chuck kottke

There was a time when The Beatles were running second to Englebert Humperdinck here, so much for the whims of the public's taste in music! So much for the internet, what matters more is the outernet.;)

Article (vi) Section 1. All businesses chartered in the nation shall be periodically reviewed by citizen's panels to determine if they are benign or beneficial to the nation, and a determination made regarding the renewal of each business charter based on a careful analysis of each business. (check on corporate behavior, ensuring a promoting of corporate accountability) Section 2. Any business chartered outside the nation shall be examined by a citizen's panel to determine whether the business is equitable to the nation, citizens, and humanity, and whether or not to allow each business examined to conduct business or trade within the nation. (Check on foreign or off-shored businesses, ensuring equitable practices) Section 3. No one person or entity may own the majority share of a publicly owned or traded business, and no one person or entity may control more than 1/4 of any given industry or sector of the economy. All affected owners may diversify their investments in a manner which best suits them. (Ownership and boardroom democracy, prevention of monopolistic control) Section 4. The Congress shall have the power and the duty to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. At the time of our nation's founding, the dangers of corporate control were well understood, and corporate charters were issued for limited spans of time, and for projects which were for the public good (building roads, bridges, etc.). But the slow erosion of protections against the amassing of control under the corporate banner has led us to this point, where only with clarity and a set of fair standards can the corporate structure and ownership be brought in line with ethical social and moral values.

Yes, that's more than a loophole Greg! Personally I don't believe in the the death penalty as it makes us sink to a level of extreme detachment and taking the life of another human being, or of asking others to do so on our behalf - better to put the guilty to work making amends and remedy the underlying causes which lead some to commit violent crimes. But as it stands, the problem of allowing states the final decision in matters of basic rights is a problem, as results vary from place to place, when our rights should all be the same! As it was with segregation, slavery, poll taxes, etc., it can often be a slippery slope backwards. I pondered the nature of one current amendment being proposed - that is namely the amendment to end corporate personhood. What I see as the problem is this: Why should corporations ever be considered as persons in the first place?! It's all nuts to begin with. Then, to write an amendment to say they are not is like painting over a leak in the ceiling without fixing the roof. Totally backwards, and a new leak just springs up somewhere else. Better is to take the influence-buying money out of the process, and pen in the missing rights, to filling in the missing pieces. So, the real problem in my mind is simply the lack of clarity and inclusion in the list of rights we possess, and insufficient checks and balances. But in the meantime, I agree - we must press for equal justice for all, as a remedy somewhere down the line doesn't help those facing dire consequences in the here and now.

Am I like clay, to be molded and shaped by forces from above, or like the potter at the wheel, shaping a new form from soft earth?

consumerism

Article (v) Section 1. Citizens shall be elected to the Senate no more than two times consecutively, and Citizens shall be elected to the House no more than four times consecutively, and Justices appointed to the Supreme Court shall retire their tenure after a period of two decades. Section 2. This article shall be placed into effect upon ratification as an amendment to the Constitution, and shall affect only those persons gaining office after the date of passage of this article. I received some comments on Section 2, which some felt gave too much power to those already in office, but going the other direction it would create quite a mix-up bouncing current incumbents right out of office, such that a smooth transition wouldn't occur, and the learning curve for almost a whole new Congress might be quite a challenge.

The case should be appealed, such a ruling seems at odds with the right of a person to defend themselves, and one has to wonder if the alleged assailant wasn't hit at close range, how can one rule that it was attempted murder? It looks to be a mistrial. Also, less deadly force is the better route - what about the civilian use of stun guns?

Fine by me, but there ought to be a civilian process to allow for such a new government to be determined; a convention of sorts, a mass recall petition, or something like that. Otherwise, it appears more like a military coup, which wants to mold and shape a government to it's leader's liking. Once a precedent like that is set, military coups become all too common, and with them the threat of military dictatorships.

