chuck kottke

It's not the emoticon I was concerned about, but that's alright, I'll let it go at that!:laugh3: Thanks for cheering me up a bit though!

That's a good point, but to my knowledge, we had zero national debt under President Clinton, and when Bush took office, I believe his policy of drastically dropping the taxation rate for the wealthy and super-wealthy, combined with increased government spending skyrocketed the US government's debt. Now it seems that, given the recession and advice our current President is getting, along with the conservative's unwillingness to pass new spending measures, the ability to adequately stimulate the economy seems to be unattainable. If noted economist Richard Wolff's opinion is considered, even if we stimulate the economy, we've lost so much of our manufacturing infrastructure, the wages and value added would go elsewhere. And since the debt was wrung up by giving lavish tax breaks mainly to the upper part of the 1%, and if it is true they invested in the banking sector and in creating mortgage backed securities instead of revamping plants and employing more workers, then all that which would have otherwise stimulated the economy went into mechanisms which further immersed the working classes into debt. So more spending hasn't materialized because the money isn't in the hands of workers to buy goods and services, and we may have lost so much of our manufacturing base, the value added and income has gone elsewhere. Insofar as I see it, a government controlled by the upper tip of the 1% probably won't see things in terms of helping the working classes economically or otherwise, unless some think long-term and broaden their views to see how general prosperity requires greater economic equity in society. > So I think we have a different ideological assumption about which path is better. I believe it is possible to attain a system of effective checks and balances, to produce a robust Democracy once again, responsive to a well educated citizenry and thus capable of better regulation on behalf of our collective best interests. I feel you may see that it is impossible to achieve honest government, so the answer is to shrink it as much as possible, as transactions between individuals and groups beats the use of government as a tool for unscrupulous types who use government as a hammer and fist to squash competition. And at present, things don't look so wonderful in many ways with how the regulatory body is used, or who controls the government, I have to say. But I put faith in the belief that we can achieve a more honest government, a more fair and enlightened system.

It has this incredible deep iconic meaning for spiritual understanding; but in cartoon form it does look rather silly, yes, I agree.:laugh3: I guess what I was trying to say was that we all have times when we go off on a quest in life, then come back to where we were - we return to the start, or where we left off. And I hope that, if I've offended you or anyone else in any way, I am sorry for doing so. My apologies, I'm working on getting closer to the better angels of my nature. And once again, welcome back Kalena. :flutterby::sunny:

I found this empowering!: Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution The following proposal was passed by a massive general assembly today at UC Davis: The UC Board of Regents, who not only represent but actually are this state’s richest one percent, has repeatedly shown itself to be utterly unfit to manage and represent the interests of the students, faculty, and workers who constitute the University of California. Following two successive years of sharp tuition increases, accompanied by millions in department and resource cuts, layoffs, and furloughs, the board had the audacity to propose a new 81% fee increase and drastic budget reductions. Undergraduate student fees have tripled over the past ten years, as we have seen an unprecedented explosion of student debt; and departmental budgets have shrunk, as academic and non-academic workers experience diminishing benefits, swelling workloads, and non-existent job security. In the midst of the economic crisis, the Regents have intensified their pursuit of the project of privatization and de-funding that diminish the quality of education and quality of life for those across the UC, while consigning students’ futures to greater and greater sums of debt. The Regents’ theft of an ostensibly public resource to fund “capital projects” such as construction projects and private research initiatives, demonstrate a clear conflict of interests that benefits a narrow administrative elite—both the Regents and their local appointees (chancellors and vice chancellors)—at the expense of the greater faculty, staff, and student body. The familiar rhetoric of austerity demands our resigned compliance, as our learning and working conditions progressively deteriorate. We have seen recently and in years past that political dissent is met with increasingly violent displays of force and repression by University police. The continued destruction of higher education in California, and the repressive forms of police violence that sustain it, cannot be viewed apart from larger economic and political systems that concentrate wealth and political power in the hands of the few. Since the university has long served as one of the few means of social mobility and for the proliferation of knowledge critical to and outside of existing structures of power, the vital role it plays as one of the few truly public resources is beyond question. The necessity of reclaiming the UC has never demanded such urgency, as it continues to shift towards the corporate model, pursues dubious fiscal partnerships (such as those with the defense department and international agribusiness), and engages in disturbing collusion with financial institutions like US Bank (which is one of the largest profiteers from student loans). As such, I propose that in light of the upcoming Regents’ vote on Monday the 28th, (which will be occurring on four campuses simultaneously, one of which being UC Davis), that we call for a general strike this same day, with the aim of shutting down campuses across the state and preventing the Regents from holding their vote. In response to the intolerable effects privatization and austerity and the horrific repression of student dissent that has occurred throughout the last month, the GA, as a governing body of all concerned UC Davis students, will prevent the Board of Regents from continuing its unbridled assault upon higher education in the state of California. This will entail total campus participation in shutting down the operations of the university on the 28th, including teaching, working, learning, and transportation, as we will collectively divert our efforts to blocking their vote. In doing so students, faculty and workers assert the power—and the will—to effectively represent and manage ourselves.

