So When Do We Live?

I am watching a series about the life of a king who was portrayed by the whole world as an idiot. The biography is confirming that on many levels from a professional and political level.

On the other hand, it is showing that he was a man who cared to live as a human being more than he cared to be a king. He inherited a kingdom. A responsibility that he couldn't quite get rid of. While he loved his country and the people, his solution to this problem was to ignore his throne and just live. Was this the wisest decision? Probably not, but it was the one that agreed with his personality.

Of course ruling that country at 17 didn't quite help. He wasn't wise enough to make politically savvy decisions or even choose the people making them on his behalf.

Still, what would I have done in his position? Being a king is not in my blood. I would rather be someone else. But I inherited it. How would I have reacted? I wonder.

Grocery Shopping

Our family has been struggling with our monthly grocery spending bill. It is so easy to get carried away. The worst situation is when you have the time to shop, and don't have that much on your list. That's bad! What really worked for us is to only go to the store twice a week, and to have an extensive list of things to buy whether it is based on a thorough inventory or a pre-planned weekly menu. Using these simple methods dropped our grocery bill by 30% or so, and that's not even talking about where we are doing our shopping. I am so proud of us.

Punishment Revisited

I have been hearing over and over again just how full the prisons are becoming. As if this is not bad enough, through various parts of the world, there are behaviors that culturally support imprisonment. Phrases indicating that you are not a real man until you have been jailed at least once, and celebrating someone's return from jail are only a few examples. But wouldn't this sort of behavior defy the concept upon which jails were built in the first place?

What is the history behind jail? I don't know, but I would guess that it was intended to be the adult form of "time out". You make a mistake, and you get locked up to think about it so you won't do it again. Then isolation wasn't enough, so various ways of humiliation, strenuous work, torture, and post-jail obstacles were created to give jailing a more powerful stand. Even that didn't work.

Jail now is so diluted as a form of discipline that people take pride in being jailed. So what is the purpose? And why exactly are all these people qualifying for prison time? Is this a problem in legal systems? Is it time to update our laws and reconsider imprisonment as a punishment tool? And what would you do instead? What is an effective method of punishment these days?

Sexting. What??

S e x t i n g. This is when teens use their phones to send naked pictures of themselves to their friends. This is also child pornography. The question is, who should be accused?
Well, let's see:
1. The kids? Well, if you were the teen, and you are sending a picture of yourself to your boyfriend/girlfriend of the week, is this pornography? not in their eyes. Then, let's say the good times are over and you broke up, then he/she sends that picture to his/her friends. Now it is all over the internet, it may be used as harrassment, and he/she gets cought for this and voila..it is on his/her record for 10 years, and they are listed as sex offenders. If this scenario happens when you were 14, at 24 he/she can't find a job because they have sex offender on their record. WHAT????? So kids (13.14.15...) are sex offenders already when they send this picture of themselves to friends who have already seen them naked two billion times before? From a legal stand point, yes.

2. The parents? Parents need to know where the kids are, so they buy them a cell phone. Kids end up sexting their friends and their friends send these pictures to EVERY contact on their phone. This list includes adults, and so adults and parents get pictures of some naked kid on their cell phone. Now they are involved in child pornography. OR, your child is too lazy to go upstairs and find their phone, so they use your phone to sext their friends and they respond. All of a sudden you are a pedophile. WHAT???? So you are minding your own business and your phone receives (or sends) pictures of naked kids, and now you are in the middle of this mess? From a legal stand point, there is no way to prove that you didn't do it on purpose, right? so, yes.

Hmmmmm, this is getting very tricky. If someone wants to do harm to someone else's reputation, it doesn't take very much at all until this legal mess is sorted out. Legal courts, you've got quite a bit of ironing to do.

I have a couple of questions. With all that's happening in the world now, and it doesn't seem to be stopping or slowing down anytime soon:
1. What did our parents really protect us from growing up, by comparison?
2. How could we protect our children from this mess that just keeps piling up?

What Do You Mean, NO?

If ICC finds someone criminal of ....., and order his arrest like in the case of the Sudanese leader, then he says "no" basically saying that they have no authority over him and thus refuses the arrest warrant.
...
...
...
hmmmmmm...
...
...
Well, now what?

The World of Money

Everyone is working, at least in part, to make money. Some use this money to provide bare necessities for their families, and some as a way to boost self confidence, but at the end of the day, people work to make money.

For all these hours worked, and stress of waking up early in the morning, going through traffic, work politics, and the turmoil of any given work day, spending money on transportation, networking, and dressing in a certain way, what do workers do with the remaining money? Save it? Great idea, but how?

Perhaps it has to do with not growing up in this country, and so the concept of credit was a little far fetched for me. it took me years to figure it out on my own. I tried taking the finance-world tour several times actually, but it has always been too complicated for me. There are so many options that should help people save/invest their hard earned money that it just gets tiring and overwhelming to a simple-minded mortal like myself.

I still work hard, and I still want my money well taken care of. I just want my options to be clear and easy to understand. Is this too much to ask for? So far, yes.

Saving should be easy, right? A piggy bank or a used jar, fill it up with unused money and tataaaaa. oh, no, but you can save money before tax or after tax. And, of course, if i keep it in the bank, I am paid interest. Good, so bank it is. Oh, wait, but if you invest it, you get more money out of it, so investing must be it. Here i am, with money in my hand, ready to invest. Now what? Well, there are way too many options down that road. Result, I back up and stop at the bank savings option. Oh, but still, if I lock some money up in a "CD", then I can make even more money. On and on this tour goes and at the end of the day, I am cross-eyed, my money is all over the place and don't quite have a good grip of my accomplishment with this saving project.

I can't help but ask though, Should saving/investing really be that complicated and inefficient? People work hard, they earn money, they try to save for a rainy day, but they can't find a clean cut layout of their options to do so. Is this part of why there are some who tried to do the right thing and ended up on the street? If they "knew" better, would they have been on the street today? Maybe, but maybe not. And for those of us who are learning a lesson from this economic situation, what can we do to keep our head above water for the next recession?

Go Saudi Women!

Saudi women are starting to ask for some rights. Way to go!

First: they are asking for the right to work, and they are getting it, slowly but surely. On the radio, one woman was wishing for a salesWOMAN at the lingerie deptartment of stores.

Needless to say, she is not very comfortable buying lingerie from a man. Most women end up buying lingerie that doesn't fit them because they are too uncomfortable trying it at the store, so they just buy it. Because it is underwear, they don't feel comfortable returning it either if it doesn't fit. Of course, the alternative is to travel abroad and get whatever it is that they need...for now.

If there is a woman to help ease this uncomfortable situation, that woman on the radio was saying, it would make everyone's life a little happier. I can assure you that the man is not all that comfortable either, given the rules of the country. How could you possibly sell underwear to a woman without looking at her? and that's just the beginning of the list.

I think that women and men still can not legally work in the same place. But I am also sure that they can afford a mall just for women, and I could see it working really well too. As a matter of fact, I am surprised that it doesn't exist yet.

Second: They are asking for the right to drive. Aaaaaaaaaa! Now that could be tricky. But I can't wait to see how it all falls into place.

I wonder, though, as Saudi women gain their independence at home, how will that affect their lives at home and abroad?

Links:
Saudi Women Want To Work
Saudi Women Want To Drive

Such Powerful Words

A veteran was talking on the radio today about how he would love to own a farm, and how he felt that using a shovel to farm is as empowering as using a weapon at war. He also said that he would like to return to Iraq one day, but rather as a farmer and not as a soldier. I was really touched!

Conversation Anyone?

Ten years ago, my friends and I used to go to the local coffee shop for a good conversation. These conversations frequently spread to include strangers too. Rules were unspoken, really, but everyone seemed to know that they were always welcome to join in our conversation. It was a friendly place to be. Of course, we may never see them again. Hmmm, wait a minute! Is this starting to look like an intellectual one-night-stand? I guess it is. Is that so bad?

I must admit that I am missing this sort of instant conversation. You'd think that they are not too hard to come across, right? Starbucks and other coffee shops are on every corner and almost always full. But it is different. These conversations are getting harder and harder. Why?

My first blame goes to computers and cell phones. Everyone is at the coffee shop with their computers/cellphones looking busy and unapproachable. I can never tell if they are laughing about a joke that we are making or an email they just received.

Then, people usually go to a coffee shop either alone or as a couple. That's a problem! Think about it, if you are alone at a coffee shop, chances are you are not going to start a conversation by yourself, you are not likely to interrupt others' conversation - although some do, and I admire them for that. A couple is even worse. A couple at a coffee shop is inert and self sufficient. Most of the times, it feels like an intrusion to ask them for an extra seat at their table, let alone strike a conversation with them.

Finally, the environment at coffee shops has changed. Naturally, coffee shops are in it for the profit, and so they need the speedy turnaround. If you walk into a coffee shop, you will not find those cosy leather couches and arm chair surrounding a "coffee table" anymore. You will find tables for two, maybe a cosy chair or two by the fireplace, and maybe a table for four. Even if you try to join several tables together to seat a number of friends, you will end up blocking passages and creating a mess.

So, no coffee shops, got it! But if I am yearning for one of my good old intellectual one-night-stands, where should I go?

Chronicles of The Bitchin' Trio: Ah, The Good Old Dating Days

At the gym, there is a group of girlfriends who work out together and bitch their brains out about their dates and about men in general. I have seen them a number of times already, but this looks like it is going to be an ongoing thing, and so I am all prepared to help mankind learn from their experience.

Day 1: "men like bitches" You can't treat men nicely. So let's say your boyfriend calls you, don't answer. Send a txt message or two but don't spoil him by giving him the illusion that you are eager to talk.  Also, boyfriend taking two jobs is a no no no. He can take the second job, but he won't see her anymore. 

Day 2: Men don't listen should be given only two chances to act on a woman's requests. If she needs to ask a third time, then there is no point in sticking around. "A man not listening that early in a relationship is not a good sign".

Movie Review: Where On Earth is Osama Bin Laden?

Not at all what I expected, but interesting movie.

I expected more of the Michael Moore style, I suppose. A lot of facts, shutting doors, exposing those at the top...etc. Which would have been interesting, but this one was different.

It was about someone who is about to become a father. He starts worrying about how to best protect his unborn child. One of his biggest worries is terrorism, and so he decides to end that by finally finding Bin Laden.

He travels through out the middle east and on to Afghanistan, Pakistan. In each country, he stops and asks average people on the street where they think Bin Laden is, and how they see the United States.

At the end of his trip, which was full of adventure, he realizes that since terrorism is everywhere, and no country is really safe from it, then even if he catches Bin Laden, it wouldn't make any difference.
A very mellow approach compared to what I was expecting.

It is funny that he starts his trip in Egypt. Egypt's friendliness didn't fail him. He interviews people, he is invited to their houses, met with a smile and open arms. They even mentioned on several occasions that they love the Americans, but it is rather the American policy that they resist.

Of course, Egypt is not exempt from terrorist attacks. A bomb went off in the middle of Cairo today. While extremely sad, it is still very mild when compared to what the rest of the region is seeing.

Throughout his trip, most countries met him with equal friendliness. The exceptions were: Israel, where no one wanted to talk to him except the police, and one lady; Saudi Arabia, where people were terrified of him (or perhaps their destiny if they were to talk); and Afghanistan where people were happy to talk to him, but the conversation was interrupted because extremists started attacking.

The reaction of Israelis and Saudis was particularly shocking to me. I would have guessed that they would be the first to opt in and extend their hospitality. Of course, I don't know what he said to them in the first place to generate this strong reaction. Perhaps I need to learn more about this region.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnBt2nH_FF8

I Hate Bombs!

What is the purpose of mass destruction anywyas? 

It kills innocent people, why? 

It destroys beautiful history and architecture, why? 

It ruins memories, why? 

WHY? 

What a shame. 

Those who created them should be ashamed. But those who trade them and those who use them should be....I don't even know what to say.  Much as I would want to bomb them, I figure it would be a very  cheap way to do it. They may even take pride in being bombed. 

I suppose that if it were up to me, I would first have them rebuild what they have ruined of schools, houses, monuments, streets, hospitals...etc by their own hands and with their own money. Then, I would have the families of those killed by their bombs decide their destiny hoping that they wouldn't be too merciful.

 

Drugs? Are You Joking?

So the price of cocaine is down. The penalty for carrying marijuana has been reduced. The government has been cutting money to rehab centers knowing that relapse will drive addicts to crime to get money. Of course, the government is not cutting off money for the fun of it, they just don't have the money to keep these centers fully functional.
Still, is it me, or is there something extremely...well, wrong with this picture?

Links:
Decriminalizing Marijuana
Governor Chris Gregoire on budget cuts, including rehab funds
Falling Cocaine Prices - Yahoo News
More About cocaine - BBC

No GMO? How Do You Know?

First, I will try to explain the difference between genetically modified and genetically engineered.

Farmers have been genetically modifying foods for centuries to enhance/eliminate certain features. Without genetic modification, we wouldn't have nectarines, apricots, grapefruit, seedless grapes, the incredible varieties of apples, corn, oranges...this list is very long.

