LeVar Burton speaks frankly about police in America

http://now.msn.com/levar-burton-explains-his-police-safety-ritual

Have you heard of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniformed_services_of_the_United_States

It seems to be a uniformed service, and be regulated by military standard (just without the armed part).

I am shocked that I have not heard about them more often. Although very different, in a few ways Coast Guard in the sense they are a not one of the traditional armed services, but are still included in that tribe. I wish I had known about them when I graduated high school. And unlike the Peace Corps, they pay.

http://www.usphs.gov/

Have you read 'Atlas Shrugged'?

I haven't, but I have heard A LOT about it. The American news landscape is full of Ayn Rind (spelling to come). I don't know all that much about this ideology directly, but indirectly I have some impressions, and apparantly it preaches about "The Virtue of Selfishness" and the evils of a "Culture of Dependancy" among the needy. I just want to say I recognize many similarities with Confucianism. Wikipedia calls it a "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" in it's original form, although it is often considered a religion these days. The Confusian inverse Golden Rule ("Do NOT do unto others what you would NOT have done uno you) seems a close analog to Ayn Rind's socio-economic ideology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism I've gotta say, the title is amazing, a full of subtle meaning, but I also must say it's extremely confusing to me. I seems to me the idea of the mythical figure of Atlas shrugging (abadoning his responsibilty of holding the earth on his shoulders) says chaos comes from "shrugging" which is quite at odds with what I am given to undertand this is all about.

Congrats Reykjavík!

I was listening to NPR breifly this morning, I think to a re-broadcast of BBC, and they had the current president of Iceland talking to them about the (suprisingly successful) financial recovery in his country following the collapse of the banks.

Congrats is two-fold:

The Icelanders didn't succumb to international pressure (or international folly) in bailing out the banks with government funds and the "too big to fail" concept. Just because everyone else jumped off a cliff like panicked antelope, they didn't need to.

Icelanders did put their former president on trial for the lead-up to the financial collapse. Or rather are in the process. Whether he is actually even a little at fault or not, I have no idea. But I wish America took that kind of resolve, and also I wish our government knew some accountability rather than all their formal bribes and self-interest-over-short-sightedness nonsense. In my opinion, every congressman involved in the bail outs should be forced to resign.

I read recently that Edgar Allen Poe was decidedly against the idea of democracies. He appears to have favored a constitutional monarchy more than anything. I found that fascinating.

our new travel business

My mom has had an idea to start a travel business (I am leaving it unnamed by request). After we made our 2-person trip to Costa Rica to have her dental work done (much cheaper than American prices, but with suprisingly high standards of care) she wants to offer her experience to others, especially the many Americans who aren't very comfortable with the idea of international travel. Even after including her airfare (for both of us!), hotel, travel expenses, and then dental bill, she still calculates she saved $5,000 AND had important dental work done. She might have left her problems unaddressed because she wasn't happy with the cost of care in the U.S.

We (this propsed company) would make it easier for people to travel. When you're an American in Costa Rica, it's easy to have problems. We did. Badly at first. Especially money. As a tourist, you don't want to carry too much cash, but once you're in Costa Rica, getting access to your own bank account is very tricky. We can work that out. Also, we can set-up international calls.

A $6,000 U.S. bill would probably take a Costa Rican trip costing a total of around$3,500 (dental costs + airfare + hotel + agency fees + various travel expenses). That's a lot of money, but a two thousand dollars' savings is also a lot of money. And in the U.S. dental insurance doesn't seem to help very much, even if you are lucky enough to have it. The price might be much lower, because airfare can be as cheap as $58 sometimes.

It's a good idea, I think, one that helps her, me, Amber, all our family make money, but also helps any customer of ours to save a lot of money and have better healthcare because they can suddenly afford what they need. And with the idea of making money (having a honest-to-goodness job) while helping others out it something I like a lot. I bet you know some older people who can't afford their medical and dental, and are putting off things they really need. This is for them.

She has put together a website, just a few days ago.
I am impressed with how good it looks.

The worst part about the whole trip for me was the international travel, especially the airports, and feeling helpless and price-gouged by the airports. Once in Costa Rica, it really wasn't bad at all if you have money you can access.

We're still working on the prices a bit, but it is mostly final. We want to get a group together for April 22 to March 3rd. That's soon. A bit scary soon.

Rush Limbaugh insults by calling 'slut' and 'prostitute'

I find it intersting to hear multiple sides of this issue.

Rush Limbaugh actually first broadcast on this, saying: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODI-NALkI4c

He apparently followed up with about 3 days of name-calling.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=148288590

Glenn Back says: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnnMcLHjueI&feature=related
(with some clips from Ms. Fluke's original testimony)

The Young Turks say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEl9p1tN8BI
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgPQgZH89Kg

An independant critical comment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEiOY2SUSs4

My dental trip to Costa Rica

I don't have bad teeth (I am only 29), but my mom was doing all this, and so since I didn't want her to go alone, I planned to go. But that isn't to make it sound dreary. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, except for the {excessive and unnecessary] hassle of international travel. So I got dental work done too, although not urgent, I might as well take advantage. I have my whole dental life ahead of me.

You see, for her (or most any American needing at least a few expensive dental procedures) is was significantly cheaper all told to pay international airfare there and back, a touristy luxury Costa Rican hotel, daily tourism activities (such as museums), AND the (quality) dental work itself.

That is a sad commentary on American medical/dental/insurance circumstances.

I'm not just guessing at the value or savings or quality. After having made this trip ourselves, we can now make totals of all our expenses as well as our equivalent American prices. We can also know which dentists are actually of the good quality and skill an American would want to make all this worthwhile (for instance, my dentist, a Dr. Ms. Marin, did much of her training at UCLA).

For American prices, I used an online Consumer Reports article, www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/dental-care.html. Too view the full price listings, I'm afraid you have to be a subscriber.

For Costa Rican prices, we have our receipts and dental work agreements from where we actually had this work done (Feb 2012)

I had some extraordinary sight-seeing experiences, but for my 6 days there I spent the large majority in and around dental offices.
However, I got one day of real sight-seeing, which was a great value through Expediciones Tropicales, in which I went on their Combo tour, with the Doka Coffee PLantation, the Poas Volcano National Park, and the La Paz Waterfall Garden.
I say great value, because although it seemed pricey at first, I later looked at all that I did that was included and realized what a value it was!
I have a keen interest in waterfall sight-seeing, and so this day trip was especially meaningful for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Paz_Waterfall,_Costa_Rica

I never made it to the San Jose Zoo, nor the Jade Museum, and I never got to taste fresh guanabana fruit. That was disappointing, although what I did get to do was more than I ever expected.

My mom wants to try and do more of these trips, for herself and her friends. I felt very safe in Costa Rica. It seemed quite a safe place to go, unless of course you went into the worst areas (same as any U.S. city). You hear many scary things online, but I didn't face any (although I did take malaria tablets).

http://www.bedandbreakfastcr.com/

Great News! Keystone Pipeline Halted! Obama Stood his Ground!

Wow, the Republicans and Big Oil lobby are going to go into a frenzy, even moreso than already.
And this isn't over. That's why I say "halted" whereas others say "killed"

I am suprised actually Obama was able to withstand all that pressure.

http://www.thestatecolumn.com/articles/obamas-keystone-pipeline-rejection-stirs-the-political-spectrum/

wow, what a cool NPR show

This past Sunday, I listened to an especially captivating Bob Edwards Weekend. It blew me away, but I was also really caffienated. I am trying to find a podcast or other manner of listening online, but coming up short. Apparently, it is unavailable.
Anyway, the show had two amazing interviews: a supporter of the Occupy Wall Street protests, and some freethinking medical experts (from the People's Pharmacy, also NPR). Hour 2 was had less of an immediate impact, being about art.

December 17 - 18, 2011
http://www.bobedwardsradio.com/bob-edwards-weekend/
HOUR ONE:

Last year, the conservative talk show host Glenn Beck regularly singled out an obscure academic calling her an enemy of the Constitution. Frances Fox Piven, Beck warned, was after a progressive take-down of America and was responsible for a plan to “intentionally collapse our economic system.” The newfound attention from Beck sent Piven’s books to bestseller lists, but she also received hundreds of death threats from Beck listeners. The interest in Piven was rooted in an article she wrote with her husband, Richard Cloward, in 1966, “The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty.” Now her research and writings have been collected in an updated book, Who’s Afraid of Frances Fox Piven? The Essential Writings of the Professor Glenn Beck Loves to Hate.

Husband and wife public radio hosts and syndicated columnists Joe and Terry Graedon are back with a new book called Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them. Each year, more than six million people are harmed by doctor errors, prescription mistakes and diagnostic disasters – and about a hundred thousand hospital patients die every year from preventable medical errors – including Joe Graedon’s own mother.

In this week’s installment of our series This I Believe, we hear the essay of Susan Hall. (omitted for brevity)

HOUR TWO:

World-renowned ceramicist Edmund de Waal inherited a collection of 264 Japanese wood and ivory carvings called netsuke. (omitted for brevity)

It’s time for our annual visit with Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis. He’ll share his list of the best CDs of 2011, just in time to include on your holiday shopping list.

Bob Edwards Weekend is heard on Sirius XM Public Radio (XM 121, Sirius 205) on Saturdays from 8-10 AM EST.

Visit Bob Edwards Weekend on PRI’s website to find local stations that air the program.

Do you know of the Genocide in Burma?

Burma aka Myanmar.

In 2008 or so, in Winston-Salem, NC, I met a man at a Bible study who had lived in Myanmar as an aid worker with Heroes Serving Humanity (IIRC). A guerilla sneak-across-the-border i-might-be-shot medicine-on-my-back kind of aid worker.

I found this link: http://eupan.blogspot.com/2010/03/burma-genocide-heroes-serving-humanity.html

The Burmese are exceptionally genocidal to many of their minorities, from what I understand.

It amazes me how people seem to think that humanity has become civilized (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15736895) enough to grow out of this kind of mass-bloodshed. That's what they thought right before the Great War (aka WW I). And, judging by misnomer, you can see that "The War to end all Wars" was just one of the opening acts of modern warfare.

It is horrifying what is being done behind the closed doors of the Burmese borders. You see, most of the world isn't paying attention to what is atually going on, because (as I understand it) the Myanmar government won't let foreigners near enough to witness the genocide, forming elaborate demonstrations of acceptable human rights.

http://oudaily.com/news/2010/feb/24/international-humanitarian-speaks-about-genocide-b/

Ongoing Pipeline Nausea

www.savebiogems.org/save-the-spirit-bear-coast/spirit-bear-video-1111.htm
This Pipeline sounds to me like a Lose-Lose-Lose situation.
America loses out (in the long-run, through oil dependence), the Earth loses out (via climate change), and the ecosystems of British Columbia lose.

I am not wholly informed, I admit, but isn't hard to see.

Evil is Effective

People don't like to admit it, but evil is effective. I would need to research the matter more thuroughly (and it could take a lifetime) but it seems to me that Hitler was pretty damn effective in making Germany strong. I mean, yes, the Allies had a lot to do with the rise of a strong Germany, but is seems to me that Hitler was pretty effective.

What got me on this line of thought was today's broadcast of The Diane Rehm Show featuring guest villian and author, Pat Buchanan. Villian, as in "vile".
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-10-25/patrick-buchanan-suicide-superpower-will-america-survive-2025

I have to applaud NPR and Ms. Rehm for having this man on the program, as a balance to certain liberal-minded guest such as Johnathan Stewart. This was one of the most powerful broadcasts I have ever heard on her show, mainly because it made my blood curl and boil at alternate times.

And it is a frightening reality that his opinion represents a large swath of America.

I am using strong words, and perhaps unfairly. Maybe his heart is in the right place, as I am wont to forgive many wrongheaded types. However, I don't think so. And even if that's so, is villany maked by what is intended or what is done?

I thought about calling in, or e-mailing, but I didn't know the number, and managed to keep missing it each time it aired. I have written in down, now.

Also, in calling in, I would have had a hard time keeping my anger at bay. If the man had his way, America wouldn't be very far removed from Nazi Germany. There was at least one caller who disgraced themselves (and discredited their anger) by allowing their vemon to show through.

He did have a few good points, however. Mostly, a simple truism that a polite orderly community is easier to live in. Duh. That's one of the few points I would agree with. I agree with his in unity over diversity, but I do NOT agree that diversity is the antithesis to unity. Yes, diversity can bring disorder, but unity WITH diversity IS possible, and is an ideal worth striving for. It isn't an easy road, that's for sure.

What I found most startling was his fairly clear hypocrisy in advocating an extreme patriotism that reproached even loyal criticism, while his own book was as "unpatriotic" as it gets, in the sense of saying the America is in decline. I forget his examples; I need to relisten to this.
http://thedianerehmshow.org/audio-player?nid=14985

problems in American child education

I am not an expert by any means, but I just got through a troubling tutoring session and I feel the need to post this while the subject is fresh in my mind.

Just to be clear, the troubling part was mostly not the student (my 4th grade cousin), but rather his academic (and thus mental, and physical) suffering due to a public education and popular culture that has failed him.

I have three (3) observations in the matter:

1) His education being public is at the whim of politics, so I cannot quite hold the public educators themselves responsible for this debacle. I have long heard the phrase "No Child Left Behind" has turned into "Every Child Left Behind" and I am beginning to think they are correct in saying that.

It has become clearer and clearer to me that his teachers aren't teaching him what he needs to know (and more particularly aren't giving proper explainations). I am making a broad generalization here assuming that his experience is commonplace and widespread. I may be wrong about that.

2) Low standards are the rule of the game, sad to say. When I was in college (yes, college) my half-baked efforts on some assignments still garnered an "A" grade, even while I myself knew I deserved a "C". Except for certain "hard" classes, where I felt I was more honestly tested. I actually had to work for a good grade.

In high school, I had the same experience.

Now this was at a public university. My above observations have been true in my experience in all public schools, but are quite possibly not universally true.

Part of this is due to popular culture, partly due to political correctness. Which is also popular culture, in a fashion.

But I think it is a tragedy, simply put.

3) Popular culture (in America, at least) has convinced children that learning stops when the school bell sounds. This is one area that I feel qualified to speak in. A precious minority of children (and their families) do not beleive that particular lie, and populate extracurricular academics.

Academic obesity, if you will.

I'm not sure that a child's laziness is really a culprit.

This is an even worse tragedy, as I see it.

College isn't designed to find jobs

I'm one of the lucky ones. I saw through college long before most other people I know. But, even though in my head I knew college wasn't the answer to my chronic job-dissatisfaction, in my heart I always hoped I was wrong (kinda like I hope I am wrong about WWIII).

I guess I am in a sour mood. Chronic unemployment is my excuse, fair or otherwise.
I have deep-seated frustration/anger at anything to do with the Ivory Tower of academia, and really it isn't completely justified. But not completely unjustified, either. University education was falsely advertised to me (and many thousands of others) as a direct means to emploment. That, in turn, was mostly a response to the popular (and equally false) misunderstanding of colleges. Colleges were never quite intended to do anything more that self-actualization, and any employment benefits derived are a matter of personal talent.

There are a few exceptions, I suppose. But for the most part, if college prepares someone for the employment arena, that is because a student prepares him or herself. In my case, university education gave me tools, tools I used to make myself quite prepared...but it didn't help. Much.

The interesting point here (to me, anyway) is that except for the marketing people (and their masters) we (meaning: I) should hold no grudge against academia. It's not at all their fault they teach self-actualization. That's what they've been doing since the time of Chaucer. It's largely society that has placed foolish faith in them. But it's also a failure on their part to modernize and cater to the actual needs of students, rather than simply lip-service to job-preparedness.

JHW: Horrendous online application as usual

I just finished another horrible online job application for Target. I originally didn't plan on naming names, but I think it's worth naming if company's are going this outlandish with their drug screenings.

What concerns me most is the "or other specimens" clause. What? You want a finger or a toe? Well, I can't complain, I've signed my life away, whenever, wherever you find convenient. I realize that realistically it wouldn't be an issue -- at a minimum, the threat of civil law suits would make an employer restrain themselves. But this is crazy!

Drug Test Consent 1. I HAVE RECEIVED, READ AND UNDERSTAND Target's
Drug Free Workplace Policy and Drug Test Consent form. I AGREE to
follow Target's Drug Free Workplace Policy and Drug Test Consent form
and understand failure to follow it may result in disciplinary action,
up to and including termination.

2. I UNDERSTAND that I must pass a drug screen/test to be hired by
Target.I ALSO UNDERSTAND that I may have to take a drug and/or alcohol
test, including an on-site screen where lawful, as outlined in the
Drug Free Workplace Policy and Drug Test Consent form.

3. I AGREE to provide my urine, breath, blood or other specimen(s) for
screening/testing for drugs and/or alcohol whenever deemed necessary
by Target, a collection site or a medical provider.

4. I CONSENT to the specimen(s) being collected at the assigned
collection site(s) or on-site screening facility and further consent
to have my specimen(s) analyzed by the on-site screening facility ( if
applicable) and/or tested at a U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(HHS/SAMHSA)-certified laboratory.

5. I CONSENT to the release of screen and/or test results to Target,
to the company's third-party administrator (including its agents,
affiliates, or other related entities involved in the
screening/testing process) and its Medical Review Officer (MRO) or as
otherwise allowed or required by applicable federal, state, or local
law.

6. I UNDERSTAND I will be given the opportunity to discuss a positive
drug test result with the MRO, a licensed physician who will consider
any offered legitimate medical explanation for the test result. I
AGREE to cooperate with the MRO. I UNDERSTAND that the MRO is not
acting as my physician or health care provider in performing this
service and that no physician-patient relationship is formed between
us. I UNDERSTAND the MRO may contact my health care provider(s) or
others to verify any information I have supplied about why the test
was positive (such as being on a prescription medication). I AUTHORIZE
my health care provider or others to give the MRO this information.

7. I RELEASE Target or any of its operating companies, the MRO, the
laboratory, the collection site, my health care provider(s), or others
who verify information I have supplied, and their respective
employees, agents, and affiliates from any and all liability in
connection with a specimen collection and/or test, or any employment
action taken as a result of a specimen collection and/or test.

8. I AGREE that information relating to a test (including its results)
may be disclosed by Target, the MRO, the laboratory, the collection
site, my health care provider(s), or others who verify information I
have supplied, and their respective employees, agents, and affiliates,
if I challenge this test or results, or if I take any action as a
result of a test in any kind of administrative, judicial, legal or
other proceedings relating to my employment or potential employment,
including but not limited to worker's compensation, unemployment
compensation or other proceedings.

Absolute Friends by John LeCarre

The reason I tagged this book as "U.S. politics" will be clear to anyone who has read the final quarter of this book. Principally, it is not very kind to the American neoconservatives and the Iraq War initiative by the Bush Adminstration. It is also quite critical of conservative media, such as Fox News. With it's British interests, it also says unflattering things of Blair and the Coalition of the Willing and British media.

As such, I realized that may have been why I found the recent LeCarre tome on Goodwill shelves...twice in one week! It may have been distasteful to many conservative American readers, and thus more likely to be discarded. Sad, but to my benefit. LeCarre fans may have been used to the authors' pro-Western stance during his many Cold War novels, and many thus caught off guard. I only speculate.

