The nation's present troubles, [Cox & Alm] argue, "will turn out to be mere footnotes in a longer-term march of progress." The US economy, "a $14 trillion behemoth," remains without equal as an engine of growth and prosperity. However impolitic it may be to say so, when you take the long view it is clear that we have never had it so good.
The material progress of recent decades has been extraordinary - at all income levels. Forty percent of poor families own their own homes. For many goods (kitchen appliances, color TVs, air conditioners) ownership rates are higher among poor Americans today than they were among the general population in 1970.
[+]
Wow - talk about media spin!
Economists that get paid to ensure consumer indices don't fall too far off the target will surely tell you things are fine & dandy. Unfortunately, most of these economists live in a vacuum and ignore reality - they studied at Harvard or MIT, so they will happily consult their books & charts instead of looking outside the box. I was an econ minor, so I'm no stranger to professors warning me of the dangers of economic indicators and how living in a vacuum can be very dangerous for an economist with lots of responsibility - like the jokers referenced in the above article.
Here's some news that you won't see in the headlines but that is very real:
- Geologists have told us we're at the end of the toothpaste tube when it comes to oil, and yet we're still struggling to maintain our refineries and not investing nearly enough in new technology - Mercedes-Benz & BMW are the current leaders of practical hydrogen vehicles, not the so-called gas-sipper companies like Toyota & Honda (who, by the way, have developed stronger & faster V6 engines at a rate that would make even a German engineer green with envy).
- China & India are demanding more resources as they steal America's thunder, and as such more of their citizens are demanding American lifestyles.
- Overpopulation is a very real issue that no one seems to want to address, even though our water sources are becoming ever more polluted. In terms of material comfort, about the only point I agree with in the article, we do have it too well in that we shut out nature to reproduce endlessly. It's absolutely laughable that Cox & Alm describe our economy as "without equal as an engine of growth & prosperity" - sure, let's continue to grow even though there's not enough food or water to support everyone, that sounds like a great idea.
- The real GDP of the country has been on the decline since WWII. Consumption financed by debt can't change that; that mentality led to banks overreaching in the housing market, which has in part helped the dollar decline to where foreign investors are buying up everything in this country (until they become too scared to even bother). Some UK companies offer tours where folks that want to invest in American property fly to a major city, drive around on a tour bus, and go to foreclosed homes to make bids. That can't be the sign of a healthy American economy. Just ask the Board of Directors at Anheuser-Busch if they could have bought InBev instead of the other way around.
- Standards of living have actually decreased in this country - it's becoming more difficult to make it than it was in our parents generation, whether we have AOL & cellphones or not. Inflation is high but pay isn't rising & our food prices are increasing - and in this area of the country at least, housing prices remain high relative to our salaries & ability to pay debt. Don't forget that the US Peso is bought at steep discounts abroad, to the point where most countries don't even trust us to pay them back anymore - it's more like empirical tribute fees than investments these days, and this empire is clearly on the decline.
In terms of material comfort - sure, we're more free than ever to sit on the couch, eat microwavable dinners, and develop diabetes at an earlier age. Won't argue with the author there. But when we actually do step outside, we step into overcrowded cities & suburbs full of strip malls, with everyone out for "me, me, me". I don't think there's an economic indicator for how people feel about that.
In terms of work, I think the figures in the article belie what's really going on in today's working world. People might spend less time in the office, but that's only because technology has allowed them to become slaves to blackberries & laptops even on vacations with family. The lines of work & home have become so blurred that leaving the office to pick up the kids from day care at 3pm so you can plop them in front of the TV while you finish the day's work from 3:30-9PM (do any families eat dinner together anymore) is commonplace. We're more plugged in at work than ever before, not less, but at least before, we could trust that if we did a good job, a company would keep us around & give us a pension. Since at-will employment and 401k plans took hold, people don't feel the need to work overtime unless it's absolutely necessary. And all that multitasking that we're so proud of and that is stressed at our business schools (I know, I was at one less than a decade ago)? New research is showing this may actually lead to brain damage.
And let's not forget another big reason the economy has continued to look steady for the past 30 or so years: the women's movement. It was great for women to take control of their own bodies & be more well-respected. It wasn't good in that traditional family roles changed & most families are now used to the idea of two incomes (and paying for day care instead of raising one's children), to the point where they now need two incomes where prior generations really only needed one income. That trend has become irreversible as our economy now relies on families with two incomes, and if food, oil, and housing prices rise, it's okay, because the hit to the wallet is half of what it used to be (so goes the modern logic). Instead of building a society around more and more people working full time, we should go back to one-income families and a four-day work week. We'd take a one-time economic hit for a year or two but in the long run this society would be a lot more healthy. No economic indicator will tell you that.
These are the good ol' days? Hope I'm not around when the proverbial shit hits the fan!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Protectionism for illegals reaches new low
The man charged with killing a father and two sons on a San Francisco street last month was one of the youths who benefited from the city's long-standing practice of shielding illegal immigrant juveniles who committed felonies from possible deportation, The Chronicle has learned.
Edwin Ramos, now 21, is being held on three counts of murder in the June 22 deaths of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16. They were shot near their home in the Excelsior district when Tony Bologna, driving home from a family picnic, briefly blocked the gunman's car from completing a left turn down a narrow street, police say.
...
In neither instance did officials with the city's Juvenile Probation Department alert federal immigration authorities, because it was the city agency's policy not to consider immigration status when deciding how to deal with an offender. Had city officials investigated, they would have found that Ramos lacked legal status to remain in the United States.
[+]
Let's put this in plain terms so we all understand what's going on here:
1. A city known for its yuppie element, who are more concerned about hiking and vineyards than about the problems they face in their own city, have decided to enforce a law which essentially contradicts federal immigration statutes. This practice kept a known felon on the streets for years.
2. This offender/felon/illegal immigrant - a known gang member by now - decides to kill a man and his two sons, right in the street, because they were blocking his car from making a left-hand turn.
3. A US Taxpayer, likely born & raised in the United States and maybe even in that very neighborhood of San Francisco, is no longer around, but his murderer is, and it's been realized far too late that the murderer was walking streets that he had no right to be walking in the first place.
A healthier society would do away with these individuals - legal or illegal - and either dispose of them on sight, or send them into a community for murderers. Then again, a healthier society wouldn't tolerate trash like this on its streets, so Mr. Bologna & his two sons would still be alive today had we enforced our own statutes.
Edwin Ramos, now 21, is being held on three counts of murder in the June 22 deaths of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16. They were shot near their home in the Excelsior district when Tony Bologna, driving home from a family picnic, briefly blocked the gunman's car from completing a left turn down a narrow street, police say.
...
In neither instance did officials with the city's Juvenile Probation Department alert federal immigration authorities, because it was the city agency's policy not to consider immigration status when deciding how to deal with an offender. Had city officials investigated, they would have found that Ramos lacked legal status to remain in the United States.
[+]
Let's put this in plain terms so we all understand what's going on here:
1. A city known for its yuppie element, who are more concerned about hiking and vineyards than about the problems they face in their own city, have decided to enforce a law which essentially contradicts federal immigration statutes. This practice kept a known felon on the streets for years.
2. This offender/felon/illegal immigrant - a known gang member by now - decides to kill a man and his two sons, right in the street, because they were blocking his car from making a left-hand turn.
3. A US Taxpayer, likely born & raised in the United States and maybe even in that very neighborhood of San Francisco, is no longer around, but his murderer is, and it's been realized far too late that the murderer was walking streets that he had no right to be walking in the first place.
