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April 29, 2008
food crisis
Recently, I was listening to a NPR special on the food crisis. One speaker believed that globalization was one of the sources of the current food crisis. Simply, why grow one's own food when you can buy it from another country cheaper? Then, one country becomes dependent on another country or codependent. Some of profits should have gone to investing in economists who would have told the country's leaders how to minimize themselves from the globalization's ill-effects.
I don't think it's too productive to find blame in the food crisis since it is like being stuck in a Escher painting. Food security is not a new idea; much research has been done on this field.
"It notes that globally enough food is produced to feed the entire world population at a level adequate to ensure that everyone can be free of hunger and fear of starvation." - Wikipedia
Posted by azileretsis at 03:33 PM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2008
signs
Here are five signs that you are growing older:
1) You can't remember what you last did.
2) You want to yell at two kids snuggling, "That's how kids are made!"
3) Now, what was I doing again?
4) You don't know who the Jonas Brothers are or had them explained to you by a eleven year old kid.
5) You start creating lists about signs of old age.
Posted by azileretsis at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2008
good grief
Ok, nobody seems to like Senator McCain's gas tax idea. However, I'd like to give the Senator points for thinking out-of-the box. Nobody has mentioned the major impact, not on personal consumers, but on corporate consumers. If you haven't noticed, food prices are rising. If it is a tax break for Walmart, maybe, they will pass it on to the consumers.
I agree that McCain's plan is probably going to drive consumption up and therefore, price long-term and is bad for the environment. However, as I look at gas prices that are beginning to frighten me, I can see economic benefits to short-term band-aids while we look for long-term solutions. I'm also open to others' ideas while I wait in long lines to pay for $3.40/gallon gas.
I also wonder how high the prices have to get before our behavior actually changes.
Posted by azileretsis at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2008
phone business
I have just found out that Sprint has been charging me for roaming. I called Customer Support and they reimbursed me for March.
My plan specifically states no charges for roaming on the Sprint network.
Before I called customer service, I checked my MOTOKRZR K1m settings. Roaming: Set Mode: Sprint Only, Call Guard: On, Data Roam Guard: Always On. BTW, I hate this phone. I've only had it for a 1 1/2 years . I paid too much for a phone that dies by noon everyday. My first and last Motorola, I'm going back to Samsung.
I received no notification at all that my phone was roaming outside of Sprint network. The customer service brought up the fact that my area code for my phone number is outside of the my current area code but I don't see how this would be a problem. Many people keep their numbers.
Weird. FYI. They told me to check out my phone. Of course, my phone would be the problem and not their network.
In other news, one stinky airline merges with another stinky airline to make a large stink. I've had multiple bad experiences on these airlines.
Posted by azileretsis at 12:41 AM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2008
science & business
Today, I was reading this article about Melinda Gate's entry into her philanthropy work. Melinda Gates had majored in Computer Science and Economics. I wonder who advised her to do so in the 80s when it was most optimal but still futuristic. Then, I wondered what I believed the two good majors would be now for kids today. Touting healthcare is too late since my generation will be the decision makers of this field and likely, we will be passing along a bankrupt and pricey system. I would suggest sciences and accounting.
I think accounting will be necessary no matter what the future holds and financial systems are still not in place for micro and macro transactions.
Sciences is another good major since I hope that we are about to enter another scientific revolutionary period. I know that the Gates Foundation has to be impact-and-application-driven since they are setting new standards for philanthropy work that is much needed. However, I do wish they would also invest more of their money in the core sciences. Their work is still just a band-aid on a situation . Real change occurs through new discoveries. Sometimes, that isn't by looking at the end results but being surprised in the discovery. A good example of this is the discovery of penicillin.
I feel that again, we have solid building blocks for discovery: strong core knowledge, political stability (as much as could possibly be), new technology, and good economic infrastructure. People with potential like Einstein , Newton, or Franklin would have a heyday living in our world.
Who knows how our kids will view the world since infinite possibilities lay before them. I was reading this week about the God particle, a possible impending discovery. When I first heard the news, I snickered to think that kids will have to learn yet another part of the atom.
On another topic, in my brief but trance-like view of the TV today (I don't own a TV), a commentator on Fox News was talking about how businesses should not pull out of the Olympics even in spite of the protests. This comment reminded me of the time when the same topic came up in a classroom discussion over Ben and Jerry's. I had been surprised to hear almost all my classmates fervently agree with this idea that business should be for, first, making profit for the stockholders. I personally believe, as a stockholder, why not trust the overpaid CEO and his team to follow their principles and gut. If they are able to generate profits and make a personal moral choice that I agree with; that's great. If they make a choice that I disagree with, I will simply divest my interests. However, if they choose to simply make a solely profit decision, they lose their humanity and I'm not sure if I want buy into a leadership team who allows their principles and convictions to be swayed by profit decisions.
The issue here isn't Tibet but about stockholders allowing company leadership some flexibility in their roles as community leaders.
Posted by azileretsis at 07:06 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2008
Blog
Recently, I noticed that CNN is running Wordpress. Somebody needs to change their .ico file. Well, unless it was intentional marketing.
I've been running Moveable Type for about six years now. For a traditionalist like me, it works well. I'm still able to write HTML on a regular basis and not have to finagle with GUIs.
Recently, I've been contemplating graduate school and came across these funny links:
Graduate School Survival Guide
Graduate School vs. Lotto - You don't know how many times ideas like this have occurred to me.
My favorite quote:
"Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you're Happy."
Posted by azileretsis at 06:05 PM | Comments (0)
April 01, 2008
roots
In today's WSJ Online is an opinion about the roots of Chinese nationalism. To go back to 1800s is not enough. One has to reflect the long and illustrious Chinese history that was marred by the events in the 19th century. Chinese nationalism arises from this amazing history and maybe, sparked by the romanticism to again achieve that same greatness.
History is tough to move past (pun intended). In United States, Southerners still bring up the War Between the States as if they had just fought in it rather by an event in the long past. In the Muslim world, Saladin's conquests are still much remembered.
It is when the nationalism becomes aggressive and harmful to its own or other nations, problems arise. Sense of national superiority (sometimes known as pride) is common in all countries and is necessary in nation development.
With the question of Tibet, this problem is also an issue of national sovereignty. It should be noted that Tibetans are among many hundreds of people groups in China and some that share strong philosophical and religious differences with the communist party. I've met people who view China as some kind of beige color, uniform in all corners. Instead, it is just as melting pot as the United States with compartmentalizations just as common.
Tibet will continue to be a thorn in China's side like many other people groups in China. The question I ponder is if that is necessarily bad.
Posted by azileretsis at 01:59 AM | Comments (0)