Despite everything, the Euro continues to rise.

The Financial Times reports that the Euro has had an excellent week, going up a full two cents, which is a lot in the currency markets.

It continues to rise despite last weekend's quadruple whammy of (1) Saddam's capture, which presumably should have raised America's reputation, at least a little bit; (2) The Dow going over 10,000; (3) The collapse of talks on the EU constitution, which should raise questions about the Euro's future; and (4) simple year-end profit taking, where those selling the dollar (and America) short cash in.

But none of these seem to matter. The perception is that the American economy is still being very badly mismanaged, and that no real efforts to deal with the problems are being made. The appointment of a former Goldman, Sachs executive as new head of the NY Stock Exchange, for instance, says that business will continue as usual.


All of which would seem to indicate that it's not the Euro that's rising, but rather that the dollar is falling. The fact that they're talking about the pound reaching the $2 level next year is quite noteworthy. That's a major change. And, at the current rate of change, it's quite possible that the Euro will also reach the $2 level by the end of 2004.

It would also indicate that the rise in the Dow is not due to increased economic activity in the US, but simply, or at least mostly, a reevaluation of its worth in the international markets. That is, $10,000 worth of American stocks today will only get you, internationally, what $7,000 worth would have brought just two years ago.

But some would say then, well if a European can buy an American house that cost a €1,000,000 just two years ago for only €700,000 today, then that's a reason to invest here. Maybe so, and there should be some of that. But they may also say that, well I'll wait another year, and it will only cost €400,000. And the year after only €100,000. Impossible? We'll see. But that's what the current trends are indicating.

It also would seem to suggest that the world feels that election year pressures and politics within the US will make it impossible to address any of the very serious, and long-term, fundamental problems with American business. Certainly none of the presidential candidates, Democratic or Republican, are talking about Enron, WorldCom, et al, or suggesting doing anything about the problems their collapses exposed. Lip service, but that's it. But lip service and military power won't work anymore. And the markets know it.



Some slaves in Niger finally freed.

BBC News reports that after a great deal of effort, some slaves in Niger have finally been freed. Amazing as it may seem, it was only this year that the practice was banned. But apparently there are still tens of thousands of them, only a few dozen of them being freed yesterday.


I could wonder why the world's news media never reports on this, but I guess we all know. If you want to know more try the Anti-Slavery Organization. Slavery exists all over the world, not just in Africa. The BBC also provides a link to a very interesting page on the history of the British slave trade. See their Africa News page for the latest.

Virtual slavery has also enjoyed a resurgence in the US under the Clinton and Bush administrations, although it's never labeled as that. This is the land of the free, so it couldn't possibly exist, could it? But there is a growing use of prisoners in both public and privately operated prisons as unpaid corporate labor. Both within the prisons themselves, as well as under programs that "rent" them out to private companies. With over 2,000,000 Americans now under lock and key there's no shortage of supply. And that's backed up by growing numbers of illegal immigrants who work under horrendous conditions. They may be paid nominal amounts, but they are often locked up at night and in other ways have their freedom restricted. And that is slavery.



Thanks to Userland for the blog-friendly links.

Dave Winer, long-time purveyor of Scripting News, and founder of Userland, has somehow persuaded the NY Times to allow bloggers to create special links to articles, links that continue to work even after they've entered the pay archives.

There's a special page that you can go to at the Times to create these links, which is here. And you don't even have to use a Userland blogging product, such as Radio Userland or Manila to take advantage of it. At least not yet. That's great.

I disagree with a lot of what Dave says. But I have to give credit where credit is due. This is a very nice and useful thing he, along with the Times themselves, have done which really helps blogging. He must have done some serious talking. I wonder if he's paying for this. There must have been some tit-for-tat involved. Or maybe the Times just sees the benefit in having people link to their articles. After all, you do have to go to their site to see them, which can only help them.

I still prefer linking to the Guardian and the Scotsman though, than the NY Times, since they don't hide their articles behind a money wall. They seem to be doing rather well without having to resort to this, which makes me wonder why the NY Times can't also afford to do so.