A healthier society would do away with these individuals - legal or illegal - and either dispose of them on sight, or send them into a community for murderers. Then again, a healthier society wouldn't tolerate trash like this on its streets, so Mr. Bologna & his two sons would still be alive today had we enforced our own statutes.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Women claim to be ordained as priests
A group advocating for the ordination of women held a ceremony yesterday in a packed Protestant church at which it declared three women to be Catholic priests and a fourth woman to be a deacon.
The ceremony, like several others that have taken place around the world over the past six years, was denounced by the Roman Catholic Church, and critics said the event was a stunt with no religious significance.
[+]
Homosexual/pedophilia scandals; infighting among members of the same church as to who can be priests and who can't; telling third-world citizens to reproduce more and more Catholics for the sake of the Church (which effectively denies the reality of overpopulation)...can't the Church just admit it went corrupt a long time ago, scrap the whole thing, and start over with some basic values that celebrate real life instead of imagined afterlives?
Here's a hint: start out with that book you call "The Bible" - cease treating it as a sacred & untouchable tome when most of the included stories are only in there due to political decisions, not because they contain any special divinity. What I'd like to see are the stories that were excluded because of the same political decisions, maybe that will shed some light on what early Christians actually believed instead of the political mess we have today.
The ceremony, like several others that have taken place around the world over the past six years, was denounced by the Roman Catholic Church, and critics said the event was a stunt with no religious significance.
[+]
Homosexual/pedophilia scandals; infighting among members of the same church as to who can be priests and who can't; telling third-world citizens to reproduce more and more Catholics for the sake of the Church (which effectively denies the reality of overpopulation)...can't the Church just admit it went corrupt a long time ago, scrap the whole thing, and start over with some basic values that celebrate real life instead of imagined afterlives?
Here's a hint: start out with that book you call "The Bible" - cease treating it as a sacred & untouchable tome when most of the included stories are only in there due to political decisions, not because they contain any special divinity. What I'd like to see are the stories that were excluded because of the same political decisions, maybe that will shed some light on what early Christians actually believed instead of the political mess we have today.
Harkleroad (who?) poses nude for Playboy Magazine
On one level - sure, this is hot.
[+]
On another, isn't it hilarious to listen to an athlete who decides to do something "controversial" to gain some attention? Apparently this woman wants to be the next Anna K. - nice eye candy for the masses, not that great a tennis player. This woman should just give up her day job and start filming pornos if she's more comfortable in front of a camera without any clothes on - why work so hard to play tennis when you can make just as much money on your back?
[+]
On another, isn't it hilarious to listen to an athlete who decides to do something "controversial" to gain some attention? Apparently this woman wants to be the next Anna K. - nice eye candy for the masses, not that great a tennis player. This woman should just give up her day job and start filming pornos if she's more comfortable in front of a camera without any clothes on - why work so hard to play tennis when you can make just as much money on your back?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Lack of shame knows no bounds among some Beach Boys fans
The former Beach Boy and his manager-wife Melinda Wilson responded to unhappy concert-goers after the ‘Stand Up For A Cure’ charity benefit at Hammerstein Ballroom last week (July 11) during which Wilson only played for 75 minutes.
Some tickets for the show cost several hundred dollars, but patrons complained of bad visibility and the fact that Wilson did not play with a full band. They were also unhappy with his choice of songs.
[+]
Today's mob mentality and the subsequent lack of shame & decency in modern society apparently knows no bounds.
Can you imagine the gall it takes to attend a charity benefit concert, then to tell the performer his musical performance wasn't quite up to snuff because he wasn't able to emulate 30-year old songs to your satisfaction? Enough people voiced this sentiment, along with the sentiment that they had parted with too much money for what they felt wasn't a strong performance, to the point that Brian Wilson felt he had to take action. This would be like when I donated some money for a friend's road race, only if I asked him for my money back because he didn't finish in the top ten.
I'm not a big fan of charity to begin with, but I am absolutely appalled and amazed that anyone would complain after seeing Brian Wilson in concert at a charity benefit and then ask for their money back or complain about the performance.
I'm even more amazed that Wilson wanted to appease the masses so much that he decided to dig into his own pocket (I'm assuming the charity wasn't asked to refund the money) to part with his money just so these nitwits would sleep better at night. This goes to show just where our priorities are, and on another level, it also shows how pointless charity can be - we either do it because we want to attend a cool event and look good in front of the crowd of other idiots who attend these things, or we do it because we want to feel better about ourselves, not caring that most charity doesn't really do much in the end to help the disadvantaged.
Some tickets for the show cost several hundred dollars, but patrons complained of bad visibility and the fact that Wilson did not play with a full band. They were also unhappy with his choice of songs.
[+]
Today's mob mentality and the subsequent lack of shame & decency in modern society apparently knows no bounds.
Can you imagine the gall it takes to attend a charity benefit concert, then to tell the performer his musical performance wasn't quite up to snuff because he wasn't able to emulate 30-year old songs to your satisfaction? Enough people voiced this sentiment, along with the sentiment that they had parted with too much money for what they felt wasn't a strong performance, to the point that Brian Wilson felt he had to take action. This would be like when I donated some money for a friend's road race, only if I asked him for my money back because he didn't finish in the top ten.
I'm not a big fan of charity to begin with, but I am absolutely appalled and amazed that anyone would complain after seeing Brian Wilson in concert at a charity benefit and then ask for their money back or complain about the performance.
I'm even more amazed that Wilson wanted to appease the masses so much that he decided to dig into his own pocket (I'm assuming the charity wasn't asked to refund the money) to part with his money just so these nitwits would sleep better at night. This goes to show just where our priorities are, and on another level, it also shows how pointless charity can be - we either do it because we want to attend a cool event and look good in front of the crowd of other idiots who attend these things, or we do it because we want to feel better about ourselves, not caring that most charity doesn't really do much in the end to help the disadvantaged.
Gender & Science, courtesy of Corrupt.org
I got this link from a Corrupt.org post and have formulated my own comments on the matter.
Here's the Corrupt link, and here is the NYTimes link.
The members of Congress and women’s groups who have pushed for science to be “Title Nined” say there is evidence that women face discrimination in certain sciences, but the quality of that evidence is disputed. Critics say there is far better research showing that on average, women’s interest in some fields isn’t the same as men’s.
Ms. Pinker, a clinical psychologist and columnist for The Globe and Mail in Canada (and sister of Steven Pinker, the Harvard psychologist), argues that the campaign for gender parity infantilizes women by assuming they don’t know what they want. She interviewed women who abandoned successful careers in science and engineering to work in fields like architecture, law and education — and not because they had faced discrimination in science.
Crowd: WE WANT GENDER EQUALITY IN SCIENCE!
Women in Science: But we do have equality in science...when we're present. Just so happens there aren't as many women in the field as men. What would you do - force more women to major in science & live a life they don't want to live, so that there's a 50/50 split in the field? That doesn't make much sense. Even forcing the issue a little doesn't make sense; the only people who should be doing scientific research are people who want to do the work. It would be a disaster if it were any other way.
[murmur from the crowd]
Crowd: EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE!
Women in Science: We do get paid equally...not as many of us reach the higher plateau of the field simply because there are fewer of us to choose from, and therefore fewer scientific genius women out there.
[puzzled look on faces of the crowd]
Crowd: EQUALITY FOR ALL! EQUALITY FOR ALL!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is what happens when equality - with no real direction - is the big theme of the day/year/generation. Idiots decide what's right & best within fields they have absolutely no business interfering. When does this insanity stop?
Here's the Corrupt link, and here is the NYTimes link.
The members of Congress and women’s groups who have pushed for science to be “Title Nined” say there is evidence that women face discrimination in certain sciences, but the quality of that evidence is disputed. Critics say there is far better research showing that on average, women’s interest in some fields isn’t the same as men’s.
