My employer, a few months before I was hired, quietly initiated an voluntary environmental management system known as ISO 14001. This past Tuesday, after a week long audit, we have been recommended to be certified as ISO 14001. That is usually just a small formality-for the most part, we can say that we are ISO 14001 certified, or at least, we soon will be, but for the purposes of this blog, I will assume we already are.
We are now the only commercial flooring adhesive manufacturer in the US to be ISO certified. This is HUGE, and I am proud to say that I intend to play a more important role in this program in the future as anyone who knows me knows how much I care about the Earth, the interconnected nature of living things-Gaia, and environmental issues in general. Our environmental policy is straight in line with my personal belief set and green goals-conserving energy, reducing my footprint, becoming self sufficient and striving to live in harmony with nature. I also hope to become more active in the GreenBuilding community in the coming years.
http://www.usgbc.org/
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222
My dream home is a passive solar earth sheltered home in the back pasture at the ridge line. Green Building, rather, sustainable building, is not new to me. It is a rare find to work in a place where your personal ethics and environmental concerns are shared by upper management. One day soon, our company will be building a new lab and office. I saw the architect's plans and WOW, would you believe that the building will be a LEED certified passive solar building with louvers to control the light and other energy saving features?!? How cool is that?
For those who aren't familiar with ISO 14001, you can learn more from the links below, and hopefully, for the sake of our planet, you can convince your employer and/or your community to follow suit. It can make a real difference, both for your organization, and for the Earth.
http://www.iso.org/iso/management_standards.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_14000
To quote Wiki, "The aim of the standard is to reduce the environmental footprint of a business and to decrease the pollution and waste a business produces."
And this could only be the beginning. We, as a business, could go even further, making even more voluntary changes that would benefit the company's bottom line and the environment. In fact, one such program that we could probably benefit from is called Six Sigma. Motorola invented this strategy for consistent business improvement back in the 1980's, and since then, other large, successful companies like GE and Honeywell have developed Six Sigma programs. It is really all about statistics-(I really, really wish I had taken more statistical studies in college). The Greek letter sigma, "σ" or "Σ", is equivalent to our "s" or "S". Sigma is the mathematical sign for standard deviations and there is a mathematical model that states that if there are six standard deviations between the process mean(the average in a data set) and the nearest specification limit, practically no items will fail to meet specifications. It is a process, and if your business operates within the process, then you will make less errors, 3.4 errors per one million opportunities, to be exact. In other words, if you put a system like this in place, and you make a million products a year, you can expect less than 4 product issues as a result of production or business error per million units. It is actually pretty interesting how far math can take you these days. Who knew that statistics would ever be so important in something other than baseball? ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Sigma
http://www.ge.com/en/company/companyinfo/quality/whatis.htm
It is an insane world. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but it sure is nice to work for a company that morally and ethically tries to do what is right. They get it. In a world where no one can agree on the cause of global warming, whether or not it exists, and what should be done about it, if anything, I have found an oasis of green common sense in my workplace. It is refreshing. I only wish I hadn't wandered around in the desert for so long.
Showing posts with label insane world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insane world. Show all posts
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Back to Work I Go
It is a done deal. I start back to work on October 1st at XL Brands as their 'Lab Coordinator'. XL makes carpet and flooring adhesives and installation systems. The people seem to be very nice, and it looks to be a well run operation. The lab is much nicer and cleaner than the last place I worked. My working hours are normal daytime working hours with no shift work and no weekends. The company is quite a ways from my house, almost 45 minutes away on the south side of Dalton, but I'm hoping that Skyguy and I can carpool some to take the edge off the gasoline bill. I don't trust gasoline prices to stay low.
XL Brands is a division of Textile Rubber and Chemical Corporation, a global chemical and manufacturing company that is headquartered right up the road in Dalton. The following quote comes from their website: "XL Brands leads the industry with environmentally-safe flooring installation products. We have introduced industry first products that are SCS Certified, (Scientific Certification Systems), and contain PCC, (Post Consumer Content). XL Brands adhesives also care the CRI Green Label Plus seal for indoor air quality." It is so rare to find an adhesives company that is environmentally conscious. That's important to me.
I feel very fortunate and honored. There are so many people out there who are pounding the pavement looking for a good job. I was not looking, and had given up on working again. It is a crazy world and I definitely feel guilty because I know so many people are desperately looking for work. While I had first interviewed with this company over a year ago, nothing became of that and I had written it off as a lost opportunity. Then in July, out of the blue, they called, and I went in for another interview. There have been a couple of other meetings over the last month or so, culminating in yesterday's job offer. I have yet to fill out a job application. It is odd how life can twist and turn. You just never know what might be around the corner.
This will allow us to hopefully pay off debt and complete some projects that have been sitting on the back burner. We will be able to regrade the driveway and fix the ruts; we will be able to replace the bay window in the kitchen before it falls out; we will be able to add insulation to the attic. If President Obama goes through with his Dollars for Dishwashers plan, or whatever he ends up calling it, we might actually be able to afford a new refrigerator this year! Woot! Mostly though , having an additional income takes stress off Skyguy as he changes careers. Money makes him happy. I'm generally not materialistic at all, but I have wanted a jacuzzi for the last 20 years, and I might finally get one. I think I deserve it.