Yes, thunderstorms last night here too!:) And now, you can hear the corn growing... I was just thinking about the strong divisions we overcame, the antidote seemed to be a belief in the spirit finding it's path to god, so that a person's religious preference and beliefs were not to be forced upon them, but a matter of allowing each individual free spiritual will. We overcame the religious fights as a nation, and serious attention was paid to protecting the rights of minorities against the tyranny of the majority, so this seems as essential in Egypt today as it is here... The biggest problem being faced seems to be the tendency for powerful monied interests to try and control the process; however, the process should naturally be the provenance of the people. Why must we send billions in military aid to Egypt's military, when the problem seems to center around a need for financial investment and assistance to allow the Egyptian citizens to build a growing infrastructure for a sustainable economy? I wonder about the wisdom of what the US government does, and the whole problem of instability seems solvable if we simply support the same progressive values which have brought us so far..

Quoting Safy, "There are 51 deaths, besides the deaths from the army forces. that is a huge number by all means. I am devastated. It's a fight over power that uses religion & people as its fuel. The leaders of this fight will eventually negotiate & come out unharmed, while many ordinary people will have lost their lives or their loved ones." How sad, here as the saying goes "now lets see you and him fight" as a way of saying that the powerful use groups of us as pawns. What seems totally missing from this is the normal path to legitimate trial of a leader, and the subordination of the military to civilian rule. If there is reason to suspect that President Morsi has violated the rights of Egyptian citizens, then there should be a process to examine the evidence and establish an impartial jury to determine whether or not serious rights or laws have been violated, and if rights or laws have been violated, then determine if the violation warrants removal from office. Having a military coup seriously erodes democracy, though I wonder if the government's plan, checks and balances, and protections of rights were created in a manner to ensure fairness. Still, it's a matter for the citizens to resolve it would seem, not for the military to simply undercut.

It's a jumble of thoughts! I was just yesterday playing the album they played in Tahrir square, thinking about democracies and careful considerations for protections of minority groups of all types, the need for individual rights while promoting the common good, mulling over the changes we need to make here as well, and recounting what President Morsi's spokesperson said when interviewed, "give me Liberty, or give me Death", which surprised me, as clearly that is a quote of Patrick Henry's famous speech, though upon reflection I recall Franklin designing a seal depicting Pharaoh and his army being swallowed by the red sea.. Awareness is border-less.

I'm all in favor of it, if their pay were their main income stream! Trouble is, our congressional members make their fortunes from the pay-offs when they're out of office and come back as lobbyists; any cut in their pay would probably be made up in the gravy train coming down the pike. It would be a good thing though, if we could make their pay be their main source of income, and them accountable to our will. Article (i) Section 1. The fifth article of the Constitution of the United States is hereby amended to include a process for citizens to amend the Constitution. Section 2. The citizenry, whenever in the course of time deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, and if by manner of circulating a petition of a proposed amendment garner 1/20th or more of the general population in the number of petition signers, then the proposed amendment shall be put before the citizens and voted on as a ballot proposal, 2/3 approval by the voters required for passage. Article (ii) Congress shall be required to create and provide for citizen's panels, comprised of citizens selected randomly from the general citizenry, all willing citizens chosen tasked with investigating and reporting any improprieties to the general body of Congress, the Judiciary, and to the Citizenry specifically and narrowly regarding the constitutionally defined tasks to which they are assigned. Article (iii) Section 1. The right to fair elections, the right to fair candidate races for office, a right by which all other rights are protected, shall be preserved and enhanced, and campaign processes overseen by citizen's panels, with ample funding for this measure by act of Congress. Section 2. Campaign donations to a given candidate made during a given candidate's campaign for office, made in any form, shall not exceed 1/100th of the median individual income level, as determined yearly using federal income figures, and shall be limited to individual citizens making one donation per candidate per election cycle. Only real live citizens shall be allowed to donate to candidate campaigns. Section 3. The Congress shall have the power and the duty to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Article (iv) Section 1. No sitting or former member of Congress shall engage in lobbying, either directly or indirectly with active members of Congress, with the President, or with other government officeholders, but former members of Congress may provide advice to officeholders if independent citizen oversight is present to monitor such communications, and report any improprieties to the Congress, the Public, and to the Judicial branch for further action. Section 2. All lobbying and consulting with active members of Congress, with the President, or other government officeholders shall be overseen by members of citizen panels so tasked.

Last time, the military was run by a set of bosses who wouldn't let go of control and sided with Mubarak, so I wonder about who's behind what and for what reasons, though the threat of a majority trouncing the rights of a minority is why many governments provide for power sharing within their structures, and protections of basic rights are critical for all. 2Q: Does the Egyptian constitution protect people's basic human rights, and is it listened to as the founding document? Is there a good arrangement to ensure that minorities are part of the decision making process, and no one is shorted as a result of legislative decisions? It's up to the citizens of Egypt to decide, perhaps a civil gathering for a new, amended, or more carefully penned constitution would help...

Hello Sophia! :)

:rolleyes: Apparently a smash hit??:laugh3: ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))):) Last night in Flor-i-da, and I'm enjoying mixing and matching video and sound - hang gliding goes well with any flying /sailing / cool ethereal ambient music... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ac0TKVLIhQ]Hang Gliding in Oceanside, Oregon - YouTube[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNR2OYej5RY]Christopher Cross Sailing (Velejar) legendado - YouTube[/ame] But it works equally well with any number of flt songs. [ame=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xls8dl_coldplay-paradise_music]Coldplay - Paradise - Vidéo Dailymotion@@AMEPARAM@@http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video@@AMEPARAM@@video[/ame] Para Para Paragliding!

:laugh3: Nothing wrong with that! I like David Bowe simply because his music is original and great. :at the tone, 23 hours, 15 minutes, universal standard coordinated time.. :} ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A wee bit loud, but quite well done! Bits assembled together, added one at a time, a neat effect! Reminds me a little of shiny happy people, for some reason..? Cranberries on time? What on earth is the bald eagle doing mixed in?? Anyhow, just some random musings...

On the Threshold of a Dream - Moody Blues

:laugh3: Gosh, they wouldn't offer a refund after just 28 days? Wow, that seems like quite the unfriendly business practice - not anyway to be. Since it was their cancellation, I would think it would be their obligation to ensure customer satisfaction, after having messed up your schedule!

I was pondering the nature of another kind of nobility, the highest form of nobility - the Nobility of Spirit. I've fallen short on this quite a lot, but there are many unnamed heroes who are truly Noble in nature. Here is a man who rebuilds old bikes for homeless veterans, lifting their spirits and giving them the mobility to find work, go to the library, and renew their bonds with their fellow man. His name is Roland, but he is in my mind far more noble than the Roland of history, as his work is for the joy of others, and his only reward is knowing in his heart that he has helped someone else, and felt the gladness of lifting the spirit of someone in need.

All I know is the birds here tweet, and every raindrop is a bucketfull right now! Thunder booms and clouds burst and it's all the condensation of the gasses of the Universe.. Celtic sounds African, or is it the other way around? Either which way.. one people, one planet, one verse.

begins a new begininning, I went upon the ocean, swept around in motion, the reason it is glowing, and I still keep on going. I wonder if this starside, I look up to the heavens but mine is clouded overe, there is a constellation, what it is to be there, if you let you light shine, on a new horizon.

My Favorite Martian. :P

one. ;)

That's a good question, one I've pondered as well.. About all I can summize is that it's a microcosm of a culture's 'ideal' writ large, or a display of symbolic ideals epitomized by a lineage. As children, we are all impressionable and through cultural traditions we form ideas of what is common in our mythology and social patterns, and thus we harken to that time in our youths when it all seemed so clear, a more perfect form to which we subscribe to and to a degree may reflect in our own family's cultural traditions, if so inclined. It's similar I think with why people care about professional golfers, or with celebrities lives', sort of a higher form of the art and displays in cuture, and then if the role is well played, good role models emerge to which the next generation feels a kinship to. I think it's good to have some continuity, some bedrock examples of family, some touchstones and celebration of the best of what we can be, just as we have spiritual leaders and intellectual leaders in any field. But we are free to choose that which we wish, so to each a path of their own choosing. Am I making any sense?