse depicts the Great Seal of the United States and the words "Ten Dollars".



The $20.00 Coin (Double Eagle):  The highest denomination of coin ever issued for general circulation in the US.  These can go for stellar amounts of money at collector auctions today.





Bills




The $1 Bill: Probably the most common form of the dollar in circulation.  The $1 Bill is interesting since it is probably the bill that has changed design the least amount of times since it was introduced, aside from the $2 Bill.  The bill has virtually no anti-counterfeiting measures and has George Washington on the obverse, and the famous "All Seeing Eye" and Great Seal on the reverse.



The $2 Bill: The rarest dollar bill that is still printed regularly by the US.  The two has Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the reverse.  Rarely used due to it's unusual denomination and rarity.



The $5 Bill: Commonly used bill today, the lowest of the bills that saw redesign in the last decade.  Has a watermark and various features to prevent counterfeiting.  Has Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse, just like the Penny.  This bill was also released as part of the Silver Certificate Series in the early 1900s, where it could be redeemed for its face value in silver.



The $10 Bill: Common bill that has first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton on the obverse and the Treasury Building on the reverse.  Has the same anti-counterfeiting features as the $5.  This bill was also released as part of the Silver Certificate Series in the early 1900s, where it could be redeemed for its face value in silver.



The $20 Bill: Another of the most commonly used bills in the US.  Has Andrew Jackson on the obverse and the White House on the reverse.



The $50 Bill:  Slightly less commonly used bill.  Has General and President Ulysses S Grant on the obverse and the Capitol on the reverse.




The $100 Bill:  The highest denomination of dollar that is still printed regularly today, though far from the highest dollar bill in general.  Has Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and Independence Hall on the reverse.  This bill was also the lowest denomination of the elusive 1934 Gold Certificate Series, which was money that was only to be used by the Federal Reserve and Treasury and was created to replace the gold bullion held by the Federal Reserve when the US was preparing to leave the Gold Standard.



The $500 Bill: The lowest of the large denomination bills that are not printed today.  The obverse has President William Mckinley on the obverse and an abstract design that reads "Five Hundred Dollars" on the reverse.




The $1,000 Bill: The rare $1,000 bill has Grover Cleveland on the obverse and an abstract design that reads "One Thousand Dollars" on the reverse.  This bill was also included in the 1934 Gold Certificate Series, which had a gold colored seal and had a gold colored reverse.



The $5,000 Bill:  Possibly the most valueable dollar bill to collectors due to the fact that there are actually a fewer number of these than $10,000 bills.  The obverse has President James Madison and the reverse has an abstract design that reads "Five Thousand Dollars".




The $10,000 Bill: The highest denomination of currency that was released for use into general circulation in the US.  The obverse has Cheif Justice and Treasurer Salmon P Chase on the obverse and an abstract design on the reverse that reads "Ten Thousand Dollars".  This bill was also included in the 1934 Gold Certificate Series, which had a gold colored seal and had a gold colored reverse.



The $100,000 Bill:  The king of bills and the king of denominations.  The $100,000 was only printed as part of the 1934 Gold Certificate series and thus could only be used by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury.  This gigantic bill has President Woodrow Wilson on the obverse and an abstract design on the reverse that reads "One Hundred Thousand Dollars".  The bill, including the seal, serial numbers, and entire reverse feature gold ink being Gold Certificate series, which adds to the valuable appearance of the bill.  The Federal Reserve has admitted to holding over ten billion dollars in Gold Certificates to this day, and so there are probably still many of these in existence, though only held by the Treasury and Fed.



This concludes my guide to the United States Dollar.  :)

Movie Opinion Sweepthrough

Ever since summer started I havent really been in a writing mode and have neglected to review quite a few movies and music albums I've experienced lately.  Rather than give a proper review of movies that I've seen lately, I think I'm just going to give a generic opinion for each movie I've seen lately.


Prometheus: 3 Stars (Blue) * * *

Opinion: Pretty entertaining, admittedly I'm not dedicated to the Alien series as much as those who were hyped about this movie.  Not spectacular, but nothing to really complain about.




Rock of Ages: 1 Star (Red) *

Opinion: Not good.  I thought the only redeeming factor was the mildly entertaining roles by Tom Cruise and Alex Baldwin.  But overall, the most formulaic plotline possible, and cheesiest music choices for the musical scenes. 



Brave: 3 Stars (Blue) * * *

Opinion: Plotline was fairly decent though predicable.  Loved the animation and the characters.



The Amazing Spiderman: 4 Stars (Silver) * * * *

Opinion:  Very good.  Most definitely the best Spider-Man movie.  Andrew Garfield was great as Peter Parker and the side characters were great, probably most notably Martin Sheen's performance.