XL Brands is a division of Textile Rubber and Chemical Corporation, a global chemical and manufacturing company that is headquartered right up the road in Dalton. The following quote comes from their website: "XL Brands leads the industry with environmentally-safe flooring installation products. We have introduced industry first products that are SCS Certified, (Scientific Certification Systems), and contain PCC, (Post Consumer Content). XL Brands adhesives also care the CRI Green Label Plus seal for indoor air quality." It is so rare to find an adhesives company that is environmentally conscious. That's important to me.
I feel very fortunate and honored. There are so many people out there who are pounding the pavement looking for a good job. I was not looking, and had given up on working again. It is a crazy world and I definitely feel guilty because I know so many people are desperately looking for work. While I had first interviewed with this company over a year ago, nothing became of that and I had written it off as a lost opportunity. Then in July, out of the blue, they called, and I went in for another interview. There have been a couple of other meetings over the last month or so, culminating in yesterday's job offer. I have yet to fill out a job application. It is odd how life can twist and turn. You just never know what might be around the corner.
This will allow us to hopefully pay off debt and complete some projects that have been sitting on the back burner. We will be able to regrade the driveway and fix the ruts; we will be able to replace the bay window in the kitchen before it falls out; we will be able to add insulation to the attic. If President Obama goes through with his Dollars for Dishwashers plan, or whatever he ends up calling it, we might actually be able to afford a new refrigerator this year! Woot! Mostly though , having an additional income takes stress off Skyguy as he changes careers. Money makes him happy. I'm generally not materialistic at all, but I have wanted a jacuzzi for the last 20 years, and I might finally get one. I think I deserve it.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Food in the Future
My new friend Dave has asked my opinion of the prediction of higher energy and food costs, possible shortages ahead, etc. All I can say is that I believe that to be true with every ounce of my being. I've long believed that we would see much hardship in my lifetime. I've tried to prepare by living simply, learning skills, and being frugal. I grow and preserve what I can, we hunt and fish, and we try to live close to the land. I've tried to learn about native plants and herbs in the event that medicines are scarce or non-available. For a while, I raised dairy goats and learned to make cheese and process milk. We've raised rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep and all manner of critters except cattle. Many people have asked why I don't sell my farm products, and the simple answer is that people will not pay enough to offset costs. I justify my own costs with the knowledge that I know what I am eating, how it was grown or raised, etc. I think I eat healthier than most people, even though I eat a fat-laden diet. I know that I am not poisoning myself with pesticides or herbicides.
The plight of farmers is all over the news. California may have happy cows, but the farmers are going out of business. Equipment costs, testing, transportation, and the cost of growing food for the cows all add up to drive the cost of a gallon of milk through the roof. Patented seed and chemicals have made Monsanto et. al. rich and left farmers poor. The rising price of oil and fuel has put a hurtin' on large agribusiness farmers who need specialized equipment to grow and harvest crops, and on the the truckers who transport the food to the processor and then on to grocery stores.
It is a no-brainer that we are headed for hard times. When I was born, the world population was about 3 billion, the US population was about 180 million, and the population of the county that I grew up in was 114,000. Today, world population is 6.6 billion+, US population is about 300 million+, and Cobb County has about 700,000 people. My local population increased five fold, and the world population doubled. By contrast, natural resources are diminishing, not growing. It is a train wreck that will have a gory outcome, and no one wants to think about it. To make matters worse, I believe there will be people, an elite class, that profit from the suffering of the general population. I believe that the decline has already begun. And no, I don't th
ink it has much to do with politics or any particular politician. It is a global problem that no one is trying in earnest to solve. The only thing I can do is to try to reduce my dependence on utilities and purchased goods and live close to the vest. The Earth cannot afford too many of us living extravagantly, and far too many people in this country live above their means, which in the end will only increase their suffering. We have chosen a home away from city conveniences, a home that is modest and heated only by wood. Our water is from a well, and we protect the well because it is the life-blood of this land. Georgia and Tennessee are already battling over Georgia's claim to a spot on the Tennessee River, and that is child's play compared to western states' battles over water. I think, in my lifetime, we will see wars fought over water rights and development rights for production of electricity. Water rights are already a key issue in solving the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. It is a problem which will only get worse. Yeah, I believe that food shortages are coming.
The plight of farmers is all over the news. California may have happy cows, but the farmers are going out of business. Equipment costs, testing, transportation, and the cost of growing food for the cows all add up to drive the cost of a gallon of milk through the roof. Patented seed and chemicals have made Monsanto et. al. rich and left farmers poor. The rising price of oil and fuel has put a hurtin' on large agribusiness farmers who need specialized equipment to grow and harvest crops, and on the the truckers who transport the food to the processor and then on to grocery stores.
