Burma

The recent developments in the country formerly known as Burma bring to the forefront several disturbing things. The obvious fight that continues for freedom from the junta that rules there is but one. Underlying all that is going on is the foot-dragging way the supposed democracies of the world respond and act. Too often economics takes precedence over political will and human rights. It would seem to me that complete economic isolation would have a much better chance of effecting change. While in the short run this kind of action would cause hardships on the people of Burma and all her trading partners, if the world (us) is really serious in its beliefs this would be a small price to pay when compared to continued repression. Freedom isn't free. Not even for those of us already living with it, sort of. As long as wealth and our own comfort come first, freedom for all comes last. The global economy must not rely on hypocracy to advance. The global mantra must be "ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE"

the Star Trek world we want

Over at the ReclusiveLeftist Dr. Socks gives what I think is the clearest path to the gender neautral world here, comment 50 scroll down the #50 comment. She talks of the need to abandon the old to have the new.

define illegal for one and all

Every time the subject of illegal immigration comes up the term illegal seems to fade from view. What is it about coming to the US. that makes being illegal desirable to being legal? What makes this even possible? The health care system? The willingness of business to provide illegal jobs? The American consumer's willingness to look the other way as long as they get things cheap? A capitalist system that puts profit above the law? To require a full accounting of those that get paid, those that pay, those that receive medical treatment and so on may scare those that are in violation but just maybe an above board approach to this problem is the only way to keep the front door open while shutting the back door...Some make noises about losses of freedom, government intrusion into our private lives and all the usual rhetoric. But what about MY freedom, MY government and MY private life? Are we to be held captive to those that abuse our system for fear of being called politically incorrect or subject to economic threats? If you want to dance to our band, buy a ticket. At full price!!

the hipocracy of it all

the federal reserve has taken drastic measures to smooth out the ripples in the banking and real estate markets before the economy as a whole hits the Crapper. The unspoken truth of this move is the benefit to those that were mostly the beneficiaries of the actions that caused the problems in the first place. Those that speak the loudest about the evils of taxes seem to have no qualms about having taxpayers and our government bail out their sorry asses because they set up and abuse a system that holds most of the people hostage to their excesses.

stumbling

great article at WIRED about the ongoing online spying, by our government and corporate entities.

test 3

one more time for good measure

test 2

funny but true

testing

check here

slip up or slippedout

In a NYT article Fred Thompson, talking about the economy, said that what is now a worrisome unemployment level used to be considered "full" employment. He also said that nothing is sustainable forever. Does that include profit growth that is larger than population growth? As some revel in the Dow's advance, they must not be doing ALL the math. If profit growth, real profit, is larger than population growth the only place this growth can come from is increased productivity per worker. We are seeing the use of the exploitation of resources and people to produce wealth for some but we have reached the end of that line in many ways.
As anyone that remembers high school math will tell you "A geometric progression will eventually reach tangent" Unfortunately for those of us living today this is a fact that those that came before us ignored. The economic progression must be in stasis with population if we are to survive as a civilization and a species.

chickens with thier heads cut off

The impending resignation of Senator Craig is telling on so many levels. What is going on?

blame game

As the recall of food and toys from China continues, the blame game heats up. The Chinese, Mattel and others are taking turns making sure they are not alone is this. As for me, I would put the blame on the root cause that makes them all partners. GREED!!!

wool

Yup, uh-huh, gotta be!
When reading a NYT's article on Countrywide's finacial woes all I could think of were two old phrases. "Love of money is the root of all evil!" and "Capitalist Pigs!" The examination of lending practices and the profit generating services as well as the use of SPVs gives a clear picture of greed gone wild. So many truly believed they were getting something for nothing. Well now it seems that was true for only a few and even that required most of us to lose.
That's wool over our eyes folks! Now the question becomes "Who put it there?"

blah blah blah

reading the whining of retailers of HDTV is getting old fast. They complain of slumping profit margins due to intense competition and wise consumers. Is this not free market capitalism at its best? How long do they expect to fool people? Extended warranties, useless service contracts and add-ons can only generate profit for a limited time before the consumer realizes they are getting hosed. Shame on us for being observant.

so it goes

the move by John Edwards to focus some of his attack on Sen. Clinton's supposed failure to get health care reform could backfire. With a Republican majority in both houses of Congress at the time (Newt and the boys) and the reluctance of many Americans to follow a woman into battle, I would look closer before assigning blame.

ala JohnBoy and Billy

During the time I spent living in Florida, someone introduced me to this radio program. I must admit that I found much of it very funny. But much of it bore a pervasive kind of thinking that was foreign and upsetting. Mostly the opinion that the people that did not subscribe to Southern thought were doodoo heads. I hope the world can move beyond the need to be regional in ones loyalty and be truly one people. This is not to say we must all be copies of one another, but some virtues ARE universal in scope while some biases ARE universally wrong.

advertising mysagany

The post about the Nike ad at FEMINIST LAW PROFESSORS shows how self perpetuating and subliminal inequality can be. Even those that try to fight it can be browbeaten into submission if we allow it to continue.

maybe soon they will get the message

It's sort of like proprietary ownership of the right to drink. Once one buys a beverage, one can drink it, save it or switch brands at will. Not so with your phone. The substancial cost of changing carriers makes it all but impossable to make decisions for oneself. The breakup of AT&T was an effort to thwart the stiffled competition of the phone. Since that time some things have changed but not the desire to limit the power of big business. Witness the fast spreading news of how to hack the IPHONE. Be assured that it is a crime. The trouble is many see the preditory marketing traps of the big boys as the bigger injustice. Sort of like "Tank Girl's" dept. of Power and Water.

turn the page

after a little soul searching, I will now write about things that do not involve me personally anymore, much. For a while now I have been enamoured with someone well beyond my reach. An unrequited love affair if you will. So strong is my attraction that I may be acting a little goofy. Who am I kidding, very goofy. This person is probably aware of my idiocy. Being way to nice to just tell me to fuck off, they just continue to be kind. It is up to me to grow up and turn the page. Too bad for me, too bad for them, too bad.I don't know when or why but the tone of our exchanges changed. Where there was once interest and the sharing of life's meaningful topics, there is now polite conversation. I know this is due to my words in some way so I will limit what I say to them.

mines and people

working below the surface is a very scary thing to most of us. Blessings to those that do.

are we trading long term survival for short term comfort for some and the degradation of many

14 billion a month for the war in Iraq, untold wealth around the globe for other economic or political pursuits. While we argue about renewable sources of energy. Some debate the virtues of the health care system. The real estate bust. Downturns in the Dow. Intellectual property rights. Borders, taxes, equality.
Some see these as secondary to the fact that more oxygen is consumed each day than the earth can produce in the same period. Time to grow up people, and leave childish animosity behind, way behind. For our children and our children's children and in perpetuity.