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Brian A. Wilkins Posts

Quick Blurb: Oregon/Washington Border

Published August 23, 2014

August 23, 2014

Oregon Ducks

First things I noticed when crossing into Oregon from Washington via Interstate 5: 1) You are immediately in Portland; 2) the first two exits off the freeway are MLK Street and Rosa Parks Avenue; 3) I stopped to get gas and a guy walked up to my driver side window. I immediately just handed him a dollar, thinking he was homeless or something. But in Oregon, its ILLEGAL to pump your own gas. All stations are full service. He was the pump attendant.

Also Wal-Mart uses paper bags in Multnomah County, Oregon. read more

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4 Useful Corporations For Road Warriors

4 Useful Corporations For Road Warriors

Published July 16, 2014

BrianWilkins.org
July 16, 2014

I’ve been to Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, and Utah in the past seven weeks. Living mobile is nothing new for me, as I’ve urban/stealth camped in Phoenix and Tucson during the winters months. But in those cities, I know my safe havens: where to park, where to get free Wi-Fi so I don’t have to use my own, and can always shower at one of the gyms I’m a member at. It’s a completely different story when you’re traveling to places you’ve never been. read more

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Living In A Van: The Simple Life

Published July 6, 2014

July 7, 2014

Charging my battery bank at a rest stop in B.F.E., Nebraska.
Charging my battery bank at a rest stop in B.F.E., Nebraska.

There are three primary reasons I have lived in my van for the better part of the last two years: 1) I could care less what people think of me; 2) I like freedom; 3) you only live once (don’t the kids nowadays say that).

Gym memberships allows me to stay in shape and take showers (truck stops and their $10-$12 per shower services are utilized as well); internet via two hot spots allows me to work from where ever I want, and I can even hunt rabbits and squirrels, and go fishing whenever I want fresh meat. read more

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5 Revealing Statistics About Dating

5 Revealing Statistics About Dating

Published May 4, 2014

May 4, 2014 (links, photos, and videos updated December 9, 2018)

Photo via BlackandMarriedWithKids.com
Black women are more attracted to thier own race compared to other women. Photo via BlackandMarriedWithKids.com

A good number of Americans prefer the single/dating life, while others like committed relationships with each other. Granted the latter group is still a slight majority, according to data by Static Brain via the US Census. But these five statistics tell a lot about love and relationships in America.

1. Data compiled from Facebook’s app “Are You Interested” found that Asian and Latina women prefer white men over their own race. Both white and black women prefer their own race. But black women had a 50 percent higher response rate to black men than white women did with white men. read more

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Common Core Standards And Customary Units: Match Made In Hell

Common Core Standards And Customary Units: Match Made In Hell

Published May 4, 2014

May 4, 2014

Photo via Bay Area Speech Language Learning Associates.
Photo via Bay Area Speech Language Learning Associates.

The Common Core Initiative is federal legislation that standardized learning and graduation requirements in English and mathematics for most U.S. public schools. It’s endorsed by both the bipartisan National Governors Association (NGA) and non-partisan Council of Chief State School Counselors (CCSSC).

Former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, who’s also the former Chairwoman of the NGA, is widely regarded as the architect of Common Core. School districts across the country began adopting the program in 2009. Parents all across the country are now complaining to their local school districts about assignments being impossible to teach to a 2nd grader, while other parents call Common Core “ridiculous” and completely unnecessary. read more

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The U.S. Economy And M3 Seven Years Later

Published October 30, 2013
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced in September that QE3 will continue indefinitely.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced in September that QE3 will continue indefinitely.

There was once a time when any amateur economist could determine the country’s solvency simply by obtaining money supply reports from the Federal Reserve and crunching the numbers themselves. Investors could see which countries are receiving U.S. dollars and how much, before deciding to purchase international bonds or U.S. Treasurys. But those days are long over and the world’s economy has become a guessing game even to seasoned monetary minds.

It was November 2005 when lame-duck chairman Alan Greenspan, in relative anonymity, announced that the Fed will discontinue publishing the M3 monetary aggregate, effective the following March. The press release also indicated that the Fed would discontinue publishing Eurodollar derivative swaps and all other large time deposits. read more

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