It is a no-brainer that we are headed for hard times. When I was born, the world population was about 3 billion, the US population was about 180 million, and the population of the county that I grew up in was 114,000. Today, world population is 6.6 billion+, US population is about 300 million+, and Cobb County has about 700,000 people. My local population increased five fold, and the world population doubled. By contrast, natural resources are diminishing, not growing. It is a train wreck that will have a gory outcome, and no one wants to think about it. To make matters worse, I believe there will be people, an elite class, that profit from the suffering of the general population. I believe that the decline has already begun. And no, I don't th
ink it has much to do with politics or any particular politician. It is a global problem that no one is trying in earnest to solve. The only thing I can do is to try to reduce my dependence on utilities and purchased goods and live close to the vest. The Earth cannot afford too many of us living extravagantly, and far too many people in this country live above their means, which in the end will only increase their suffering. We have chosen a home away from city conveniences, a home that is modest and heated only by wood. Our water is from a well, and we protect the well because it is the life-blood of this land. Georgia and Tennessee are already battling over Georgia's claim to a spot on the Tennessee River, and that is child's play compared to western states' battles over water. I think, in my lifetime, we will see wars fought over water rights and development rights for production of electricity. Water rights are already a key issue in solving the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. It is a problem which will only get worse. Yeah, I believe that food shortages are coming.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The impact of drug addiction
This is a rant about all manner of things-mostly drug related- that piss me off. Click away now if you're not interested. Rant mode: ON
Today, we went to Walmart, which I detest, but almost everyone goes there at some time or another. I dislike their business model of putting the Mom and Pop stores out of business by buying second quality goods from countries that are not friendly to the US. Whatever happened to Sam Walton's Made in the USA pledge?? What about their commitment to the environment? Are they more loyal to the Chinese than to the US? So many questions, no answers. But I digress...
I'm in Walmart (did I mention that I'd rather shop elsewhere?) and remember that I need the antihistamine, Zyrtec-D. I walk over, pick up the card, and wait in line at the pharmacy to swap the card for the meds. The clerk, who was older than me and should know manners, was extremely rude and unfriendly. She stated that she could not sell the Zyrtec to me without a driver's license. This stop at Wallyworld was after we had an impromptu picnic, and I had not brought my purse, therefore, no ID. She asks me if I have ever bought drugs from them before and I answered in the negative. She looks at me suspiciously and with disgust, like I was scum of the earth for not having a driver's license on me. She thought she was better than me because I did not have a driver's license on me and she worked at the pharmacy at Wal-mart! Give me a break! Some people, when given positions of authority, really abuse it, and she was an abuser.
So after she refuses to sell me the Zyrtec, one box of Zyrtec I might add, I finally get Skyguy over to produce his license for the witch. She must have entered every bit of information from his license, which really must be illegal-or ought to be illegal, because I think you just have to sign for Zyrtec, not face the Inquisition. I mean, really, I have all my teeth and I am 20 pounds overweight. Do I really look like a freakin' meth-head? GRRRRR!
The picnic....I've been bored with cabin fever since my surgery, so Skyguy decided we should go up to the old mountain campground(only 1.5 miles away) for a picnic-it would be a change of scenery with no chance of getting my foot wet, no hike required to get there, etc. It really was nice up there-very quiet, and the knowledge that not a soul was around within miles, was pretty cool. We ate our cold KFC leftovers, some grapes, and chips in the middle of the woods. We practice Leave No Trace, but obviously others do not. The Forest Service closed this primitive campground a few years ago, tossing the picnic tables into a ravine(good neighbors with tractors pulled them out and now all of us who live here in the valley have a souvenir picnic tables probably made by the CCC in the late 1930's) and capping off the hand pump well. However, the the tent pads are still there, and people still use the campground. Before we left, we walked around and looked at the trash. At first glance, the place looked pretty good, but as you walk around, you see plastic and metal and all kinds of trash that had been overlooked in a cleanup. I honestly do not understand why people can't clean up after themselves. They couldn't just throw their junk away on their own property, so why do they not care about Nature? As soon as my foot is better, I am going to go up there with some trash bags and clean. One reason that the campground closed was that it was used for parties and illegal activities by the locals. It was also the local "lover's lane", for everyone, but right before they closed it, there was a lot of homosexual meetups out there. I personally could not care less what people do in their private lives. My only complaint about the activities that took place at the campground was that it increased traffic on the road and people were dying as they drove out drunk. At any rate, my anger was over the apathy that people show towards Nature and natural areas. With government cutbacks, who do they think will clean up their messes? GRRRRR!
Why is it that one or two idiots can mess things up for everyone? We have warning labels on things because some idiot had no common sense. We have our privacy violated because some dope head couldn't put his joint down long enough to go to college and become a real chemist. Oh no, they would rather make drugs in their car, or in their apartment and endanger the lives of innocent kids next door, or anyone else within the blast zone. They are too interested in partying with their weed or meth to pick up the beer bottles or bungee cords or tiki lights or condoms or bottle caps or whatever. Because of this, there's a whole generation of people who don't know what real freedom is. The really sad thing is that people who are old enough to remember freedom, like the Walmart pharmacy tech, now are apathetic and don't care about anything, as long as she's getting a paycheck every week. Everyone is so taxed and beaten down, that people are becoming thoughtless drones who only know one path. The crooks and bad guys are never affected as they don't play by the rules. The only ones inconvenienced are the law abiding citizens, those that still care about freedom and nature and the right thing to do in this world. GRRRR!
Rant mode: OFF
P.S. I wrote this while on prescription pain meds. I overdid it a bit on the walking today and now my foot is swollen. In keeping with the Title and Subject matter of the post, I thought it only fair to inform you of my hypocrisy. Hypocritical or not, I think I have a point.
Today, we went to Walmart, which I detest, but almost everyone goes there at some time or another. I dislike their business model of putting the Mom and Pop stores out of business by buying second quality goods from countries that are not friendly to the US. Whatever happened to Sam Walton's Made in the USA pledge?? What about their commitment to the environment? Are they more loyal to the Chinese than to the US? So many questions, no answers. But I digress...