Hello again Kalena! I'm usually on another wavelength, posting in different threads, but glad to see you return! :sunny: Not all who wander away are lost; they're just checking out some other part of the elephant!;):elephant:

>>It isn't that having regulations is the problem, it is those who write the regulations and to whom they owe allegiance, for those who have consolidated power and bought off our governments often regulate in a manner that defiles our rights. Case in point: the power of Bechtel to buy Bolivia's water rights wasn't a choice made by the people, indeed it was the tipping point for the citizens to throw off the yoke of oppressive corporate powers. Here, I believe the same has been done to the frequency spectrum, it is absurd to allow any entity to purchase what is clearly in the commons, common not just to us, but to the universe itself. Regaining control of our governments and creating a fair system for candidate speech and press is paramount in order to achieving true democracy.<<

Listening to Paul McCartney & Wings, Uncle Albert [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsWufNDJl4M]"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" By Paul McCartney - YouTube[/ame] :)

^^It's now illegal to grow your own food in New Zealand? That seems absurd, though Bechtel's attempted control of all of the water in Bolivia seemed even more absurd as well, so I suppose this is possible. Please explain more. > What I found compelling today was a quote in Jim Hightower's Lowdown, a quote taken from Thomas Paine's writings: " It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by degrees, the consequences will be the same."

Welcome aboard the board Toucy! ==================== :sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny::sunny:

What I see troubling about the whole matter is the premise that harsh actions are justified in dealing with non-violent protesters. Simply lifting them up and tugging them apart would have sufficed, but instead the decision was made to inflict pain upon these university students, and send the message of fear to all others. If we allow the inequities to grow as they are (tuition hikes at the University of California schools are projected to rise 8 to 16% per year, and may rise up to $22,068 per year by 2015), the burden becomes unbearable and is placed upon the poorest in our communities, since all those with positions of power and privilege can vote themselves raises and cut themselves huge tax breaks, inevitably then the burden is shifted to those who have little to no power and influence, and are asked to shoulder more than they can bear. We ought to be making college more affordable, not less affordable, if we want an advanced, educated society, freer to make choices without excessive economic constraints.

We're all in this boat together, or submarine rather, and while we're each an individual on board, it takes togetherness to move the ship forward. :P It is a better thing to have our collective will overseeing, for the sake of fairness and the externalities otherwise unaccounted for, the making, marketing, and trading of goods and services. Humanity moves forward when our social fabric is strong and growing stronger. Where there is graft and corruption, and governments fail to function either separately or together for the common good and with respect for protection of the equal rights of all, it is then that we see forms of usury, slavery, extortion, and gross inequity around the world. But to nurture and promote the blessings of liberty, the well being of all citizens must be a matter of paramount importance. All power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The concentration of power in the hands of a few today has led to a level of corruption and a need for reform away from systems that lead readily towards concentrated power, and to systems that promote diversity and place power in the hands of the citizenry writ large.

All together now, all together now, All together now, all together now, All-To-Geth-Er-Now!! . honk honk.:laugh3:

> Hm, Bart, that's interesting! Yes, it makes sense to me too that the group you were with in Placa Catalyuna were Socialists, because most social equity movements grow out of Socialism, and a new form of Socialism based on common sense and wellness I can see becoming the new social contract globally as well. The path we're on right now is not tenable nor sustainable, and is unstable, leading towards top-heavy power relationships which necessitates the revolutions we're in. Not the path to repeat, that's for sure! I'm not so sure Hugo Chavez's leadership is ideal, but I believe he has greatly increased the social equity in Venezuela, and ensures a fairer deal for the citizens with the nation's wealth. I think most of South America actually is on the right track, and we need to model more of our system and ethos here in the US based on what they have done. The pressure for real change though comes mainly from a country's economic situation, and perhaps we have seen enough of the instability and inequity allowed by the current system to want real reforms and greater social goods. How is Spain as far as the process of funding candidates for office goes?