Ms. Pinker, a clinical psychologist and columnist for The Globe and Mail in Canada (and sister of Steven Pinker, the Harvard psychologist), argues that the campaign for gender parity infantilizes women by assuming they don’t know what they want. She interviewed women who abandoned successful careers in science and engineering to work in fields like architecture, law and education — and not because they had faced discrimination in science.
Crowd: WE WANT GENDER EQUALITY IN SCIENCE!
Women in Science: But we do have equality in science...when we're present. Just so happens there aren't as many women in the field as men. What would you do - force more women to major in science & live a life they don't want to live, so that there's a 50/50 split in the field? That doesn't make much sense. Even forcing the issue a little doesn't make sense; the only people who should be doing scientific research are people who want to do the work. It would be a disaster if it were any other way.
[murmur from the crowd]
Crowd: EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE!
Women in Science: We do get paid equally...not as many of us reach the higher plateau of the field simply because there are fewer of us to choose from, and therefore fewer scientific genius women out there.
[puzzled look on faces of the crowd]
Crowd: EQUALITY FOR ALL! EQUALITY FOR ALL!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is what happens when equality - with no real direction - is the big theme of the day/year/generation. Idiots decide what's right & best within fields they have absolutely no business interfering. When does this insanity stop?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Pope recognizes environmental issue, but Christianity is still backward about the solution
The world's natural resources are being squandered in the pursuit of "insatiable consumption," Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday in a speech urging followers to care more for the environment and reconnect with the principle of peace.
[+]
The Pope has the right idea here, spreading the message that over consumption is a big problem in our society.
Unfortunately, him and his clique (Christian politicians from The Vatican) can't practice what they preach. Isn't one of the Pope's jobs to run around to third world countries, deathly afraid of the Muslim influx in Europe, and tell African Christians & others from poor nations to NOT practice birth control? Isn't this the same regime that tells people not to use condoms, and to simply stop sexual intercourse, thinking that these people will actually listen to them?
The Pope needs to take his stance a bit further and state that over consumption occurs not only because of our thirst for material wealth, but because the Earth cannot sustain billions upon billions of people, forever reproducing. Even if we had 6.5billion people on the planet living what the Pope considers to be good, Christian lives, there would still be major ecological issues affecting humans that are mostly self-made.
[+]
The Pope has the right idea here, spreading the message that over consumption is a big problem in our society.
Unfortunately, him and his clique (Christian politicians from The Vatican) can't practice what they preach. Isn't one of the Pope's jobs to run around to third world countries, deathly afraid of the Muslim influx in Europe, and tell African Christians & others from poor nations to NOT practice birth control? Isn't this the same regime that tells people not to use condoms, and to simply stop sexual intercourse, thinking that these people will actually listen to them?
The Pope needs to take his stance a bit further and state that over consumption occurs not only because of our thirst for material wealth, but because the Earth cannot sustain billions upon billions of people, forever reproducing. Even if we had 6.5billion people on the planet living what the Pope considers to be good, Christian lives, there would still be major ecological issues affecting humans that are mostly self-made.
Big Dig - $15billion was just the beginning
When are we going to learn that these people simply don't care about our interests? As much as I had issues with Governor Romney, at least he tried to do something about this mess when a woman died because glue was used to adhere 1-ton cement tiles to the ceiling of our new, leaky tunnels.
Big Dig payments have already sucked maintenance and repair money away from deteriorating roads and bridges across the state, forcing the state to float more highway bonds and to go even deeper into the hole.
Among other signs of financial trouble: The state is paying almost 80 percent of its highway workers with borrowed money; the crushing costs of debt have pushed the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which manages the Big Dig, to the brink of insolvency; and Massachusetts spends a higher percentage of its highway budget on debt than any other state.
[+]
It's sad that Massachusetts apologists point toward "corporate corruption" as the cause for this, instead of realizing that the system as a whole is flawed, including corrupt politicians in the state allowing this to happen - knowing it while it's happening - and refusing to act. This show put on by crooked contractors and even more crooked good ol' boys shows the entire world just how twisted the Massachusetts Legislature can be.
Down South, they might be more conservative, but having a common theme helps them out as they work together and have much greater transparency in government. That's the stuff of dreams for Massachusetts residents, who are so bored with this story that they have run out of outrage every time more bad news about this failed project surfaces.
Big Dig payments have already sucked maintenance and repair money away from deteriorating roads and bridges across the state, forcing the state to float more highway bonds and to go even deeper into the hole.
Among other signs of financial trouble: The state is paying almost 80 percent of its highway workers with borrowed money; the crushing costs of debt have pushed the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which manages the Big Dig, to the brink of insolvency; and Massachusetts spends a higher percentage of its highway budget on debt than any other state.
[+]
It's sad that Massachusetts apologists point toward "corporate corruption" as the cause for this, instead of realizing that the system as a whole is flawed, including corrupt politicians in the state allowing this to happen - knowing it while it's happening - and refusing to act. This show put on by crooked contractors and even more crooked good ol' boys shows the entire world just how twisted the Massachusetts Legislature can be.
Down South, they might be more conservative, but having a common theme helps them out as they work together and have much greater transparency in government. That's the stuff of dreams for Massachusetts residents, who are so bored with this story that they have run out of outrage every time more bad news about this failed project surfaces.
Sports Update: James Posey scores huge contract with Hornets, Celtics decline to match
Of course it was fun seeing a team that seemed bound for decades of obscurity, bounce back & win the NBA title with some savvy front-office moves by Danny Ainge.
Professional sports is a show of millionaire athletes who normally care very little for what they do. However, seeing certain Boston athletes in recent years take pay cuts, or take not as much money to stay with a winning team, has been a unique experience. It's not just that the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots have enjoyed winning titles, it's the way in which it has been done; strong, closely-knit organizations winning in the best way possible: with teamwork, and with guys who want to be here and care about the fans & the experience of playing in Boston.
Here are some examples:
Professional sports is a show of millionaire athletes who normally care very little for what they do. However, seeing certain Boston athletes in recent years take pay cuts, or take not as much money to stay with a winning team, has been a unique experience. It's not just that the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots have enjoyed winning titles, it's the way in which it has been done; strong, closely-knit organizations winning in the best way possible: with teamwork, and with guys who want to be here and care about the fans & the experience of playing in Boston.
Here are some examples:
- Randy Moss (NEP) took far less money than he could have made in the open market, despite a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, to stick with the team for a few more years. Keep in mind this player was known as being extremely seflish and unlikeable before he was signed to New England, and he took far less money than he could have made elsewhere just to come here. And what did he do, but break the touchdown reception record in 2007?
- Mike Lowell (Sox), after winning a World Series with the team in 2007 and entering free-agent status, took a bit less and accepted a lower contract to stay with the team for a few more years instead of bailing with his ring and taking more money to play elsewhere.
- Tom Brady (NEP) signed a five-year, $60million or so deal to stick w/ the Patriots; the guy is the ultimate competitor and the only player who comes close to him in terms of talent & ability is Peyton Manning - who signed a $100million deal a year or two beforehand.
- Paul Pierce (Celtics) has struggled his entire career for reasons to stick around (beyond money); came in wide-eyed and full of expectations in 1998 about the future of the Celtics. After years of futility and a few regime changes, he was finally ready to bolt town last year after one of the worst Celtics seasons in history & no hope on the horizon (see NBA Draft Lottery June 2007 for details). Once the Celtics signed Kevin Garnett in the offseason, he got his chance to shine, and he did - all of last season and through the playoffs, bum knee and all in the Finals.