As simple as possible, the way genetic modification works, most of the time, is to take a branch of one fruit and stick it in the tree of another. Why they did it? To fight certain disease or fungus, to improve/eliminate certain traits. Now take out a big magnifying lens and look at this process inside the seed/cell. A scientist sitting in a lab goes through the DNA of a seed and snips it part way through to introduce part of something else's DNA. It may be a plant or an animal or any old organism that carries the desired trait. That would be genetically engineered.

In this country, there is no FDA requirement to include genetic information on food labels. However, now it is becoming a "fashion" to include the term "no GMO" on the package somewhere. Instead of GMO, the package may also say no GMI, GMF, GEI, GEF, or GEO. It is a selling point for those who are more aware of these terms. Of course, they can sell their products at a higher price by adding this information.


What is so bad about genetically engineered ingredients anyways? In reality, nothing, because there is no research to show that it is good or bad for certain. It is this uncertainty that is worrying people. Genetically engineered foods have been blamed for allergies, cancers, and disorders to name a few. Maybe, it is true, maybe not. I don't know. Genetic engineering has also been responsible for the success of certain fruits and vegetable in unfamiliar climates, which provided food to countries that otherwise would have suffered drastically from lack of food. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? That would be one big debate for another blog.

OK, back to the point for this blog, how could a company know to say for sure that their products contain no genetically modified or genetically engineered ingredients? I can almost guarantee that there is no way for them to tell if their ingredients are genetically modified. How about genetically engineered? The problem is that cross pollination takes its course, this is nature, and there is hardly any way to control it.

So, companies out there that are so proud of their non-genetically engineered/modified ingredients, how do you know?

I have sent emails to several companies asking them how they knew, and no one ever answered me. I also asked a local farmer, and he too had nothing to say.

Links:
Wikipedia's defenition of Genetically Modified Food
The Future of Food DVD

The Time Capsule

Those of us who left family, friends, values, cultures, and countries behind in pursuit of better opportunities may relate to this one.


Speaking for myself, I left with my own set of values and traditions, with an image in my mind of loved ones and of the country that I left, and in my mind arranged them in a perfect little time capsule and called it home. Of course, I only took what I liked from each one of these listed factors, which was already a distortion of reality. Still, it was my perfect little world and I liked it the way it was. Only there were two problems with this scenario.

The first is that my time capsule prevented me from fitting in. Instead of jumping in and embracing new cultures, I kept referring back to my set of values, comparing it with those I am seeing, and thinking that I can not possibly do this or that because I am "different".

The other problem was that it distanced me from my comfort zone. The time capsule that I carried so dearly with me was not an accurate reflection of reality. As a result, whenever I went back home I was disappointed to see that people have changed and values have been lost. Of course, things may have never been the way I saw it, I just chose to see it that way.

Conclusion: Neither am I fitting in where I am living now, nor where I used to live. Just hanging in the middle. I am not alone, am I?

Who is "Good Guys"?

Several years back, someone called the intercom to my place and asked for access claiming that he was a police officer trying to catch someone who jumped onto our building's roof. I buzzed him in, but couldn't stop thinking "what if he was not a police officer?" How do you know if a police officer is for real? I made it a point to ask this question to a couple of police officers. According to one, you ask them for their business card! OK, not very convincing to me, but if they say so then there must be something to it that I am not seeing. Or not?

Someone stood there at the freeway exit with a sign that read something along the lines of "all I want is a cheeseburger" or something like that. Of course, I was happy to buy him a cheeseburger and drop it off. Of course I talked about him in the next social gathering. Apparently he has been sitting out there with the same sign for months, maybe even longer...and continued to. How do you know if a beggar on the street is really in need of money or that sandwich?

I tried to work with an orphanage to bring stories to young children (the equivalent of Golden Books in the States). The plan was to have these children read them, record them on disc, and give them as a gift to blind children, and so on until a network was built among children growing up in difficult circumstances. after a big wave of enthusiasm that led to buying the whole series, the lady in charge said "oh, but we have to read them first before giving them to the children, just in case they contain material that they shouldn't be exposed to". Of course, the children never saw these books. Plan down the drain.

At some point, I also tried sponsoring a child in a third world country. I was very excited about the idea. It turns out that there are no kids, and that this organization is raising money to supply weapons to extremists. How terrible did this make me feel?

Now, I am thinking of joining the Team In Training, which is a group that would basically train you for a marathon or triathlon or bike race...etc, in exchange for raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The majority of me wants to believe that if I go ahead with this I would actually be benefiting someone. But ALL of me is almost certain that that's not the case, based on my experiences above. Yet, if it benefits someone, then it is worth it.

But how do you know if your efforts to help people are really helping those people? I don't. I suppose that it really has to do with my intention. My intention is always to help and this is where it should stop. My experience has taught me to not look back for results. It is almost always disappointing.

Booom!

There are still some people who are working out there, thankfully. Some of whom are trying to change jobs. Risky, but fair if they are so miserable. But what is the story with them trying to make sure that things "blow up" once they leave?

I have recently been talking with several people who are in this situation, and they are all trying to do the same thing, aka making sure that the work is not transferable and/or projects fail once they leave.

Why, you ask? To ensure that those managers who casued them so much misery get to "pay" for it by picking up the mess.

Even if they are not leaving, they are terrified of taking time off because it is a risky situation. If they leave and no one tries to contact them, then they feel useless and at a risk of loosing their job. Then again if they are constantly contacted by their teams, then they can't stop complaining about not being able to enjoy their vacation.

Why is it that things have to reach this level of cheapness especially among well educated people? Why is it that leaving a perfectly functional project/position doesn't speak any more for the qualities of the position holder?

The Streets are Close to Haunted

The streets and highways are close to haunted. Much as it is fun to zip around town, knowing that the emptiness is coming from people staying at home because they lost their jobs is a terrible feeling. I look forward to the days when the freeways will be bumper-to-bumper again because everyone is rushing to get to work on time.

America, is the socialistic system running in your blood?

This morning, I was listening to NPR. Someone is trying to pass a law that would get drivers in more trouble if they injure pedestrians or bikers. As I drove around, I couldn't help but notice just how obedient drivers are on the street. Everyone is following the driving rules by the book.

The question is why? The answer is fear. Maybe you don't want your car damaged, worried about insurance costs, scared that those around you maybe carrying a gun or other weapon. Regardless the reason, people in the States are not expressing the feelings freely on the streets (or at work for that matter) because of fear. How Socialistic is this as a concept?

Now let's take a look at the control group: China, Russia, Italy...etc. These countries have been run by communism and socialism for the longest time. How are they driving? Like maniacs. As capitalistic in concept as they can get. The road is run by the "fittest".

Does this mean that in countries that follow a pronounced regime, the people seam to follow the other extreme in various channels of their daily life?

America, Are We Still Generous?

Are we applying for government help because we can or because we really need it?
It is something to apply for unemployment benefits, food stamps, government supported healthcare and other services because you just lost your job and that's what people do when they loose their job. It is a completely different story when you apply for these benefits because you lost your job, tried everything that you could, sold everything that you could, have no support whatsoever, and really need the help.
These are two philosophies and I understand why they both make sense, but at times as difficult as they are these days, are we thinking? Are we being fair?

BMW is destroying our economy?

So, today, I am driving by and there is a group of people standing in front of a BMW dealership or repair shop or something with a banner that reads something the lines that BMW is hurting our economy. This group of people have been standing there with their banner for almost a week now.

Now, I agree that to a certain extent, BMW is not exactly helping our economy so much, but calling on them as hurting our economy is a little bit of a stretch, don't you think? If there was not a single BMW car/dealership/repair shop out there, how many more locally made cars would be sold? On the other hand, how many local jobs would we loose if we didn't have the importers of cars/parts, the technicians working at repair shops, the sales people/managers/technicians/truck drivers who work and service dealerships.

Aren't there bigger fish our there to attack with banners?

The Future is in the Hands of Children

Have you seen children lately? They are bombarded with so much responsibility. I feel sorry for children who don't even know what childhood is about. Or maybe it is I who doesn't know. I had plenty of time to play, observe, explore, and take my time growing up when I was a child. Why can't my children have that sort of experience?
It is now the responsibility of children to:
- stay away from sex offenders and drug dealers (Why would a 12 year old be a drug addict?)
- grow up without:
parents because their parents are too busy working
schools because their schools are shutting down
playgrounds or music in their lives because we don't have money to give them these "luxuries"
- take charge of the mess that we are leaving behind whether it is pollution or an aging population

Remind me again, why exactly do we keep having children?

Why Do I Feel Guilty About Finding A Job?

Ok, so I am one of the lucky ones who don't need to work for money, yet. But does this mean that I can't look for a job? I am feeling guilty knowing that at any given place in this country, I am surrounded by thousands who have lost their primary source of income and are in need of a job. Regardless what job I try to look for, I will be taking away an opportunity from someone who really needs it.

My brother was telling me that each person has their own luck. At any point in time, finding a job will be taking someone else's opportunity to find one. If I am qualified for a job, I may be of more help than I think taking it, and that if I really want to, I can donate part of my income.

I still don't know whether or not I should be looking for a job.