I'm in Walmart (did I mention that I'd rather shop elsewhere?) and remember that I need the antihistamine, Zyrtec-D. I walk over, pick up the card, and wait in line at the pharmacy to swap the card for the meds. The clerk, who was older than me and should know manners, was extremely rude and unfriendly. She stated that she could not sell the Zyrtec to me without a driver's license. This stop at Wallyworld was after we had an impromptu picnic, and I had not brought my purse, therefore, no ID. She asks me if I have ever bought drugs from them before and I answered in the negative. She looks at me suspiciously and with disgust, like I was scum of the earth for not having a driver's license on me. She thought she was better than me because I did not have a driver's license on me and she worked at the pharmacy at Wal-mart! Give me a break! Some people, when given positions of authority, really abuse it, and she was an abuser.
So after she refuses to sell me the Zyrtec, one box of Zyrtec I might add, I finally get Skyguy over to produce his license for the witch. She must have entered every bit of information from his license, which really must be illegal-or ought to be illegal, because I think you just have to sign for Zyrtec, not face the Inquisition. I mean, really, I have all my teeth and I am 20 pounds overweight. Do I really look like a freakin' meth-head? GRRRRR!
The picnic....I've been bored with cabin fever since my surgery, so Skyguy decided we should go up to the old mountain campground(only 1.5 miles away) for a picnic-it would be a change of scenery with no chance of getting my foot wet, no hike required to get there, etc. It really was nice up there-very quiet, and the knowledge that not a soul was around within miles, was pretty cool. We ate our cold KFC leftovers, some grapes, and chips in the middle of the woods. We practice Leave No Trace, but obviously others do not. The Forest Service closed this primitive campground a few years ago, tossing the picnic tables into a ravine(good neighbors with tractors pulled them out and now all of us who live here in the valley have a souvenir picnic tables probably made by the CCC in the late 1930's) and capping off the hand pump well. However, the the tent pads are still there, and people still use the campground. Before we left, we walked around and looked at the trash. At first glance, the place looked pretty good, but as you walk around, you see plastic and metal and all kinds of trash that had been overlooked in a cleanup. I honestly do not understand why people can't clean up after themselves. They couldn't just throw their junk away on their own property, so why do they not care about Nature? As soon as my foot is better, I am going to go up there with some trash bags and clean. One reason that the campground closed was that it was used for parties and illegal activities by the locals. It was also the local "lover's lane", for everyone, but right before they closed it, there was a lot of homosexual meetups out there. I personally could not care less what people do in their private lives. My only complaint about the activities that took place at the campground was that it increased traffic on the road and people were dying as they drove out drunk. At any rate, my anger was over the apathy that people show towards Nature and natural areas. With government cutbacks, who do they think will clean up their messes? GRRRRR!
Why is it that one or two idiots can mess things up for everyone? We have warning labels on things because some idiot had no common sense. We have our privacy violated because some dope head couldn't put his joint down long enough to go to college and become a real chemist. Oh no, they would rather make drugs in their car, or in their apartment and endanger the lives of innocent kids next door, or anyone else within the blast zone. They are too interested in partying with their weed or meth to pick up the beer bottles or bungee cords or tiki lights or condoms or bottle caps or whatever. Because of this, there's a whole generation of people who don't know what real freedom is. The really sad thing is that people who are old enough to remember freedom, like the Walmart pharmacy tech, now are apathetic and don't care about anything, as long as she's getting a paycheck every week. Everyone is so taxed and beaten down, that people are becoming thoughtless drones who only know one path. The crooks and bad guys are never affected as they don't play by the rules. The only ones inconvenienced are the law abiding citizens, those that still care about freedom and nature and the right thing to do in this world. GRRRR!
Rant mode: OFF
P.S. I wrote this while on prescription pain meds. I overdid it a bit on the walking today and now my foot is swollen. In keeping with the Title and Subject matter of the post, I thought it only fair to inform you of my hypocrisy. Hypocritical or not, I think I have a point.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wishful thinking doesn't make it so...
After my 'Say What??' post, my friend Rob posted a comment suggesting an essay along the same vein, that is long but that I believe is worth your time to read.
http://www.securityaffairs.org/issues/2009/16/peters.php
This line sticks with me, "Even the most successful war yields imperfect results." His example is the Civil War, where slavery was abolished, but equal rights did not come along for another hundred years.
http://www.securityaffairs.org/issues/2009/16/peters.php
This line sticks with me, "Even the most successful war yields imperfect results." His example is the Civil War, where slavery was abolished, but equal rights did not come along for another hundred years.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Say what??
What the heck is wrong with this country? What is wrong with people?? These questions are often asked, at least in my neck of the woods, and yet seldom answered. I think, however, I know..
People are often demonized or attacked for placing importance on morality. Do-gooders and truth-tellers get bad reputations as troublemakers or party-poopers. Good people with deep convictions on issues will remain silent, afraid to voice opinions that might not be seen as politically correct. I'm generally conservative, and I don't want anyone to think that I believe my ideas are right and absolute, to that point I will remind readers that all people, even liberals, can have deep convictions about what they believe to be morally correct or morally wrong as the case may be, and many are just as silent, just as paralyzed to act as Conservatives. Sometimes people are afraid to stand up for others because they fear becoming a target themselves.