And now we get to James Posey. The general consensus is that he's not worth the $25million contract he just signed with New Orleans. It would have been one thing had the Red Sox, for example, thrown a ridiculous amount of money at Mike Lowell just to make him stick around. They didn't; they offered him what they felt was market value, and it surprised a lot of people when Lowell took the deal. The Celtics would have had to overpay by at least $10million to keep Posey around and they didn't - so good for them; they now have more money to go out and sign other players. Sure, Posey was an important role player, but $25million for that? No, thank you - and thanks to Danny Ainge (if he even had the cap room to sign Posey in the first place), we'll hopefully be able to focus on other players who will help us out just as much, if not more, than Posey.
Edit 7/22/2008: And to prove the point, the Celtics re-signed Eddie House & Tony Allen for two -year deals.
Real Environmentalism vs. Greens
Read: Greens are the Enemies of Liberty
Alex Birch's comments follow. I couldn't have said it better, that's for sure:
While he's got a point that the modern environmentalist movement is kind of silly and only appears to be dogmatically immersed in climate politics, the answer is not to praise more "freedom" that we can't define. He goes on about liberties--how about the liberty to live far away from idiots, shopping malls and polluted ground water? How about the freedom to live in a society where leaders make decisions, not puppet monkeys on TV? How about the freedom to rebuild culture and work less, instead of slaving in corporate offices and then consuming junk to feel alive? We need to redefine what freedom means, and I'm not buying this directionless liberal rhetoric.
Alex Birch's comments follow. I couldn't have said it better, that's for sure:
While he's got a point that the modern environmentalist movement is kind of silly and only appears to be dogmatically immersed in climate politics, the answer is not to praise more "freedom" that we can't define. He goes on about liberties--how about the liberty to live far away from idiots, shopping malls and polluted ground water? How about the freedom to live in a society where leaders make decisions, not puppet monkeys on TV? How about the freedom to rebuild culture and work less, instead of slaving in corporate offices and then consuming junk to feel alive? We need to redefine what freedom means, and I'm not buying this directionless liberal rhetoric.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Astronomy
I've always been a big fan of astronomy. As corny as this sounds, looking up at the sky on a clear night, which reveals stars & distance unimaginable to our tiny minds, is absolutely amazing. When I was younger, I always felt like there really could be a planet out there looking right back at us, without us ever knowing. It is for this reason that "Contact" - despite a callous ending which completely cops out on Sagan's true feelings - remains one of my favorite films.
Since I've realized that religion can be a bit of a cop-out itself, with an attitude of, "why study astronomy or care about the stars when God controls all anyway", I've been fascinated with watching History Channel specials and reading up on anything having to do with space and the universe. Of course I do this more as a hobby and don't have the mathematical mind required to digest the finer points of astrophysics.
Some of the questions & thoughts which permeate my mind when thinking about what's outside our solar system, galaxy, and even universe are as follows. I allow my mind to wander a bit when it comes to this topic - for the most part I'm a grounded individual who is mostly concerned with matters of practical reality.
Since I've realized that religion can be a bit of a cop-out itself, with an attitude of, "why study astronomy or care about the stars when God controls all anyway", I've been fascinated with watching History Channel specials and reading up on anything having to do with space and the universe. Of course I do this more as a hobby and don't have the mathematical mind required to digest the finer points of astrophysics.
Some of the questions & thoughts which permeate my mind when thinking about what's outside our solar system, galaxy, and even universe are as follows. I allow my mind to wander a bit when it comes to this topic - for the most part I'm a grounded individual who is mostly concerned with matters of practical reality.
- Are humans part of a design, and is what we go through as a society a test for some higher purpose (religious folks, please don't think I'm talking about a heaven or hell)?
- Were we put here by another entity or being? Has the human race ever enjoyed help or education from a higher intelligence?
- Do the systems on our planet, which seemingly point to a design of security systems on Earth, exist so that if we screw it up too badly, we'll die off quickly without causing irreversible harm to the planet? I speak here of the billions of tons of methane captured in the tundra in Canada which is slowly melting; volcanic systems; even Old Faithful which, if fully erupted, could wipe out most of the American population - never mind climate change.
- Two elements - hydrogen and helium - are mostly responsible for all matter in the universe. Nuclear reactions inside stars in the early universe gave birth to different elements, those stars exploded, and some of that leftover matter created planets. This isn't a question but a pretty amazing piece of information.
- Is the location of the Earth special because we are not in the middle of a star cluster? Would life have formed in the same way had this planet been constantly lit with closely neighboring stars each night?
- As much as I want to deny a higher consciousness or power, it's pretty hard to do so when you consider the Earth's history, the history of the universe, and everything that had to happen on this planet and in our solar system for us to even be here. Were we a genetic/geological mistake? Or is the fact that we haven't seen a huge meteor strike the Earth and wipe most of us out, or have a nearby star (even our own) supernova - are these all signs that we're supposed to be here achieving something?
- How did the universe come to be - did anything exist prior to the big bang; are we in the middle of a cycle where matter expands, contracts, expands again, and if so, to what end?
- When our universe expanded, did another universe get cast off elsewhere, in a place we can't see because it's too far away or outside the borders of our universe?
These questions will probably never be answered, but it's a fun topic to ponder. Scientists are just now beginning to understand the dynamics of dark matter and dark energy, forces which previously went undetected and untheorized for hundreds of years of astronomy. We are beginning to detect the invisible, and our space telescopes are peering further and further across the universe. I'm fairly young, so outside of everyday concerns, it will be very interesting to see what the future brings in terms of what we see out there & what it all means.
New blog name; revamping
Why did I change the web address of this site, from "azzurri6306.blogspot.com" to "themodernsoul.blogspot.com"?
At some point - hopefully soon - I will be pointing a genuine, for-real internet address to this location. I haven't figured out what that link is just yet, and I have to register for it (read: pay). In the meantime, since I had an author recently comment on my 7/16/08 post, I figured azzurri6306.blogspot.com wouldn't make much sense in relation to the content on this site.
The title is also meant to convey some sense of irony. If you read this content, most modern folks (i.e., "souls") don't think like me at all. Then again, "soul" in this sense is meant to convey an abstraction; the part of us that perceives the world and ourselves, and is constantly trying to find our place within what we perceive. Unfortunately, modern society has taken this idea to the extreme where everyone believes they are their own empire, with the slightest inconvenience becoming the most personal of insults, while society outside their personal space decays. Nihilists - go to corrupt.org or ANUS.com for the specific type of nihilism I speak of here - try to rid themselves of that abstraction as much as possible and focus on what is real, focus on the world around us, and try to enjoy life in a more natural way, while attempting to plan for a society of like-minded people.
Enjoy!
At some point - hopefully soon - I will be pointing a genuine, for-real internet address to this location. I haven't figured out what that link is just yet, and I have to register for it (read: pay). In the meantime, since I had an author recently comment on my 7/16/08 post, I figured azzurri6306.blogspot.com wouldn't make much sense in relation to the content on this site.
The title is also meant to convey some sense of irony. If you read this content, most modern folks (i.e., "souls") don't think like me at all. Then again, "soul" in this sense is meant to convey an abstraction; the part of us that perceives the world and ourselves, and is constantly trying to find our place within what we perceive. Unfortunately, modern society has taken this idea to the extreme where everyone believes they are their own empire, with the slightest inconvenience becoming the most personal of insults, while society outside their personal space decays. Nihilists - go to corrupt.org or ANUS.com for the specific type of nihilism I speak of here - try to rid themselves of that abstraction as much as possible and focus on what is real, focus on the world around us, and try to enjoy life in a more natural way, while attempting to plan for a society of like-minded people.
Enjoy!
Massachusetts once again bailing out...itself
State Tries to Rescue Pike From Huge Debt
The timing of this couldn't be better - this week, Governor Deval Patrick signed the 2008-2009 Massachusetts fiscal budget into law. No one realized that there was an $800Million shortfall for our highway system?
Fact is, our state government has become so corrupt that these little "details" get glossed over. Who cares if there isn't enough money to plow the roads - they're made of cement, they'll be fine. We need more social welfare programs, we need to help illegals become members of our community, we need medicaid so all the older folks will keep voting for us since young people are leaving the state (hm, wonder why that could be). Never mind the fact that our best & brightest are leaving the state; as long as we keep raking in tax money, we'll be fine....right?
And yet, I can't help but feel the Turnpike Authority had this coming. The folks that work at toll booths and that get paid large sums of money and crazy pensions just to plug holes in the ground, have been living like pigs for decades now. And what about those tolls? Massachusetts collects an amazing amount of toll money each year, and the tolls closer to Boston continue to rise. There's no outrage over tolls that were supposed to disappear decades ago because people are used to paying them, so a little increase here or there never hurt. And yet they don't have $800Million to bail themselves out? It probably went to a total of about four executives' pensions.
It's no wonder larger corporations are moving further up Route 3 and even away from Waltham these days - less expense for their employees to get to work, less traffic, less headache dealing with the bureaucratic Boston gridlock each day.
The timing of this couldn't be better - this week, Governor Deval Patrick signed the 2008-2009 Massachusetts fiscal budget into law. No one realized that there was an $800Million shortfall for our highway system?
Fact is, our state government has become so corrupt that these little "details" get glossed over. Who cares if there isn't enough money to plow the roads - they're made of cement, they'll be fine. We need more social welfare programs, we need to help illegals become members of our community, we need medicaid so all the older folks will keep voting for us since young people are leaving the state (hm, wonder why that could be). Never mind the fact that our best & brightest are leaving the state; as long as we keep raking in tax money, we'll be fine....right?
And yet, I can't help but feel the Turnpike Authority had this coming. The folks that work at toll booths and that get paid large sums of money and crazy pensions just to plug holes in the ground, have been living like pigs for decades now. And what about those tolls? Massachusetts collects an amazing amount of toll money each year, and the tolls closer to Boston continue to rise. There's no outrage over tolls that were supposed to disappear decades ago because people are used to paying them, so a little increase here or there never hurt. And yet they don't have $800Million to bail themselves out? It probably went to a total of about four executives' pensions.
It's no wonder larger corporations are moving further up Route 3 and even away from Waltham these days - less expense for their employees to get to work, less traffic, less headache dealing with the bureaucratic Boston gridlock each day.
Monday, July 14, 2008
American business now for sale
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080714/ap_on_bi_ge/anheuser_busch_inbev
Congratulations, politicians & economists: our dollar has fallen so far behind that even the previously most untouchable names in big business are deciding to sell out rather than continuing as going concerns under their own names.
Not that I would ever drink the slop, but Anheuser-Busch (maker of Budweiser and Bud Light) sold out for $52 billion, a transaction which signifies more than just one giant brewer buying another. This would not have happened the other way around; American businesses that deal mostly in American currency simply do not have the global financial strength to buy large European or Asian companies anymore. Instead of merely seeing European tourists float around Disney world due to relatively cheap trip packages, we now have our first taste of what the fall to third world status will feel like: investors buying huge swaths of American business & property (South America, anyone?), with announcements like these becoming ever more common as high-percentage stockholders take their money & run to their asset managers to diversify.
Truth be told, Americans should have seen these days coming as soon as GM, Ford, and Chrysler decided to "diversify" and "globalize" their operations abroad rather than take some pride in their product and try to keep up with the Japanese & European auto companies by playing fair. This is just the latest step in America's economic freefall.
Congratulations, politicians & economists: our dollar has fallen so far behind that even the previously most untouchable names in big business are deciding to sell out rather than continuing as going concerns under their own names.
Not that I would ever drink the slop, but Anheuser-Busch (maker of Budweiser and Bud Light) sold out for $52 billion, a transaction which signifies more than just one giant brewer buying another. This would not have happened the other way around; American businesses that deal mostly in American currency simply do not have the global financial strength to buy large European or Asian companies anymore. Instead of merely seeing European tourists float around Disney world due to relatively cheap trip packages, we now have our first taste of what the fall to third world status will feel like: investors buying huge swaths of American business & property (South America, anyone?), with announcements like these becoming ever more common as high-percentage stockholders take their money & run to their asset managers to diversify.
Truth be told, Americans should have seen these days coming as soon as GM, Ford, and Chrysler decided to "diversify" and "globalize" their operations abroad rather than take some pride in their product and try to keep up with the Japanese & European auto companies by playing fair. This is just the latest step in America's economic freefall.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sunday Conversation with the Fam
In my never-ending quest to ease those I know ever so carefully into conversations covering difficult subjects, my father can be a tough nut to crack because we're so much alike. We agree for the most part that today's politicians are useless and that our society simply cannot be run the way it is, today, forever. As much as we're alike, he's sixty and I'm twenty-nine, so perspective plays into just how far he's willing to take some of his points in conversations about the future of our society. He won't be around to see the worst of it, but I (and my children) just may be.
Why is he a challenge for me when it comes to these discussions, even though he agrees? It's because he agrees and yet there's an indifference in his perspective, mostly having to do with the aforementioned age issue - today he admitted "even [he's] part of the problem" when it comes to society's indifference toward politics, let alone overpopulation or the environment. He has his slice of heaven; he figures it shouldn't be a lot more difficult for those of us willing to work hard and put their time in to get theirs - and human ingenuity will magically take care of the rest. Unfortunately, my generation appears to be the first one in decades - maybe even centuries - where life has become more difficult instead of more easy. Technology has ceased being the beacon of hope for all to eat & drink well across the world - we have reached the point where the more we grow in number, the less of us will have the ability to live first world lifestyles.
Exhibit A: urine and feces recycling. This was the headlining story in the Ideas section of the Boston Globe today - 13th July, 2008. That's right, folks; today's big idea is recycling human feces for natural resources instead of breeding below replacement levels for a few generations and getting rid of the real human waste - most humans themselves! Some "green" folks are probably going to say this is the way we need to move as a society - and the image that comes to my mind, which is very appropriate in this case, is a scene from the 1995 movie "Waterworld", which shows Kevin Costner pissing into a contraption, to filter out the water from his urine, so he can survive. Interesting how these ideas only seem to make sense - even in Hollywood, mind you - in dystopic futures where people are living under great hardship. To me, the foreshadowing could not have been more perfect.
Exhibit B: the idea that it doesn't make sense to plan for the future and use natural means to do it. Check out this article. Here's an excerpt:
Consider the case of genetically modified food. Many people fear that "tampering with nature" could produce adverse consequences for our health and for the environment. But others argue that a failure to allow genetic modification might well result in numerous deaths, and a small probability of many more. The reason: Genetic modification holds out the promise of producing food that is both cheaper and healthier - resulting, for example, in products that might have large benefits in developing countries. The point is not that genetic modification will definitely have those benefits, or that the benefits of genetic modification outweigh the risks. The point is that the precautionary principle provides no guidance.
Regulations sometimes give rise to substitute risks. DDT, for example, is often regulated in the interest of protecting birds and human health. In poor nations, though, DDT bans eliminate what appears to be the most effective way of combating malaria - and thus significantly undermine public health.
This (lack of) logic is laughable. Genetically modified crops have been shown - proven - to actually not produce as much food and foil the natural process in the soil where genetically modified crops are planted; they also demand more precious water (hm, go back up to Exhibit A for a solution on that one!) than natural/organic crops, which is a detriment to nature, the human race, and the soil - it's unnatural. This isn't precautionary; genetically modified food has been shown to be a bad idea. And DDT? Do we even have to discuss the blatant idiocy of the second paragraph above?
Isn't anyone paying attention? Most people with whom I gently broach the subject of overpopulation (read: what's really important to the environment vs. buying recycled plastic bags and low wattage light bulbs) arm themselves with arguments like "we produce much more per acre of land than we used to", and "technology is getting better & better; what are you talking about you fascist, we won't have to change the way we live!". What they fail to mention is that an acre of land is still just one acre of land - even if you made every square inch of it produce genetically modified tomatoes that have to grow over & under each other, what happens when there are fifteen billion people on the planet and they all need a place to live; they all want an acre of their own - and start paving over the last farmland? What happens when enough trash builds up that we have to think about sending it into space, polluting the atmosphere in the process and using jet fuel to send it out? What happens if we finally become one big happy family, sharing food & culture across borders freely? This doesn't seem to work so well in the salmon population where the strongest of the salmon used to survive, but now the weaklings in farmed salmon spread disease to the strong salmon, even those out in the ocean. Can't we learn from this - moronic cultures (or ideas) infesting other cultures is only bad for everyone. Take the example of modern-day Eurabia - oops, Europe.
Well, these questions will need to be asked at some point, so why not now; why not today? I asked these questions of my father today. I finally was able to discuss how society should look vs. how it looks today. When he heard my ideas, all he could really say was, "wow, that would take change at a very fundamental level of society". I mentioned how our societies have been built around cars, so today, people are waiting for electric/robotic cars to whisk them away instead of planning for a future with less cars, with people walking & biking more. I mentioned how it doesn't matter what you do to the land to make it magically shit out way more crops than natural design allows. Even if that worked, that would just encourage more people to breed, which would overpopulate our planet further and put further strain on our precious resources. I mentioned how geologists are very open about the fact that we're at the end of the toothpaste tube when it comes to oil and that an intelligent society would have realized long ago that trying to extract oil from rocks stinks badly of the emperor playing the fiddle as Rome burns. Shale oil is our solution, digging in Alaska is our solution, but our solution should be a huge curb on oil usage - economics be damned. Our solution should be smaller, organic communities designed to encourage the outdoors and nature, where cultures don't share borders, food, and culture so easily; where people can say "no" to this one and that one demanding their right to fornicate in public or watch pornography all day while collecting a government welfare check.
Until we act as a strong society - including the strength to realize our own weaknesses and elect leaders who will lead instead of doing what's popular - humans will cease planning for the future and instead look to puppet regimes to tell them everything is going to be okay. They offer us cheap entertainment - the glowing box you're looking into right now, or perhaps the glowing box across the room which doesn't accept input, just output. They offer us cheap, disgusting, Soylent Green-esque food with all kinds of preservatives which we know aren't natural and probably are in part responsible for the spike in cancer rates - along with that microwave you need in order to heat up said food. We roll over and accept it because we don't want to suffer the realities of nature, we don't want to plan for the future and deal with a few decades of harsh economic times. Our modern lives are a trap; a way to close the walls around us further in, denying the inevitable reality that overpopulation (among other catastrophes) will choke and kill most of us off, providing a huge sigh of relief for Mother Nature when she can finally shake us off "like a bad case of fleas."
As my wife noted in a recent discussion - "pay more [money for natural products] today, or pay for cancer later." I can't think of a better slogan for modern times. Unfortunately, most people choose the latter.
Why is he a challenge for me when it comes to these discussions, even though he agrees? It's because he agrees and yet there's an indifference in his perspective, mostly having to do with the aforementioned age issue - today he admitted "even [he's] part of the problem" when it comes to society's indifference toward politics, let alone overpopulation or the environment. He has his slice of heaven; he figures it shouldn't be a lot more difficult for those of us willing to work hard and put their time in to get theirs - and human ingenuity will magically take care of the rest. Unfortunately, my generation appears to be the first one in decades - maybe even centuries - where life has become more difficult instead of more easy. Technology has ceased being the beacon of hope for all to eat & drink well across the world - we have reached the point where the more we grow in number, the less of us will have the ability to live first world lifestyles.
Exhibit A: urine and feces recycling. This was the headlining story in the Ideas section of the Boston Globe today - 13th July, 2008. That's right, folks; today's big idea is recycling human feces for natural resources instead of breeding below replacement levels for a few generations and getting rid of the real human waste - most humans themselves! Some "green" folks are probably going to say this is the way we need to move as a society - and the image that comes to my mind, which is very appropriate in this case, is a scene from the 1995 movie "Waterworld", which shows Kevin Costner pissing into a contraption, to filter out the water from his urine, so he can survive. Interesting how these ideas only seem to make sense - even in Hollywood, mind you - in dystopic futures where people are living under great hardship. To me, the foreshadowing could not have been more perfect.
Exhibit B: the idea that it doesn't make sense to plan for the future and use natural means to do it. Check out this article. Here's an excerpt:
Consider the case of genetically modified food. Many people fear that "tampering with nature" could produce adverse consequences for our health and for the environment. But others argue that a failure to allow genetic modification might well result in numerous deaths, and a small probability of many more. The reason: Genetic modification holds out the promise of producing food that is both cheaper and healthier - resulting, for example, in products that might have large benefits in developing countries. The point is not that genetic modification will definitely have those benefits, or that the benefits of genetic modification outweigh the risks. The point is that the precautionary principle provides no guidance.
Regulations sometimes give rise to substitute risks. DDT, for example, is often regulated in the interest of protecting birds and human health. In poor nations, though, DDT bans eliminate what appears to be the most effective way of combating malaria - and thus significantly undermine public health.
This (lack of) logic is laughable. Genetically modified crops have been shown - proven - to actually not produce as much food and foil the natural process in the soil where genetically modified crops are planted; they also demand more precious water (hm, go back up to Exhibit A for a solution on that one!) than natural/organic crops, which is a detriment to nature, the human race, and the soil - it's unnatural. This isn't precautionary; genetically modified food has been shown to be a bad idea. And DDT? Do we even have to discuss the blatant idiocy of the second paragraph above?
Isn't anyone paying attention? Most people with whom I gently broach the subject of overpopulation (read: what's really important to the environment vs. buying recycled plastic bags and low wattage light bulbs) arm themselves with arguments like "we produce much more per acre of land than we used to", and "technology is getting better & better; what are you talking about you fascist, we won't have to change the way we live!". What they fail to mention is that an acre of land is still just one acre of land - even if you made every square inch of it produce genetically modified tomatoes that have to grow over & under each other, what happens when there are fifteen billion people on the planet and they all need a place to live; they all want an acre of their own - and start paving over the last farmland? What happens when enough trash builds up that we have to think about sending it into space, polluting the atmosphere in the process and using jet fuel to send it out? What happens if we finally become one big happy family, sharing food & culture across borders freely? This doesn't seem to work so well in the salmon population where the strongest of the salmon used to survive, but now the weaklings in farmed salmon spread disease to the strong salmon, even those out in the ocean. Can't we learn from this - moronic cultures (or ideas) infesting other cultures is only bad for everyone. Take the example of modern-day Eurabia - oops, Europe.