I'm also curious. Do many people really spend the money to purchase older articles? I never have, both because, quite frankly, I don't think the quality of their reporting justifies it, and because I think they're still way too expensive. Maybe if they made it less than a dollar, and made it easy to pay small amounts, but so far they haven't.



Supporting our troops?

I wrote a post yesterday, about Dr. Dean's email asking me to support our troops. As I say, I really do support those who serve their country, even if I don't agree with that country's policies.

But I can't help thinking how so many others in America also need support this time of year and never get it. Much more so than soldiers who are already getting food, shelter, health care and other goodies. And I wonder if it's really such a good idea to give them so much more than others get. Does it really benefit us, or even them, in the long run?

Because we already do an enormous amount for those who serve in the military. They get a enormous range of benefits, both short-term, and long-term. Benefits that people such as teachers, police officers, firemen, and many others, who run just as many risks and who work, in point of fact, much harder, don't get. And who are, at the moment, struggling desperately to keep what little they do get.

For instance soldiers get the following:

(1) Health care benefits while they are serving, along with a guarantee of such care for the remainder of their lives. Police officers, who also risk their very lives, don't get anything close to the benefits the military provides. Old teachers, many of them women, are left to hang out to dry.

(2) Low interest loans and special tax deductions to purchase homes. And even second and third homes if they're clever enough to manipulate the system correctly. This is a very major benefit, one that costs the taxpayers billions of dollars a year. And since it helps encourage speculation in real estate, directly results in higher housing costs for the rest of us.

(3) The right to retire at an early age, often in their 40s or 50s, and spend the rest of their lives sitting on their asses. If they've served for a long enough time, they should certainly get pensions, but I don't see why those can't wait until the reach the usual retirement age. And unlike senior citizens, those on social security, they get to continue to collect their pensions even if they have additional income from other sources. I've never understood this one.

This wouldn't apply to those who are disabled or injured or something while serving, which is only right. But to those who are perfectly healthy, and who often spend only spend a year or two of their 20 years in the service under actual combat conditions. If that. And even to those who have spent most of their time has been spent doing clerical, mechanical or other non-combat related duties behind the lines.

(4) Special educational benefits of all sorts, including many grants and inexpensive loans. Much more so than teachers get for instance, which doesn't make any sense at all.

Poorer people should not have to go into the army just to get money for education, something which is becoming more and more common. Many of the soldiers are not there because they support the war, but just because they're desperate. And more and more these are people of color, people fighting to preseve the rights and priviliges of the mostly white rich.

There are many other benefits as well. So many I can't even keep track of them.

I'm not suggesting NOT supporting those who serve in the military, both while they're on active duty and afterwards. Just suggesting that there are many others who also deserve just as much credit and support. If not more so. And given the ever-increasing demands for more and more support for them, perhaps it's time to ask just how much is enough?

For instance, Dr. Dean mentions the program for people to donate unused air miles to soldiers so that they fly home for visits. www.heromiles.com. Which is a good idea. But why isn't there a similar program to help police officers and teachers? I'll bet many of them can't afford to fly home to visit their families during the holidays.

Slowly but surely, we are creating a separate caste of military people. People who get much more than the rest of us, in perpetuity. And it relates to many other issues. As long, for instance, as people in the government and the military get health care, they're not going to be much concerned with seeing that everybody else gets it.

Universal health care would help soldiers as much as everyone else. It would cover their families as well. It would save all of the money we now spend on separate veteran care. It would make it much easier for veterans to get health care, since they could go to their local doctor and hospitals, instead of having to make long and expensive trips to the special VA hospitals, which are often not located in their community.

And by giving so many benefits, to the extent that people and communities become dependent on them, we are creating a culture of war. Giving politicians and others reasons to promote war that have nothing to do with reasons of national security. And making the economy dependent on their continuance.

And if Dr. Dean wants to help support Americans, and get elected in the bargain, why doesn't he go visit the grocery workers in Los Angeles who are striking for health care. Or at least send out an email about them. That would seem to be right up his alley. LA is the largest city in the state with the most electoral votes. In fact, why haven't ANY of the Democratic candidates gone there?