Politically correct is now socially correct, and once a person crosses the line, they become a social pariah. There is an unspoken rule in many workplaces that one should not work too hard, because that would make others look lazy. Very often, the bottom line is money, and in business, the ends justify the means in many companies. As long as a company maintains a certain image, its' true character can be hidden. Image is everything. Employees are often apathetic because they don't see one person's immoral actions as something that will affect themselves. If everyone takes a long lunch, or if employees come in late frequently, productivity is lost and non-profitable companies eventually have to make cuts. If a student cheats on an exam, he may position himself for awards that he doesn't deserve, awards that might make a real difference to someone who actually earned distinction. The mentality of apathy or tolerance of immoral acts has weakened us as a society. It seems that modern life is a series of scandals, in politics, sports, business, education and even in religion. It has become so commonplace that it seems normal and people are desensitized to scandalous behavior, almost like it is a rite of passage that comes with fame, fortune, or power. Bad-boy athletes or hot-shot Navy pilots laugh, drink, and take advantage of women and there is an element of society that envies that lifestyle. Women are seen as objects because families are dysfunctional and parents aren't teaching their children to respect others. In many families, there are no 'fathers', no male role models, and mothers are absent and non-nurturing because they are working two or three jobs to survive. The result is an entire generation of people that believe that society owes them something, that they are entitled to things without working or sacrificing for them. Self indulgence has become a lifestyle to be proud of, and sacrifice is something only poor, stupid schmucks do. No one is patriotic anymore. Only a few young men and women feel obligated to pay their dues by military service. They are called heroes when they are killed, but when they enlist, they are often seen as rejects, kids that can't afford college or who are otherwise underprivileged. It infuriates me.
Well, that is enough for starters...
People are often demonized or attacked for placing importance on morality. Do-gooders and truth-tellers get bad reputations as troublemakers or party-poopers. Good people with deep convictions on issues will remain silent, afraid to voice opinions that might not be seen as politically correct. I'm generally conservative, and I don't want anyone to think that I believe my ideas are right and absolute, to that point I will remind readers that all people, even liberals, can have deep convictions about what they believe to be morally correct or morally wrong as the case may be, and many are just as silent, just as paralyzed to act as Conservatives. Sometimes people are afraid to stand up for others because they fear becoming a target themselves.
Politically correct is now socially correct, and once a person crosses the line, they become a social pariah. There is an unspoken rule in many workplaces that one should not work too hard, because that would make others look lazy. Very often, the bottom line is money, and in business, the ends justify the means in many companies. As long as a company maintains a certain image, its' true character can be hidden. Image is everything. Employees are often apathetic because they don't see one person's immoral actions as something that will affect themselves. If everyone takes a long lunch, or if employees come in late frequently, productivity is lost and non-profitable companies eventually have to make cuts. If a student cheats on an exam, he may position himself for awards that he doesn't deserve, awards that might make a real difference to someone who actually earned distinction. The mentality of apathy or tolerance of immoral acts has weakened us as a society. It seems that modern life is a series of scandals, in politics, sports, business, education and even in religion. It has become so commonplace that it seems normal and people are desensitized to scandalous behavior, almost like it is a rite of passage that comes with fame, fortune, or power. Bad-boy athletes or hot-shot Navy pilots laugh, drink, and take advantage of women and there is an element of society that envies that lifestyle. Women are seen as objects because families are dysfunctional and parents aren't teaching their children to respect others. In many families, there are no 'fathers', no male role models, and mothers are absent and non-nurturing because they are working two or three jobs to survive. The result is an entire generation of people that believe that society owes them something, that they are entitled to things without working or sacrificing for them. Self indulgence has become a lifestyle to be proud of, and sacrifice is something only poor, stupid schmucks do. No one is patriotic anymore. Only a few young men and women feel obligated to pay their dues by military service. They are called heroes when they are killed, but when they enlist, they are often seen as rejects, kids that can't afford college or who are otherwise underprivileged. It infuriates me.
Well, that is enough for starters...
Monday, June 15, 2009
Inspirational stuff
http://www.afrigadget.com/
I was mesmerized by this site, alternating between extreme heartache over the living conditions of the people, and profound admiration for not only their intelligence and ingenuity, but for their determination to find a way to make something work. I could spend hours reading this site and exploring the various related links. This is homesteading in it's purest form, making do with what you have, innovation showing no bounds. I've fallen in love with this work ethic motto from the site:
"Never expect magic from no where"
Be sure and click on the categories at the right margin. The 'gadget' category is a good place to start. Some stories crossover into multiple category tags.
In the same vein, I found a few other sites which are also worth your time to look at for ideas and ways to improve your homestead or live in a more sustainable way.
http://www.downsizer.net/
This page from that site discussed scythe ownership, something a few of us discussed recently:
http://tinyurl.com/lbecz6
http://kickstart.org/home/index.html
http://www.tfsr.org/
This site even has a manual for rebuilding and refurbishing Singer sewing machines like the one I have-the one I love:
http://tinyurl.com/2lmo6r
http://makezine.com/ http://timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com/
http://www.farmingsolutions.org/
It seems strange that our culture here in the US only gives lipservice to sustain
able living. The wealthy and supposedly educated simply are not interested in finding earth friendly solutions or reducing their carbon footprint by reducing our need to energy and conserving resources. Anyone who is truly interested in a more simple lifestyle has to look to the poor, developing countries in Africa, India, or Southeast Asia for innovative ideas. It is an insane world.