Well, these questions will need to be asked at some point, so why not now; why not today? I asked these questions of my father today. I finally was able to discuss how society should look vs. how it looks today. When he heard my ideas, all he could really say was, "wow, that would take change at a very fundamental level of society". I mentioned how our societies have been built around cars, so today, people are waiting for electric/robotic cars to whisk them away instead of planning for a future with less cars, with people walking & biking more. I mentioned how it doesn't matter what you do to the land to make it magically shit out way more crops than natural design allows. Even if that worked, that would just encourage more people to breed, which would overpopulate our planet further and put further strain on our precious resources. I mentioned how geologists are very open about the fact that we're at the end of the toothpaste tube when it comes to oil and that an intelligent society would have realized long ago that trying to extract oil from rocks stinks badly of the emperor playing the fiddle as Rome burns. Shale oil is our solution, digging in Alaska is our solution, but our solution should be a huge curb on oil usage - economics be damned. Our solution should be smaller, organic communities designed to encourage the outdoors and nature, where cultures don't share borders, food, and culture so easily; where people can say "no" to this one and that one demanding their right to fornicate in public or watch pornography all day while collecting a government welfare check.
Until we act as a strong society - including the strength to realize our own weaknesses and elect leaders who will lead instead of doing what's popular - humans will cease planning for the future and instead look to puppet regimes to tell them everything is going to be okay. They offer us cheap entertainment - the glowing box you're looking into right now, or perhaps the glowing box across the room which doesn't accept input, just output. They offer us cheap, disgusting, Soylent Green-esque food with all kinds of preservatives which we know aren't natural and probably are in part responsible for the spike in cancer rates - along with that microwave you need in order to heat up said food. We roll over and accept it because we don't want to suffer the realities of nature, we don't want to plan for the future and deal with a few decades of harsh economic times. Our modern lives are a trap; a way to close the walls around us further in, denying the inevitable reality that overpopulation (among other catastrophes) will choke and kill most of us off, providing a huge sigh of relief for Mother Nature when she can finally shake us off "like a bad case of fleas."
As my wife noted in a recent discussion - "pay more [money for natural products] today, or pay for cancer later." I can't think of a better slogan for modern times. Unfortunately, most people choose the latter.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Foreclosure bailout puts US Currency at further risk
Since I'm traveling to Scotland later this month, I've become acutely aware of just how cheap our US Peso has become in recent months. Five Hundred USD will barely get me 200 GBP abroad, if that. And the Euro? Forget it; that's part of the reason we stuck to the UK instead of other destinations such as Germany or Italy.
The hastening of the decline of the US Empire has been caused, in part, by bad decisions on the part of economists and government puppets alike. They decided to spur false economic growth via printing ridiculous amounts of fiat currency, injecting it into the banking system for all to borrow regardless of credit score or documentation (or legal residency status), and then acting surprised when people can't or aren't willing to pay back those loans after their ceased increasing in value at unsustainable rates. Lesson learned here, and a pretty simple one - if you have to work hard to get that first house loan, you will work hard to ensure you can keep that house. In short, everyone should have seen terrible times on the horizon and quick action for change should have been taken years earlier. Why do you think Obama has been so successful with his "Change" campaign? Because most idiots have no ability to think past their own two hands, so "change" sounds good, when what we really need is a replacement of the current system.
Our dollar mysteriously (can't believe people still fool themselves about this) seems weak while salaries stay stagnant and increased unemployment looms. So, what is the solution? More bailouts and an increase in unsecured loan programs to falsely spur economic growth again.
Face it - we cannot get out of this situation by pretending it doesn't exist. As long as special interests run this country, our government will do anything to attempt to spur economic growth in the short term while forsaking the long term (illegal immigration, anyone?).
[+]
The hastening of the decline of the US Empire has been caused, in part, by bad decisions on the part of economists and government puppets alike. They decided to spur false economic growth via printing ridiculous amounts of fiat currency, injecting it into the banking system for all to borrow regardless of credit score or documentation (or legal residency status), and then acting surprised when people can't or aren't willing to pay back those loans after their ceased increasing in value at unsustainable rates. Lesson learned here, and a pretty simple one - if you have to work hard to get that first house loan, you will work hard to ensure you can keep that house. In short, everyone should have seen terrible times on the horizon and quick action for change should have been taken years earlier. Why do you think Obama has been so successful with his "Change" campaign? Because most idiots have no ability to think past their own two hands, so "change" sounds good, when what we really need is a replacement of the current system.
Our dollar mysteriously (can't believe people still fool themselves about this) seems weak while salaries stay stagnant and increased unemployment looms. So, what is the solution? More bailouts and an increase in unsecured loan programs to falsely spur economic growth again.
Face it - we cannot get out of this situation by pretending it doesn't exist. As long as special interests run this country, our government will do anything to attempt to spur economic growth in the short term while forsaking the long term (illegal immigration, anyone?).
[+]
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Mass. Governor wants further aid for illegals
Governor Deval Patrick launched a statewide initiative yesterday to find ways to integrate immigrants into Massachusetts "as quickly as possible" at a time when their numbers are booming.
The New Americans Initiative, modeled after a similar approach in Illinois, calls on state officials, policy advisers, and advocates to hold a series of public meetings across the state and draft a report with policy recommendations by July 1, 2009. The Illinois effort led to expanded English classes and other services.
Patrick has grappled with the immigration issue since he took office last year. He overturned Governor Mitt Romney's executive order allowing state troopers to aid federal immigration agents and ordered the state's prisons to screen for illegal immigrants so that they could be subject to deportation.
[+]
Deval is, of course, a puppet for the special interests seeking to stimulate our state economy via increased low-wage workers. We're in a time of cultural crisis - let's face it, all people want is to be entertained and to eat terrible food - and the solution is using taxpayer dollars for higher citizenship rates instead of worrying about a weakened dollar, a system that sold homeowners out and was bailed out by the government - oh and let's not forget about that thousands-year-old religious war we've stuck our big nose into, in the Middle East.
The kicker is that Deval ordered state prisons to screen for illegals to be deported. Any ICE agent will tell you that this method simply does not work. People who are here illegally to break the law by selling drugs, raping young girls, stealing, etc. - these are not the kind of people who care if they are thrown out of the country; they're going to find another way back in, like a cockroach you capture and throw on your front lawn.
The New Americans Initiative, modeled after a similar approach in Illinois, calls on state officials, policy advisers, and advocates to hold a series of public meetings across the state and draft a report with policy recommendations by July 1, 2009. The Illinois effort led to expanded English classes and other services.
Patrick has grappled with the immigration issue since he took office last year. He overturned Governor Mitt Romney's executive order allowing state troopers to aid federal immigration agents and ordered the state's prisons to screen for illegal immigrants so that they could be subject to deportation.
[+]
Deval is, of course, a puppet for the special interests seeking to stimulate our state economy via increased low-wage workers. We're in a time of cultural crisis - let's face it, all people want is to be entertained and to eat terrible food - and the solution is using taxpayer dollars for higher citizenship rates instead of worrying about a weakened dollar, a system that sold homeowners out and was bailed out by the government - oh and let's not forget about that thousands-year-old religious war we've stuck our big nose into, in the Middle East.
The kicker is that Deval ordered state prisons to screen for illegals to be deported. Any ICE agent will tell you that this method simply does not work. People who are here illegally to break the law by selling drugs, raping young girls, stealing, etc. - these are not the kind of people who care if they are thrown out of the country; they're going to find another way back in, like a cockroach you capture and throw on your front lawn.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
True Freedom
In times like this, the social contract becomes little more than a flimsy veil, failing to hide the naked power behind it. In theory, we live in a liberal democracy. In practice we are under the thumb of what William Cobbett memorably called "the Thing" – a great, lurking, self-serving power. Today's Thing is a hydra with two heads – corporation and state – and both have the same message for us: behave yourself, take out a loan, go shopping, keep the economy afloat. Your duty is not to be alert, active citizens but passive, obedient consumers. Oh, and if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide.
We are becoming a nation of enforced conformity. In this context, liberty means the freedom simply to be yourself. The freedom to go about your business without being watched by cameras; the freedom to make merry or make trouble on your own streets; the freedom to pursue alternatives to the consumer economy. It also means freedom from coercion: freedom from databases, identity cards, iris scans, fingerprints, random searches, imprisonment without trial or justification. It means, above all, having the freedom, and the power, to say no to the Thing.
[+]
We are becoming a nation of enforced conformity. In this context, liberty means the freedom simply to be yourself. The freedom to go about your business without being watched by cameras; the freedom to make merry or make trouble on your own streets; the freedom to pursue alternatives to the consumer economy. It also means freedom from coercion: freedom from databases, identity cards, iris scans, fingerprints, random searches, imprisonment without trial or justification. It means, above all, having the freedom, and the power, to say no to the Thing.
[+]
Monday, July 07, 2008
Friday, July 04, 2008
Myspace Police Bans Corrupt.org page
Interesting how I find out about this on Independence Day - strangely fitting. You're free to stuff yourself full of hot dogs and increase the chance you'll die of diabetes, as well as blowing your hands off via fireworks, but speaking one's mind is no longer a priority in this once-great nation.
From Corrupt.org:
Cyberspace - 07/03/08 - The thought police has struck once again, this time banning Corrupt from MySpace. No motivation was given by the company for deleting the popular Corrupt profile account, carrying close to 400 collaborators and friends. The action taken by MySpace is similar to that of Facebook late last year, when it deleted a support group for high school shooter Pekka-Eric Auvinen, revealing the false idea of social networks as "free" and "tolerant."
MySpace didn't delete the Corrupt account because it violated any user terms. It deleted the account because it was growing and becoming an influential force among the people who visited its network of people and resources. Like Facebook, it decided that some ideas are not included in the democratic field of freedom, and so pulled the plug to another dissident. This is how liberal democracy works: paint a public facade where everyone's invited, while excluding any ideas or groups that disagree with the agenda of the financial powers behind the system. It's dishonest, and possibly the most effective method of totalitarianism existing.
Corrupt will not let any of these companies stop us in the struggle to become an influential media power to count on. We continue our efforts elsewhere, but have in the mean time created a new account, located here:
http://www.myspace.com/corruptorganization
Spread it around to friends and family. Don't forget to add us to your Facebook, lastFM and YouTube profile as well:
http://www.corrupt.org/data/out.cgi?http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7417055986http://www.corrupt.org/data/out.cgi?http://www.lastfm.se/group/Corrupthttp://youtube.com/profile?user=Antimodern
Corrupt is an influential thinktank & civilization watchdog that believe a better future for humans will come by embracing reality and not silly bureaucratic, academic or emotional abstractions. Our goal is to critique the society of our current time and get human civilization back on track with sorting out our actual problems.
From Corrupt.org:
Cyberspace - 07/03/08 - The thought police has struck once again, this time banning Corrupt from MySpace. No motivation was given by the company for deleting the popular Corrupt profile account, carrying close to 400 collaborators and friends. The action taken by MySpace is similar to that of Facebook late last year, when it deleted a support group for high school shooter Pekka-Eric Auvinen, revealing the false idea of social networks as "free" and "tolerant."
MySpace didn't delete the Corrupt account because it violated any user terms. It deleted the account because it was growing and becoming an influential force among the people who visited its network of people and resources. Like Facebook, it decided that some ideas are not included in the democratic field of freedom, and so pulled the plug to another dissident. This is how liberal democracy works: paint a public facade where everyone's invited, while excluding any ideas or groups that disagree with the agenda of the financial powers behind the system. It's dishonest, and possibly the most effective method of totalitarianism existing.
Corrupt will not let any of these companies stop us in the struggle to become an influential media power to count on. We continue our efforts elsewhere, but have in the mean time created a new account, located here:
http://www.myspace.com/corruptorganization
Spread it around to friends and family. Don't forget to add us to your Facebook, lastFM and YouTube profile as well:
http://www.corrupt.org/data/out.cgi?http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7417055986http://www.corrupt.org/data/out.cgi?http://www.lastfm.se/group/Corrupthttp://youtube.com/profile?user=Antimodern
Corrupt is an influential thinktank & civilization watchdog that believe a better future for humans will come by embracing reality and not silly bureaucratic, academic or emotional abstractions. Our goal is to critique the society of our current time and get human civilization back on track with sorting out our actual problems.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Catch of the Day
Great Boston Globe article on the dangers of farm-raised salmon and how it hurts more than helps. This is similar to the argument against GM crops; they simply don't help and actually hurt the environment.
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Sadly, I'm surprised that the US actually passed a law last year banning certain kinds of seafood from China due to the antibiotics used. Sadder still, I wasn't surprised in the least that the FDA doesn't test yet for "SLICE", a heavy-duty pesticide used to fight off sea lice in farm-raised and wild salmon populations.
Instead of just leaving the salmon in their natural habitat, we've created a monstrosity with all of the world's salmon populations via this great idea of "farm-raised" salmon. Farm-raised, contrary to what some believe, does not mean salmon are shut off from natural populations, being raised in tanks. They are merely captured in nets (and kept in the ocean in those nets) to breed, with some escaping after disease spreads quickly among the tightly-packed salmon inside the net, after which disease begins to also spread to the natural populations swimming by.
This is all aside from the fact that salmon taste better when wild due to the strength that is built up via natural selection among the members of the species that survive to adulthood: you've all heard how salmon swim against the current, then with the current, then against the current to breed; this only happens amongst those salmon which are naturally equipped and strong enough to do so. Allowing all salmon to breed, regardless of strength or quality, in an unnatural environment, is a bad idea. Hmm, might this also apply to humans?
Haven't we learned enough from this horrible experiment? Are we really willing to kill off the entire species just to prove a point? The world cannot sustain nearly 7 billion people all craving the same type of food. Overfishing because a certain type of fish (read: lobster) is fashionable proves the point that we need to reduce our numbers drastically and live in a more natural way. Trying to mine the hell out of the salmon population to make a few extra bucks isn't worth it, and all it's doing is accelerating the death of the species.
[+]
Sadly, I'm surprised that the US actually passed a law last year banning certain kinds of seafood from China due to the antibiotics used. Sadder still, I wasn't surprised in the least that the FDA doesn't test yet for "SLICE", a heavy-duty pesticide used to fight off sea lice in farm-raised and wild salmon populations.
Instead of just leaving the salmon in their natural habitat, we've created a monstrosity with all of the world's salmon populations via this great idea of "farm-raised" salmon. Farm-raised, contrary to what some believe, does not mean salmon are shut off from natural populations, being raised in tanks. They are merely captured in nets (and kept in the ocean in those nets) to breed, with some escaping after disease spreads quickly among the tightly-packed salmon inside the net, after which disease begins to also spread to the natural populations swimming by.
This is all aside from the fact that salmon taste better when wild due to the strength that is built up via natural selection among the members of the species that survive to adulthood: you've all heard how salmon swim against the current, then with the current, then against the current to breed; this only happens amongst those salmon which are naturally equipped and strong enough to do so. Allowing all salmon to breed, regardless of strength or quality, in an unnatural environment, is a bad idea. Hmm, might this also apply to humans?
Haven't we learned enough from this horrible experiment? Are we really willing to kill off the entire species just to prove a point? The world cannot sustain nearly 7 billion people all craving the same type of food. Overfishing because a certain type of fish (read: lobster) is fashionable proves the point that we need to reduce our numbers drastically and live in a more natural way. Trying to mine the hell out of the salmon population to make a few extra bucks isn't worth it, and all it's doing is accelerating the death of the species.
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