-1C, lovely crust of snow on the ground here, no doubt Canadian - it's got a maple flavor to it!:P Delaware, the river where Washington crossed!

The Answer to Pepperspray and the Blue Meanies:whip: is : :sunny:(Pepperland):sunny: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgJlCsTaMyY&feature=related]"Yellow Submarine" - Part 14/17 - All You Need is Love - YouTube[/ame] "Yellow Submarine" - Part 15/17 - Freeing the Band and Hey Bulldog - YouTube Fight blueness with music, foolery, speeches, solidarity, and love!:joker::drummer::guitarist::flutterby::flutterby::heart: Hey Hey Bulldog! Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution

:flutterby::sunny::daisy: Welcome PumpkinBirds to Coldplaying! I would imagine Stockholm is beautiful, I have a print of the city hanging in one room of the home here, it looks quite idyllic! I hope your dream comes true of going to a concert, and maybe they will play in Sweden at a future date? You have excellent English, no need to worry. ;) Enjoy the site - many interesting threads to view, or you can look at the whole fabric too. :) ||||||||||||||||||||||||

Words and music that taps into our inner core feelings have incredible power; Colplay have mastered this to harmonize with the mood of the world, and to help shape that mood as well. I discovered another voyager, on a quest for truth and expression in the power of words: My Defining Moment Sensitivity and appreciation so valuable in our world requires our nurturing and protection.

But we need to e-x-p-a-n-d our minds! :hippy::hippy::hippy: As odd as it may seem, many common things truly are drugs, albeit milder in some cases than others. (take chocolate, for instance) I'm staying on topic, not skateboarding away!:laugh3: Have you tried the runner's high? It's gooood, and good fun.

Now if you put those in your Martini, you will see results. Magic results. > I have no clue, halucinogenic mushers not my style of natural buzz, and the hippies I know generally gravitate towards leafy greens. ;)

The hippies say, anything refined is too hard on our bodies, too addictive. I kinda lean towards this philosophy - avoid the refined stuff, enjoy things in a more natural state. Recently I re-discovered the runner's high - got a bike and caught the buzz after a few miles, and the endorphins kicked in - YES!:wideeyed: Pure Euphoria! All you need is some endurance exercise, start gradual if it's been a while, but wow, what a kick!!

according to AFSC, 60% of the Federal Budget here in the US goes into Military & Military related expenditures. Only 6% into Education, 2% into Justice, 1.5% into NASA. We spend, from what I recall, 10X more than the next highest spending nation on "defense". What if we pared that back to only 3X more? Freeing up 40% of the federal budget could go a long ways towards repairing our infrastructure, improving the quality of education, building peace-supporting equipment like water infrastructure for the horn of Africa, high-speed rail, revamping a huge number of homes and offices to high efficiency standards, and building the green economy, plus put money back into the hands of average citizens to bolster the economy. American Friends Service Committee | Quaker values in action

What's your favorite Feta combination Crests? Alright, I'll admit it - I secretly have a fetish for feta cheese too!:wacky: I love it with fresh dates, or crumbled on top of jam on bread, like cheesecake. I'm actually enjoying some for breakfast, with jam on bread. >> Cheesecake, now there's an addictive cheesy dessert! :chef::happy:

I would have to say that I disapprove of it. But this thread would not be complete with a mention of Occupy Wall Street: Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution A drum circle at the Bloomberg Mansion - right to the doorstep of the rich and powerful!;)

well it's hard to describe in real time. There are all these synapses, firing motor neurons, neurotransmitters, sodium-potassium pumps and electrical ion waves on the surface of each nerve cell, a rather complex structure more than one can describe in a sentence or two. Broken down into units, it makes better sense, but what an amazing thing!

Thanks! Enjoy the site, a diverse eclectic mix from all over we are. :sunny::gossip::hat: