Kaupungilla

Olen koko viikon koulutuksessa Seattlessa. Tyonantaja maksaa kurssin, joten on ihan mukavaa oppia jotakin uutta. Kurssikeskus on Seattlen keskustassa, jossa harvoin kayn muuten. Kaikki asiat toimitetaan "suburbiassa", eli siella missa asutaan. Nautin kaupungilla kavelysta; liikenteen melu ja ihmisten paljous katukuvassa muistuttaa Euroopan kiireisista kaupungeista. Kadulla tapahtuu kaikenlaista mielenkiintoista, ja kayn torilla tai muuten vain kavelen ja katselen ihmisten touhua.

On kuitenkin vahan ahdistavaa nahda niin paljon pummeja, narkkareita, humalaisia ja mielenterveysongelmaisia katukuvassa. Tuntuu, etta heita on nyt viela enemman kuin ennen - mika ei ole yllattavaa, silla USA:n taloudella menee heikosti, ja ne jotka olivat jo ennestaan reunalla, ovat nyt pudonneet kokonaan kyydista. Putoajia on yha enemman, ja tavalliset duunarit pelkaavat koko ajan joutuvansa itsekin luusereitten joukkoon. Suuri osa kansasta elaa kadesta suuhun, silla jos sattuu jotain odottamatonta kuten tyopaikan meno tai vaikea sairaus kaikki saattaa menna siina samassa. Suojaverkko on entista heikompi.

Menestyjat ja pummit ovat samassa katukuvassa vieri vieressa. Toinen kerjaa toiselta rahaa seuraavaan ateriaan. Suurin osa kavelee ohi. Niin minakin.
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Rice Shortage

What is this world coming to? Now Sam's Club and Costco are beginning to limit the purchase of bulk rice! When was the last time Americans could not buy the food they wanted?
After World War II?

The consequences of bad government and an irresponsible president are evident everywhere. The whole world is in a crisis: price of oil is going through the roof, people are running out of food in developing countries - or they just can't afford to buy it. The markets are collapsing...

January is not coming fast enough...
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NYT

Hillary Still Alive

Hillary Clinton wins in Pennsylvania by about 10%. Enough of a victory to keep going. I just hope that both Hillary and Obama stay on the positive and not try to tear each other down. It's painful to watch.
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LA Times

Bill Maher

I just signed up for HBO. Finally I get to watch grown up TV! Real Time with Bill Maher is the best show on TV. You can see him on You Tube if you don't have HBO. He is not afraid to say what he thinks. He is funny, smart and sexy. Go Bill!
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We Get What We Deserve

Last night was the last debate of the presidential candidates this year. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama debated in Philadelphia. If you didn't actually hear the debate but followed the discussion about the debate in the media, you'd think that the debate was very poorly run and very anti-Obama - and it would probably make you angry. (The progressive media are still very biased for Obama.) I didn't watch it last night but heard it on KUOW (radio) today. I did not think it was bad. Yes, they did talk about scandals and missteps, but I think it's all good practice for the fall. This time Obama got more attention from the moderators - he is the front-runner after all. He had to answer questions about what he had said before about "bitter" people clinging to "guns and religion". What's wrong with that? Everyone has to answer tough questions now and then.

Hillary had the best moment when she said that the republicans should not even run this time because they've performed so poorly in the last 7 years; they should just concede to the democrats. Nice idea!

Julian Zelizer writes about last night's debate, that we get what we deserve. The politics have been going down hill for decades in America, hence the debates are what they are without real substance. But you can't just blame ABC for that.
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Julian Zelizer

Dalai Lama in Seattle

The Dalai Lama has been visiting in Seattle now for several days. He has been speaking about peace and compassion. Thousands have gather to listen and to learn.

Today several hundred (!) protesters gathered at the University of Washington to express their displeasure at the Dalai Lama's visit.

It will be interesting to see how the Olympics will turn out in Beijing this summer...
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Al Gore's New Video

Al Gore

Mr. Gore has made a new slide show about Climate change. Watch it here.

I like Al Gore. He's just so reasonable.
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Helen Thomas

"I am still trying to find the key that has made Obama a prime candidate for the presidency, and to understand what he has done for the country beyond his middle-of-the-road political moves to make his name known and to steer clear of hot-button issues."

Helen Thomas, a respected journalist, writes about the democrats' dilemma with Clinton and Obama. She thinks that Hillary Clinton should fight on even though she is behind (slightly) in the count. I agree
---T

Sad State of US Economy

Kevin Phillips writes about the rise of finance as an industry in the United States - and its consequences to the economy. I have seen this development over the last thirty years in America: accumulation of debt and unsustainable consumerism that is bringing down the dollar and making investments worthless. The real price of goods is going up and out of reach for many. The official sources don't like to mention inflation, but as Kevin Phillips states, inflation may be a lot higher than the official number of 2-4%.
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"Nor was it an economic accident. Computerization was a prequisite, as was the rise of financial mathematics. However, I would say that the two most important underpinnings of financialization lay in the rise of public and private debt as a mainstay of American culture and economics and the perpetual liquidity and bail-out support of the Federal Reserve Board under Alan Greenspan. During Greenspan's 1987-2005 tenure, the sum of public and private debt in the United States quadrupled from just over $10 trillion to $43 trillion. Finance became the industry that was not allowed to fail but was permitted to enlarge and metastasize its behavior almost at will. Regulation was minimal. Favoritism was omnipresent."
Kevin Phillips

Hope for Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe has given Mugabe the boot, it seems. This is indeed good news for the people of Zimbabwe, who have suffered in recent years because of a crazy, senile leader. Good luck and hope that things begin to turn around for this beautiful, rich land.
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