I was mesmerized by this site, alternating between extreme heartache over the living conditions of the people, and profound admiration for not only their intelligence and ingenuity, but for their determination to find a way to make something work. I could spend hours reading this site and exploring the various related links. This is homesteading in it's purest form, making do with what you have, innovation showing no bounds. I've fallen in love with this work ethic motto from the site:
"Never expect magic from no where"
Be sure and click on the categories at the right margin. The 'gadget' category is a good place to start. Some stories crossover into multiple category tags.
In the same vein, I found a few other sites which are also worth your time to look at for ideas and ways to improve your homestead or live in a more sustainable way.
http://www.downsizer.net/
This page from that site discussed scythe ownership, something a few of us discussed recently:
http://tinyurl.com/lbecz6
http://kickstart.org/home/index.html
http://www.tfsr.org/
This site even has a manual for rebuilding and refurbishing Singer sewing machines like the one I have-the one I love:
http://tinyurl.com/2lmo6r
http://makezine.com/ http://timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com/
http://www.farmingsolutions.org/
It seems strange that our culture here in the US only gives lipservice to sustain
able living. The wealthy and supposedly educated simply are not interested in finding earth friendly solutions or reducing their carbon footprint by reducing our need to energy and conserving resources. Anyone who is truly interested in a more simple lifestyle has to look to the poor, developing countries in Africa, India, or Southeast Asia for innovative ideas. It is an insane world.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Oinkers Boinkers
Swine flu...
No tongues!!!Where's the Listerine?!
Seriously, how many times will the government cry wolf?
SARS, Bird flu, Salmonella outbreaks and now Swine Flu....
Into the Frying Pan-demic we go! Who knows what is going on...some doctors say we are already in a pandemic, that the numbers of flu sufferers are 10-25 times higher than government figures. http://tinyurl.com/dllyd2
Then you can read about how this particular flu is not as lethal as previous flu pandemics. http://tinyurl.com/chcdnq
And it is not really a 'swine' flu at all, it is part swine, part avian, and part human...a nice, seemingly improbable mix, which leads to the next story..... If conspiracies are your thing, you can read the Prison Planet story about how the virus could be a Pentagon weapon targeting Hispanics, specifically Mexicans, in a biowar.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/is-swine-flu-a-race-specific-virus.html
I'm about to go on vacation, and it will be just my luck to get stuck in another state if martial law is declared...Massachusetts just passed a pandemic bill that could call for martial law, and this morning, Fox news was batting the idea around. I don't know what is scarier, potentially dying from influenza or losing my rights under martial law. It is an insane world.
No tongues!!!
Seriously, how many times will the government cry wolf?
Into the Frying Pan-demic we go!
Then you can read about how this particular flu is not as lethal as previous flu pandemics. http://tinyurl.com/chcdnq
And it is not really a 'swine' flu at all, it is part swine, part avian, and part human...a nice, seemingly improbable mix, which leads to the next story..... If conspiracies are your thing, you can read the Prison Planet story about how the virus could be a Pentagon weapon targeting Hispanics, specifically Mexicans, in a biowar.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/is-swine-flu-a-race-specific-virus.html
I'm about to go on vacation, and it will be just my luck to get stuck in another state if martial law is declared...Massachusetts just passed a pandemic bill that could call for martial law, and this morning, Fox news was batting the idea around. I don't know what is scarier, potentially dying from influenza or losing my rights under martial law. It is an insane world.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday the 13th: Frankenfuels and Frankenfoods
I heard recently that big oil companies are buying up bankrupt biofuel companies. I'm not sure why they are bankrupt, but with business practices the way they are today, nothing surprises me. Perhaps people are waking up to the fact that they get fewer miles per gallon with ethanol. Perhaps it is simply an availability issue. Perhaps people are protesting Monsanto et.al. with their wallets. The reason machts nicht, but having companies like Shell combine with companies that are in bed with other giants like Cargill and Monsanto is a real nightmare.
Biofuel from corn is not new. Since the Carter administration and the gas crunch of the 1970's there has been a mandate for producing alternative fuels and vehicles. Actually, making ethanol from corn is as old as the hills and hollers of Appalachia, except 100 years ago it was called Moonshine and it was the entrepreneurial homesteaders that reaped the benefits from producing it. A sip of white lightning eased the pain from the day's labors or the pain from life's hardships. (Damn, I could use some of that!) Selling or trading a jug or ten was good income and kept many families afloat. These days, Monsanto is the only true benefactor from corn ethanol. They genetically engineer the corn and if I remember the stats correctly, the amount of land required to grow enough corn to provide transportation fuel for a year for one person is the same amount of land needed to feed 7 people. With the world's population growing almost exponentially, that's not very sustainable. They don't care though, because in a few years, they will control the world's food supply AND fuel supply.
Using Biofuels with gasoline sounds great, but when you start looking at it a bit closer, the idea is full of pitfalls. First, there are many plants that produce more ethanol per acre than corn. Agave has great potential and is grown in the desert. Cattails have great potential, and they can be grown in colder climates. Giant grasses and sugar cane also outproduce corn. Sorghum, willow, poplar, and I'd bet that even sweetgum trees would also produce more ethanol per acre of crop than corn.