What is it with families?

Why is it that just because someone's related to you, they tend to think that they are not bound by the rules of common courtesy. People say and do things to their relatives that they would not in a million years dream of saying to strangers. But for some reason they think that an accident of birth gives them the right to stick their noses into your affairs, to criticize you, to offer unneeded and unwanted advice and to say the most hurtful things imaginable.

You would think that if someone loves you they would show you more respect than they would a stranger, but apparently it's the other way around. Familiarity breeds contempt, I guess. And then they expect you to continue to treat them with love and respect, to spend money on them and so on. I don't think I'll every understand this.

Don't mind me. :) Just releasing a little personal angst. I think that a lot of people experience a lot of pain at this time of year, and feel guilty about it, and most of the time it's not really their fault. Nothing wrong with not loving someone you're related to. As I say, it's mostly an accident of birth.

And they shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to spend the holidays with friends or others who they really care more about than they do their relatives. I say celebrate with the people you live with all year around, and with the ones who are really with you day in and day out. Spend your money on them. They're your real family, the ones who really count in the long run.

An unpopular view, I suppose, but there you are. Somehow I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way, and I thought that for once I'd just say it straight out. I suppose Dear Abby would disagree with me. She's always advising reconciliation. But then she supposedly went many years without speaking to her own sister. Hmmmm....



Poll on Americans' opinions on Iraq.

An AP Poll reports that the majority of Americans still support the war in Iraq, and that they believe Osama bin Laden will be captured. Six out of ten however, also believe that Saddam's trial would show embarrassing information about American involvement in his reign. From the Guardian.


I believe that the most folks still support the war in Iraq, but I still don't think that that will translate into support for Bush's re-election. There are just too many other issues involved, especially health care and the economy, and too many questions about so many of the things his administration has done.

Most especially those regarding his continuing refusal to release information related to the 9/11 attacks. As well as their past support of Saddam, and long history of involvement in his actions. At the bottom of the article, is this telling bit of information.





Independent commission says 911 could have been avoided.

An article in the Guardian reports that an iindependent nvestigation, headed by a former Republican governor no less, states that the attacks on 9/11 could have been prevented, and that the officials responsible should be fired.


This sure is a big deal. Here are some of the details quoted in the article, a long quote, but then it's important.


Looks like Mr. Bush is going to face some very angry people when he heads to New York this summer for the Republican convention. The increasing evidence that Saudi officials were involved, and that Saddam Hussein wasn't, is also going to lead to questions as to why Iraq was attacked and not Saudi Arabia.

December 18, 2003

Dean wants you to help support our troops.

Got this email from Governor Dean, who asks me to help support those who are serving in the American military overseas. Personally, any assistance I can give will go to the victims of their violence, since it seems to me that the soldiers already have plenty of help and support. But I thought I'd post his email in case you happen to agree with him. I'm against Bush's policies, not against the troops themselves. I realize it's a difficult task.


I have to challenge this assumption that just because they're "soldiers", that automatically makes them "heroes." The two are not synonymous in any way. You can be one without being the other, and vice versa. Happens all the time.

Mostly though I think that it's folks within the US who need help much more. Much, much more. I see a M.D. after his name. Does he have any suggestions for the American children who don't have medical care this winter? Where do people send money to help them? And what about the over two million people in American prisons? How's their holiday season shaping up?

Yes, I realize it's just a political thing, but I really don't understand what these people are doing over there or why I should support them. They certainly aren't helping me in any way, or making me feel any safer. On the contrary, they just seem to be creating a great deal of hatred and fear of the US, which can only hurt us in the long run.

I'm hearing a few too many platitudes from Dean lately. The other day he sent me an email asking me to read Thomas Paine's "Common Sense." I've already read it guv, even have the complete text in my ebook library, along with the US Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and several other works.

I really don't see that they are very relevant to the problems of today. Not in any way. I don't live in the 18th century, I'm very glad I don't, and I think it's time we stopped pretending that we all do so. Those ideas were useful in their time, but they are quite archaic at this point. Suggesting that they are still relevant seems to me to be mostly a way of avoidinig confronting the realities of the 21st century.

We need specifics Doctor, not platitudes. We already know where we want to go. The problem is how we get there. And most specifically, what do we do about the people who are blocking the way?



Poland gets tough with the EU.

The Guardian discusses the implications of Poland's actions at the recent EU summit.


I guess their standing up for themselves has made them both friends and enemies in the European community. But they don't seem to be backing down. A lot of it has to do with the history of their relations with the Germans, which haven't always been good. But which is of major importance.


As I've said before, I think that German intransigence with them may very well cause them to start looking eastward, to Russia and China, and of course to America, rather than to the EU. We shall see. Events are moving quickly there.

Most of the media seems to be reporting the problem as one of determining the amounts of votes each country gets in the EU council. But it's not. Not really. It's about the EU honoring the agreement that they made with the Poles, Spanish and other small countries three weeks ago. That was the agreement under which the Poles voted to join the EU, and they feel uncomfortable with the French and Germans arbitrarily changing the terms after the fact. If they can do that today, then they'll likely try to do it again later.



Best of British blogging 2003.

It's the "best of the year" time, and the Guardian has announced its choices for the Best of British Blogging 2003. The article on it is here, and the full list of blogs itself is here. Haven't had the chance to check out many of them yet, but it looks like a lot of interesting links.


The Guardian is one of the few major news sites that has really gotten on the blog bandwagon. Their own weblogs are here and here. For more, see their special report on blogging, an ongoing section with the latest develoments.



NY Times discusses Mosley-Braun.

There's an article in the NY Times discussing Carol Mosley-Braun's campaign for president. The usual strong sense of self-righteousness and downright arrogance with which the white male media view anyone different from them, especially someone who attempts to challenge their dominance on a national level, but it's nice that they acknowledge that there is at least one woman running.

December 17, 2003

Nervy Girl Magazine interviews the Guerrilla Girls.

Wandering the New Pages weblog, I came across a link to Nervy Girl Magazine - Bold News for Bold Women. A very interesting site, with all of the latest news and opinion regarding girl power and women's lib.

Superb page of links to dozen of sites by and about women, along with a few who support their site. So good in fact that I think I'll steal it, just for my own personal reference. I hope that's ok. These all open in another window.

About Face. Promotes positive self-esteem in girls and women of all ages, sizes, races and backgrounds through a spirited approach to media education, outreach and activism.

All That Women Want. A lively mix of features, fun, resources and best of the web picks. Brings together the very best of the web for women and children to save you time.

All About Moms. Packed full of advice and information for women trying to conceive, expectant new moms, and mothers of babies and toddlers.

All Things Foolish. For those that love DIY, snuggling up with a book, punk rock, pin-up girls, mod art.... the list keeps going.

Altar Magazine. A forum for critical thought, coalition building, artistic creativity and activism.

Another Girl at Play. Successful, talented and inspirational women share their stories of how they took their creative dreams and made them real. Not only can you meet these smart, creative and unstoppable women but you will also find wonderful links, resources and a monthly newsletter to help you either begin - or continue on - your creative path.

Bamboo Girl. Challenging racism, sexism, & homophobia from the Filipina/Asian Pacific Islander (API)/Asian mutt feminist point of view since 1995.

Bitch. Devoted to incisive commentary on our media-driven world. Features critiques of TV, movies, magazines, advertising, and more—plus interviews with and profiles of cool, smart women in all areas of pop culture.

Blue Jean. Dedicated to empowering kids, teens and young women to create, produce, publish and promote their creative works.

Bra Ball. Sculpture project to help raise money to fight breast cancer.

Bust Magazine. For women with something to get off their chests.

ChickFactor. At long, bloody last....the UK's sassy women's magazine.

ChickLit. A place for word geeks, female or male, to congregate online and unapologetically indulge their obsession.

Church of Girl. A free resource for female artists and musicians to promote their work.

Clamor Magazine. Politically charged magazine providing new prespectives on politics, culture, media and life.

Cool Grrrls. What a job. Fun ladies doing fun things. Find out about whats cool in cities, music and life..

Crafty Chica. Forget going out on Friday night, this is where the fun is at.

Crafty Gal. A bunch of craft-happy folks working to inspire other creative types with projects, recipes, personal essays, and interviews with those who craft for a living.

Culture Junkie. Make it or pick it - fresh, hot, homemade merchandise.

The Daughters Sisters Project. Educating, inspiring and empowering young women; fostering understanding between the genders, generations and cultures; and supporting youth in positive self expression and social action for a just and sustainable world.

Diva Tribe. Online community complete with every internet goodie: forums, journals, reviews, and shopping.

Femina. Connects you to the online world of feminism.

Feminist Planet. Your complete guide to living the life of the feminist. .

Feminist Utopia. F eminists and activism resources for various feminist theories .

Fierce Magazine. A magazine honoring women and their global efforts.

Gather the Women. Gathering women to contribute to a new collective of women's wisdom and strength.

GeoffBugbee.com. Geoff Oliver Bugbee is an independent photojournalist based in Portland, Oregon who, when not navigating through airport customs or in the streets with cameras dodging rubber bullets and teargas, shoots editorial work and coordinates documentary projects to benefit NGO's and humanitarian aid groups.

Girl Inform Me. Zine, portfolio, mindless self indulgence.

Glamor Puss . Forget the mall, support small businesses and shop a variety of women's boutiques online. One of a kind, funky fashion and accessories. Be a buyer or become a seller.

Go Ezines - Ezine Directory. Find ezines, ezine trades, ezine advertising, articles, tips and advice about ezines at the Ezine Directory

Good Girl. A quarterly magazine dedicated to publishing ideas that challenge, critique and break the rules of the status quo.

Guava Magazine. A winner. For savvy traveling women in search of an interesting urban hotel at a bargain price.

Guerrilla Girls. Colorful women who use humor to reinvent feminism, convey information and provoke discussion.

Hip Mama. A great place for mothers who are sick of the way mainstream media is portraying them. Those not so concerned with the newest baby fashion will find Hip Mama a refreshing alternative.

Lekkner. Making quality stuff for you with recycled/vintage/fine fabrics & materials since May 2003.

Meetup.com. You thought friendster was cool, meet up other activists and hobbyists everywhere.

Modern Gypsy. Interesting E-zine for those concerned with their addiction to everything paper and everything that is Elizabeth's life.

Ms. Magazine. Landmark feminist magazine, shaping contemporary magazine since 1971.

Off Our Backs. A newsjournal by, for, and about women. It has been published continuously since 1970, making it is the longest surviving feminist newspaper in the United States.

Pandora's Rag. The feminist zine of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Pirate Nun. Music, fashion and politics geared toward counter-culture. Not only does it have great graphics, it supports its online artists' community by selling their homemade goods.

Said It. Straight-up, clear, and concise feminist news, culture and politics.

She Net. A forum that people actually visit. Filled with contraversial conversations and hot politics.

Shebytches. Find out if other women are ranting about the same things that you are.

Small Spiral Notebook. Smart online literary magazine.

Smart Monkey Foods. Organic Living Cuisine. SmartMonkey Foods creates gourmet organic living cuisine for catering as well as packaged foods and classes.

Snapadoos. An affordable boutique with upscale flavor ... featuring cgonsa designs where handcrafted jewelry and accessories are inspired by color that pops, unpredictable creative bliss, and young at heart fun.

Soapbox Girls. Aesthetically pleasing, small articles submitted by readers. Contains a great archive of articles, interviews and information.

Stella Marrs. Witty, wild, wonderful greeting cards with retro images and punchy writing.

Technodyke. Gathering place for the web savvy dyke.

Thin Mint Man. Tom Olofson is "Striving to educate the consuming public," which would mean all of us. Check out this gonzo blog of an East coast writer.

Venus. Comprehensive women's music magazine.

WomanTree. A resource center where women and girls of all cultural, sexual, and socioeconomic backgrounds can access community resources and create a network of support and empowerment.

World Birth Magazine. Listening to leading women and children on global issues.

Zoe Trope. Fresh and real. Author of Please Don't Kill The Freshman lets you crawl into her head through her shameless confessions.

But actual link was to this interview with two of the founders of Guerrilla Girls, a group of very funny ladies determined to live without being stereotyped. Their new book sounds like a great gift for the lady on your shopping list.


I especially like the part when point out just how many activists of all different types and ages there are out there.



Americans attack Samarra.

The New York Times reports that American troops launched a brutal assault on the city of Samarra. I can't believe that they really think this is going to work.


At least the Times mentions the women and children screaming part. "To speed." That means by the election I suppose. I can't imagine how terrifying that must be to the kids. You never really recover from that type of thing.



Some military-industrial-financial Bush links.

Here are some links from an article by Chris Floyd in the Moscow Times regarding some of the latest developments in America's quest to kill more people more effectively, and the increasing privatization of war industries that the Bush family invests in, and in point of fact, helps manage and promote. Including former President George H. Bush, who never retired and is still active promoting the family businesses.

The Moscow Times charges for articles over two weeks old, so I thought I'd grab these while they were there.

What I really don't think people appreciate about this is just how far back the Bush family's connections with selling war go. These links just deal with the current family's efforts centered in the Carlyle Group, and operating out of Texas. But they've been heavily involved at least as far back as the Spanish-American war, centered at that time in New England, and Ohio, where Sam Bush was in the steel business.

It's amazing really the degree and extent of their involvement. Our of our current president's great-grandfathers ran the Remington Arms Company, the biggie of the time, one of the other ones sold steel to him, another one ran the stock brokers that financed it all and the fourth one ran the media companies that promoted the wars. Talk about your rackets. The Remington Arms company provided a whopping 60-70% of all of the arms used in World War I, and to all sides mind you. Equal opportunity all of the way, I guess.





New weapon can fire around corners.

BBC News reports that a new weapon has been developed that can fire around corners. It seems to have been around for a little while though, since it's already been sold to 15 different countries. Developed by an Israeli-American company it's sad to say.


It can be used on any gun and only costs $3,000-5,000. Goodness, that's both amazing technology and absolutely frightening. Someone could shoot you without you even being able to see them.

How do you categorize something like that? War? Science? Election 2004? Economics even, since this is a product to sell. Hey, maybe they'll come out with an inexpensive consumer version. Fits on any gun at all.

It's good to know American industry is coming up with creative products to help keep the stock market up there. I guess the weapons industry is absolutely booming these days.



Russian economy booming, no WTO needed.

The Moscow Times reports Forget WTO, Economy Just Fine. Apparently the Russian economy is doing so well that it really doesn't need the WTO any more, and can wait until it can join on its own terms. They see themselves as duplicating Chinese success in the near future, and aren't willing to kowtow to EU demands.


I think it's really interesting given the recent problems the eastern European nations are having settling on terms for the EU, and given how stagnant the French and German economies are. The main reason for giving up their sovereignty and joining the EU would be the economic benefits, but they might start thinking that the trade and benefits are to the east now. Which is a major historical shift for those countries. If France and Germany can put aside their great enmity, then the eastern countries and Russian could as well.



Israelis planned to take Saddam out in 1992.

The Scotsman has an interesting article reporting that in 1992 the Israelis wanted to assassinate Saddam Hussein, in retaliation for the SCUD missile attacks on Israel during the first Gulf War. They rehearsed a rocket attack that unfortunately went awry, and so cancelled the attempt.

But if they had, I'm sure they would have received an enormous amount of abuse from the global community. Even though they could have done it without having to kill thousands of civilians the way the US ended up doing. Or maybe not. But it's an interesting piece of history.



Wright brothers' anniversary.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' famous flight. There are many interesting articles on the subject on the web, and on aviation in general. The Guardian has a special section on it, as does the NY Times. There must be many more, it being such a noteworthy event.

One interesting fact that you may not find mentioned very often was that the Wright brothers had a sister, who lived with them, worked rather closely with them and who managed their affairs so that they could focus on their work. I can't even remember her name, but she was there virtually every step along the way.

I also notice that George Bush is trumpeting this as an "American" accomplishment. Which really is a slight exaggeration. Like most great advances in science, the Wright brothers' work was directly based and inspired by the work of many, many others, located all over the world. Each of whom painstakingly figured out a little piece of the puzzle. The Wright brothers just happened to be in the right place at the right time to take the final step.

For instance, the Wright brothers were directly inspired by the bicycle. They themselves were bicycle mechanics and owned a bike shop. But they did not invent the bike. And the basic form of the airplane that they began with was really perfected by the German, Otto Lilienthal (sp?), who made over 2,000 glider flights, and in the end lost his life doing so. The Wright brothers knew of this, and in fact had visited him and studied his work. Very significant contributions were also made by the French and British. And there was a gentleman in Brazil, I forget his name, who was right behind the Wright brothers.

There is a "cult of celebrity" these days that attempts to ascribe great inventions to single individuals, but really it took an awful lot of hard work and great risks by many thousands to make it happen. The same with computers and all of the other technology that has so improved our lives. Which is not to belittle the Wrights' accomplishment, but rather to place it in historical perspective.

Which is not to belittle their accomplishment, which was major. Wilbur Wright was one of the greatest scientists of all time. And Orville was almost certainly the best mechanic anyone ever saw. He could make or fix anything. Absolutely anything. And something this major really required two minds working together, which is probably why they succeeded where so many had failed. Their skills really complemented each other.

December 16, 2003

Asia weblog awards 2003.

Via Metafilter is this weblog, Flying Chair, which is running a contest for the Best Asian Weblogs of 2003. You can vote on the best of various countries and categories, until December 28, or just peruse the many interesting links. It's amazing what a global phenomenon this has become.



On forgiving Iraq's debts.

The issue of getting various nations to "forgive" Iraq's debts has been getting quite a bit of attention lately, with the US going around the world asking other nations to do it. At the same time, however, the US is increasing Iraq's debts by loaning it more money. The recent $87 billion dollar package recently approved for them includes loans, which presumably the US is expecting to be paid back at some point. The Saudis also announced an "aid" package that includes loans. So I guess it's just other countries debts that are expected to be written off.

On a broader perspective, why should the Iraqi people get out of paying their bills when so many other countries around the world, countries that do not have anywhere near the oil or resources that Iraq does, are still expected to pay theirs? The many nations of Africa and Latin America for instance.

I'm not sure I understand the principles involved here. Why is it that countries that have painfully established democracies and are attempting to get their own affairs in order are left hanging, while countries that set up brutal dictatorships are rewarded?

Everybody seems to be blaming Saddam for everything that's happened for the past 35 years, but he couldn't possibly have remained in power that long without very extensive and widespread support among the Iraqis themselves. Are these people going to get off scot free? This is just a variation of the same evasion of responsibility that allowed the German people to blame everything on Hitler, and the American people to blame Vietnam on Johnson and Nixon. One person simply couldn't possiby do these things, and the claim they could is just a crock.

I understand the problems in Iraq, and the difficulties they are experiencing in getting back on their feet. But the same is true for the Russians and some of these other nations that Bush is asking for debt relief. If this is so important to America, then why don't the Americans offer to take over these debts and pay them back? Or at least set up a long-range schedule of payments that the Iraqis can afford.

In the long run this can only hurt the Iraqis, not help them. It establishes them as a deadbeat nation, and will make it more difficult in the future for them to borrow in the world's capital markets. Rather than helping them achieve economic independence, it seems to be directed at keeping them dependent on American support.

Could it be that the real reason the US is so anxious to see those debts written off, is that they want to make sure that any money the Iraqis make will go to American interests? And of course, to pay off the debts owed to America?

Or, even worse, is the US, fully aware that it is the largest debtor in the world, trying to establish the principle that if a country gets into severe enough financial difficulties it doesn't have to pay? Because sooner or later America's bills are going to come due.



Weblogs comments spam getting out of hand.

Caterina over at caterina.net reports that she had to spend hours removing over 400 spam comments from her weblog. And that she's getting so frustrated with it she might even shut down her weblog. Which sure would be a shame, since she has a lot to say. Link here, the comments of which contain some useful advice in dealing with it.


This is horrible. "Spam comments" are a special type of spam that are inserted into the comments of individual weblog posts. There are utilities being made available to help block these, but it still is a serious problem. And illustrates the very real danger that spamming and other anti-social activities could really destroy the internet's potential as a forum for open discussion.

I really want to have comments on this site, which seems to me to be the real purpose of having a weblog. It's nice to express my own views, but it's the dialogue that ensues that really interests me. But, like her, I really don't have the time or technological expertise to deal with it all. I already spend way too much time deleting spam from my email as it is. There's got to be a way to stop this. Just has to be.



Babes Against Bush.

If you're looking for a nice holiday gift for the anti-Bush male on your shopping list, you might want to check out Babes Against Bush. This is a group of women whose motto is "because hot babes hate him too." They've put out a sexy 2004 calendar with the proceeds going to support the efforts to restore American democracy.

For more info, there's an interview with one of them in Salon. Unfortunately a subscription or free daily pass is required, but if that's ok with you it's an interesting read. Boy, this sure is going to be one interesting election year. Hooey.


And to be totally impartial, the Jersey GOP has an ongoing Republican Babes of the Week site. Which at least puts an interesting spin on the phrase "Let's Roll." And nice to know that Condi Rice has a sense of humor. That's encouraging.



Iraqi bloggers comment on Saddam's capture.

The woman behind Baghdad Burning, an excellent Baghdad-based weblog, comments on Saddam's capture and the aftermath there. It all sounds pretty chaotic, and certainly doesn't sound as if peace is right around the corner. And she echoes my concerns as to whether the Americans will allow a trial at all.


Yes, only time will tell. For more Iraqi thoughts, here's a link to Salam Pax's famous blog, Where is Raed?. Like most Iraqis he just seems to want to know what really happened during Saddam's 35-year reign.

And one to Iraq The Model, which is much more pro-American. He hasn't posted on Saddam's capture yet, although I imagine he will soon. In any case, his earlier thoughts are rather interesting. Certainly not all Iraqis are supporting the so-called "insurgency."



Thoughts on Saddam's capture.

Interesting commentary in the LA Times by Robert Scheer entitled "We Got Him .. Now What?," regarding the implications of Saddam's capture. [Warning, free registration required.] Scheer has a tendency to exaggerate and even distort things, and is always ready to bash Bush no matter what he does, but I think this time he's right on target.

At least it's nice to see that the corporate media is ready to acknowledge and confront the fact that it was Bush's buddies who put Saddam into power in the first place, and that Bush is using the war in Iraq to divert attention from the real issues confronting us all.


I really wonder if Saddam will ever be brought to trial. I find it very difficult to believe that he will be, at least before the election. He just knows too many of the dirty secrets of the inner workings of the Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II administrations for them to allow him to talk. I wonder if they'll try to pull an Oswald-Ruby type of assassination in order to keep it all covered up. Well, we shall see. It ain't over till it's over, and I think it will be quite a while before the Fat Lady sings her final tune here.

December 15, 2003

Spain and Morocco plan tunnel under the Mediterranean.

Guardian article. Continuing the spread of tunnels and bridges connecting various parts of the world, Spain and Morocco announced a plan to construct a tunnel under the Mediterranean.


This development hasn't been getting much notice since it's been happening gradually. But slowly the world is being connected together. Tunnels and bridges are also being built between Scandinavia and the European mainland, the Japanese islands and many other places.

The Spanish-Moroccan link is especially important since it would link not just the two countries, but effectively all of Africa and Europe.

The implications for national sovereignty, the environment, travel and the tourist industry, public health and other areas are quite significant. It's likely that by the end of the century, if not by mid-century, people will be able to drive from anywhere in the world to anywhere else.

The people constructing these deserve a lot of respect. It is probably the most difficult and challenging of all engineering tasks. Not to mention extremely dangerous. Much more so than space for instance, which gets a lot more attention.

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