Lines Between Friendship, Stupidity, and Loyalty

I've had some conflict with a (former?) friend of mine calling into question what I was willing to do for that person, what I ought to do, and what would be called being taken advantage of.  I've heard it said that friends should always be there for each other no matter what.  I'm not so sure about that.  A spouse, yes.  But a casual friend?  Maybe I'm a bad friend, but there are certain things I am not willing to do for people.  I don't think that makes me a bad friend or bad person.  I'm not going to do something that jeopardizes myself for something trival for another person.  Do friends put each other in that position in the first place?

Whatever.  In other news, since my last update I've lost my license and got it back again over the course of a month.  Probably a sign that I don't write enough.

Fear of Socialism

One word we hear a lot in today's political world is the word socialism.  Most often it is used by conservatives to paint a picture of a firey hellscape that could become America if it is steered by liberals.  But I often wonder if many people who use the word really know what it means and why they hate it so much.  Even if they do know what it is, do they know why they hate it so much?  For many the fact that it is socialism is reason enough.  But many say that it corrects the injustices under pure laissez faire capitalism and is more in line with the teachings of Jesus about looking out for the well being of the poor.  I'm not a pure socialist but I think I agree with these points.

However to be fair many conservative economists do know what they are talking about and have valid criticisms about socialism.  It may have an effect of deincentivizing people from working, but it doesn't seem to me that this wold necessarily be true, since it makes assumptions of human nature and there is still a sense of earning money for your work even if much of it goes to lower classes.  It may in fact result in a lower GDP overall, but couldn't one say that this is a worthy sacrifice for the benefits of socialism?  I would probably call myself a Kenesian when it comes to economics, a mixed economy that is capitalist, but impliments ideas of socialism where necessary.  I feel that history has shown that there are times when it is indeed necessary.  The Great Depression of the 1930s was an event where capitalism hit a snag, and had it not been for a combination of government intervention and WWII, we might not have left it as soon as we did.

An issue that gets shot down in the US because it is labelled socialist by its opponents is the idea of universal health care.  People say the whole system will collapse like the Soviet Union if doctors are paid via tax money regardless of their performance.  I don't think this is necessarily true, as it isn't the entire national economy that is participating in non purely capitalist activity, it is only the health care industry, so it could be supported from the outside, since the rest of the national market is still operates on capitalism.  Taxes would be higher sure, but there are worse things than higher taxes, like having much of the country die of preventable sickness because they don't have enough money.

Speaking of the Soviet Union, that is probably the biggest reason people so fiercely oppose socialism.  Because in principle it sounds somewhat similiar to communism, which brings to mind images of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong and having a tyrant rule over the people with an iron fist.  But this is a slippery slope arguement.  Implimenting some policies of this nature will no slingshot the whole country to the extreme end of the political spectrum.

Overall the point I'm trying to make is not that we should be a socialist country, but rather that people in the political world have a cool head when talking about these things and not be so ideological.  Captialism is a good thing overall, but it shouldn't be clung to like a dogma, with refusal to budge in any area of society even when there are clearly problems arising.  We should be reasonable and being willing to put ideology aside in order to do what reason says is best.

More Pessmistic Cynicism

In American History class today, we talked a lot about the Vietnam War era, part of which was about the draft and how many chose to burn their draft cards in protest.  It made me think, if I were drafted into a war overseas today, would I go or willingly go to jail because I don't believe in the cause enough to put my life on the line for it?  Then I thought it was depressing how if you tried to state your case, it would probably be met with cries of not believing in freedom or America.

But really, wars overseas are not about defense, they are about offense.  A war where you are defending freedom would be like the American Revolution, where it is fought right at home out of self defense.  Even then, is it about freedom or self preservation?  Is any war really about freedom or anything that idealistic?  Not really.  It can always be traced to some other goal, in the case of Vietnam it was out of irrational fear that communism was spreading across the world and it was up to us to stomp it out.  In the case of Afghanistan it was initially about revenge, and now it's about who knows what.  In the case of Iraq it was a misguided sense of justice that followed the "high" of fighting for America.  War is depressing in general, and it's also depressing that they never accomplish the good things they claim to be trying to accomplish.  Things like that throughout history make me loose faith in America in general.  It probably has the best living conditions overall in the world and I'm glad to live here.  Really I guess things like that make me loose faith in humanity in general since other countries are no better really, their causes are just different, be it for the Queen or power or whatever.

Individuals can display love and geniune affection and can display cruelty and selfishness.  But at the international level, it seems like it is always selfishness and non-truth.  Yet sadly, large national bodies and governments appear to be necessary for a stable society.  It's a sad cycle and I'd probably be the same way in a position of power, so I can't really fell smug and righteous or anything.  It sometimes feels like life is a giant series of illusions and delusions.  I really long for something pure and geniune that doesn't have a hidden sinister goal of some kind.  Maybe that just isn't a possible thing.

Blues

Feel down today, probably due to several things.  I probably have to drop economics and I essentially was turned down for even something like a cup of coffee.  It's probably not as bad as I think, but the past couple days have just felt very lonely and like I just don't have much to be excited about at the moment.  We'll see what the next week might have in store I guess.