Normally, I would say okay, Monsanto, patent that! But sadly, they have taken up that challenge already. They have already patented many plants in India and China, plants that have been cultivated and used for thousands of years. Plants like grain amaranth and turmeric are patented as if Monsanto invented them. This practice is called bio-piracy. They are stealing and claiming age old plants or specific components/extracts of plants as their own creation(for example they might patent the curcuminoid extract of turmeric plants as their own product). By doing this, they can control the plant's growth and use. If you are not familiar with the evil Monsanto power grab, here are a few older articles to give you a bit of an introduction:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0115-04.htm http://www.purefood.org/Patent/monsanto_biopirates.cfm
http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=42 http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/monsanto-pig-patent-111
(yes pigs, and there are patented chickens, too!)
Now biodiesel is another matter entirely. Unlike ethanol biofuels, there are many promising biodiesel 'feedstocks'. Algae shows great promise and can be grown anywhere.
If you are interested in alternative energy from renewable, living sources, check out The BioEnergySite.
http://www.thebioenergysite.com/
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Wonder Woman
As I snuggled up under a warm quilt on the sofa a few nights ago, I saw a commercial that advertised the new animated Wonder Woman movie. She has always been my favorite superhero-maybe because I have been called an Amazon before and Lynda Carter made it cool to be almost six feet tall and wear contacts, a new thing in those days. In the movie promo, Wonder Woman was in her costume, if you can call it that. Seeing all of that exposed skin made me shiver (I was already cold, but it felt like empathy
I'm pretty sure that most comic book superheroes are created and drawn by men, so that is the obvious explanation for why Wonder Woman AKA Diana Prince wears so little after she removes her glasses. Every male superhero I can think of wears tights or some kind of leggings: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Space Ghost, the Green Lantern and even Aquaman, a swimmer, are all covered up. There are no bare chests or hairy legs, why, even Underdog and Mighty Mouse are fully-clothed. Men, dogs, and mice in tights, and women in almost nothing by comparison. Men in tights...that must be why they are wearing masks.
It is an insane world.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Panem et circenses
The subject of the economy and President Obama's speech came up on one of my email groups. It got me thinking about the way things are, so today, I am posting a rant here in response.
She wrote:
I figure if we owe nothing, no matter what he does we'll be o.k.
I do wish the voters had actually gone out and done their homework! Now all I can do is light some candles, burn a smudge and hope to whom or whatever that the Chinese don't call the loans due!
I never thought I'd say it but I think we have actually gone from the frying pan into the fire! Dumbya had our grandchildren and great-grands in debt. This circus is going to have 7 generations in debt OR MORE!
I'm fed up. FED UP with the status quo. I know a lot of people are as well. I don't know who to be angry with, who to complain to, or what good any action in isolation will do. I don't think things will be okay for everyone. I used to think that as long as I stay out of trouble and pay my debt, I'd be left alone and I could be as eccentric as I wanted to be... No mas.
Electing McCain/Palin would have been jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Maybe we could have put the fire out after that administration left office. I think the damage done would have been mitigable. I think electing Obama/Biden landed us right in the blast furnace. There is nothing I can do about the generations of debt that will have to be paid as a result of the dishonesty in the upper echelons of government AND private corporations. The damage is done, and thousands of people are laughing all the way to the bank. I just have to hunker down and try to pay off my own debt as quickly as possible. With my additional $13/week, I suppose the best thing to do is to buy seeds. I'm feeling pretty pessimistic about things today, so take that into consideration for what is coming. Sometimes, I find myself actually hoping that 2012 really is the end of the world as we know it, because the world as we know it sucks and it's getting worse, not better. Perhaps we will all have the option of crossing into a parallel universe, one where the concept of greed doesn't exist.
By non-conforming, am I making myself a target for surveillance? By expressing my opinion, am I setting myself up for censure or worse? Am I over-reacting, responding to some Brave New World paranoia? I don't think so. I've heard stories of dissident relocation camps for years. I think I might have even seen one. If such things do exist, I'm bound to end up there one day because of my views. You can call me crazy-I heard that back in the 1980's when I was talking about genetically engineered animals and food. Twenty five years later, it is ubiquitous, the problem is that no one knows it, so I am still the crazy one who sees GMO's everywhere.
There are people that referred to the Bush administration as Fascist. Is the current administration really better, or does it just use a different approach? The Bush Administration produced the Patriot Act to spy on us because 'we must protect ourselves against the terrorist next door-it's for the public good, for safety'. The Obama Administration produces the Smart Grid(11 billion appropriated in the stimulus package) and wants to use Enhanced ID to qualify for his social programs. That is spying on us for 'our own well-being and for energy conservation and the public good-for safety'.
If you ever saw the movie "White Knights" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, you know that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics monitored it's citizens. Neighbors were encouraged to rat on neighbors, and it led to genocide ...65 million or more. The Nazis also spied on their own people....more death followed.
In fairness, this issue goes beyond party politics, really. For half a century, we have been consistently giving up our rights for the sake of safety or convenience. We talk about Big Brother and the government usually during the Republican administrations because it is during those years we look outward at the world and deal with security and foreign policy. Usually, during Democratic administrations, the focus is more on budgets, the economy, healthcare and other domestic issues. The Obama administration is on new ground, mixing the two. Big Brother is now Super Brother after the largest increase in the size of government in American history. The red states and the blue states are all in the same situation. If we are still around in eight years, we certainly won't have any privacy left. The Enhanced ID allows tracking of individuals and now with the Smart Grid, GE food, and control of the banks, energy, and homeland security, the American people will be in a full out guillotine choke. The powers that be, the PRO government (Pelosi, Reid, Obama) just hope that the people won't notice the loss of privacy and personal rights, or if we have been properly brainwashed and conditioned, we won't care, because it is for the good of all. It is worse than more of the same; the escalation in our loss of individualism and privacy is non-linear. Americans are in a Brave New World, but other countries have preceded us.