This is a very very powerful book and I thuroughly enjoyed the experience. I intend to recommend it to friends of discernment.

The only negative I saw is that the book followed very closely the story arch I have seen in other LeCarre books, specifically The Constant Gardener. The ending is different, for sure, but too similar to escape my notice.

Ooh: http://kidicarus222.blogspot.com/2011/08/legend-of-zeldas-considerably-less.html

JHW: After the recent Adventure

Since my last post I won a job, worked 4 long long weeks, then lost said job, and am positioned to deposit my last paycheck tomorrow.

That's a long story, and a bit of a roller-coaster, because it rarely failed that I was happy with my job on my lunch-break but frustrated to anger at night after work.

Boiled down, the boss threw temper-tantrums and was furthermore impossible to please.

It didn't take me long to realize the character of the boss (chef-owner), so I wasn't suprised or upset when he finally dismissed me. It was sad, but inevitable, following another employee he had terminated the week before. With the previous target gone, I became the new one.

The fact I didn't consider my job worth fighting for doesn't mean that I slacked off. I did an honest and hard-working job until the end, keeping a professional attitude. I actually liked the boss as a person, but he was unreasonably stressful to work for.

Okay, enough prelude, I was a waiter at an Indian restaurant, working for a Hindu man from South India. Tamil, I beleive he said. The city of Che'Nai, however it is spelled.
I feel extremely priveledged to have gotten to work for a restaurant like that. After working in hum-drum American restaurants, it was a treat to be excited about the food I served and atmosphere I worked in. I learned quite a bit, and experienced more Indian cuisine than I ever would have in 30 years otherwise.

Okay, my rambling continues with a book post in just a moment, on Absolute Friends by John LeCarre.

oh, no, not again

(p.s. I know nothing about "Young Turks")



I have to say watching Glenn Beck and Gov. Rick Perry confront each other aggressively is rather fun to see, especially since they are two extensions of one organ. Which organ? Haha



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS-PSofurA8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3MnL8k7kdI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRh74nqY7HM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rg4qWZBg0w

"Won't stand my ground, and must back down"

First I really apoligize to anyone reading this blog who is not from America: welcome, and forgive me.
If you are from America, please forgive me for almost assuming that America and the United States are interchangable words.

But, anyone in the Americas is likely affected by what is going on in the U.S. Actually, all the world's nations are probably affected, but to a lesser degree.

Anyway, listening to President Obama's speech today (8/8/11) I heard one item that suprised me, and bothered me. For all his downplay of critical comments (such as "far from constructive, to say the least" rather than a straight-forward criticism).

What he said is that the problem is that "some" people in Washington are "drawing a line in the sand."
Generally, I am not a fan of the way the Tea Party pushes things. But I *am* a stong supporter of standing for your opinions, holding onto your values and your sense of self. I mean, I want people to be open-minded about such things and especially to not be a dick about it all. And I am very unhappy the Tea Party pushed it this close, but the unthinkingly pluralistic view that everyone should conform I cannot condone. And how ironic that pluralism would seek to smother divergent opinions.




I thought this online artcile was interesting (albeit from a partisan website):
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2602082/posts

Reaganomics is still with us

I, speaking for myself, had thought that Reaganomics had gone the way of the Cold War. Meaning, gone.
However, I have heard recently (and correct me if I am wrong) that before Reagan, the American government taxed the rich and the corporations pretty heavily, and that Reaganomics did away with that. I have further been given to understand that our current tax system has nowhere near approached the pre-Reagan balance (I am sure "balance" is a debatable term to use here); that the top income earners in the U.S. have a relatively weak tax burden, a heritage of the Reagan administration.

Well, I thought it was interesting.

Another thought: I can't see how the massive bailouts of the banks and such went through. I have heard a few people blame all the foreign interventions (wars) for the massive expenditures this country has had. Well, I'd be curious to know what was more expensive, the Iraq war or the idiotic "to big to fail" bailouts.