The Initial Decrees of the Bolshevik party were really similar to the promises we hear today....I realize that most folks these days apparently want socialism, but what road are we traveling?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevik_Initial_Decrees
1. The Decree on Peace outlined measures for Russia's withdrawal from the First World War without "payment of indemnities or annexations".
To me, that sounds a lot like Obama saying that we will get out of the Middle East and honor his commitment to veterans by expanding the VA and increasing pay.
2. The Decree on Land outlined measures by which the peasants were to divide up rural land among themselves. It advocated the forceful dissolution of many wealthy estates by peasant forces.
When I read that, my first thought was "Share the Wealth" I recall that story about homeless people squatting in foreclosed McMansions...
3. The Workers' Decrees outlined measures for minimum wage, limitations on workers' hours, and the running of factories by elected workers' committees. This consolidated Bolshevik support amongst the working classes in the cities, where they had taken power.
We are raising wages, encouraging unions, and giving tax cuts to the working class.
If you have some time, you should read some of these decrees. It's not so different from where we are today. It's a bit unnerving considering the latest accusations of power grabs by the Executive Branch and the Democratic Party(e.g. census matrix, new appointments, etc. etc.)
Where are we headed??
Speaking of circuses...
… iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses.
… Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses
(Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81) Roman poet, almost 2000 years ago, still relevant today.
She wrote:
I figure if we owe nothing, no matter what he does we'll be o.k.
I do wish the voters had actually gone out and done their homework! Now all I can do is light some candles, burn a smudge and hope to whom or whatever that the Chinese don't call the loans due!
I never thought I'd say it but I think we have actually gone from the frying pan into the fire! Dumbya had our grandchildren and great-grands in debt. This circus is going to have 7 generations in debt OR MORE!
I'm fed up. FED UP with the status quo. I know a lot of people are as well. I don't know who to be angry with, who to complain to, or what good any action in isolation will do. I don't think things will be okay for everyone. I used to think that as long as I stay out of trouble and pay my debt, I'd be left alone and I could be as eccentric as I wanted to be... No mas.
Electing McCain/Palin would have been jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Maybe we could have put the fire out after that administration left office. I think the damage done would have been mitigable. I think electing Obama/Biden landed us right in the blast furnace. There is nothing I can do about the generations of debt that will have to be paid as a result of the dishonesty in the upper echelons of government AND private corporations. The damage is done, and thousands of people are laughing all the way to the bank. I just have to hunker down and try to pay off my own debt as quickly as possible. With my additional $13/week, I suppose the best thing to do is to buy seeds. I'm feeling pretty pessimistic about things today, so take that into consideration for what is coming. Sometimes, I find myself actually hoping that 2012 really is the end of the world as we know it, because the world as we know it sucks and it's getting worse, not better. Perhaps we will all have the option of crossing into a parallel universe, one where the concept of greed doesn't exist.
By non-conforming, am I making myself a target for surveillance? By expressing my opinion, am I setting myself up for censure or worse? Am I over-reacting, responding to some Brave New World paranoia? I don't think so. I've heard stories of dissident relocation camps for years. I think I might have even seen one. If such things do exist, I'm bound to end up there one day because of my views. You can call me crazy-I heard that back in the 1980's when I was talking about genetically engineered animals and food. Twenty five years later, it is ubiquitous, the problem is that no one knows it, so I am still the crazy one who sees GMO's everywhere.
There are people that referred to the Bush administration as Fascist. Is the current administration really better, or does it just use a different approach? The Bush Administration produced the Patriot Act to spy on us because 'we must protect ourselves against the terrorist next door-it's for the public good, for safety'. The Obama Administration produces the Smart Grid(11 billion appropriated in the stimulus package) and wants to use Enhanced ID to qualify for his social programs. That is spying on us for 'our own well-being and for energy conservation and the public good-for safety'.
If you ever saw the movie "White Knights" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, you know that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics monitored it's citizens. Neighbors were encouraged to rat on neighbors, and it led to genocide ...65 million or more. The Nazis also spied on their own people....more death followed.
In fairness, this issue goes beyond party politics, really. For half a century, we have been consistently giving up our rights for the sake of safety or convenience. We talk about Big Brother and the government usually during the Republican administrations because it is during those years we look outward at the world and deal with security and foreign policy. Usually, during Democratic administrations, the focus is more on budgets, the economy, healthcare and other domestic issues. The Obama administration is on new ground, mixing the two. Big Brother is now Super Brother after the largest increase in the size of government in American history. The red states and the blue states are all in the same situation. If we are still around in eight years, we certainly won't have any privacy left. The Enhanced ID allows tracking of individuals and now with the Smart Grid, GE food, and control of the banks, energy, and homeland security, the American people will be in a full out guillotine choke. The powers that be, the PRO government (Pelosi, Reid, Obama) just hope that the people won't notice the loss of privacy and personal rights, or if we have been properly brainwashed and conditioned, we won't care, because it is for the good of all. It is worse than more of the same; the escalation in our loss of individualism and privacy is non-linear. Americans are in a Brave New World, but other countries have preceded us.
The Initial Decrees of the Bolshevik party were really similar to the promises we hear today....I realize that most folks these days apparently want socialism, but what road are we traveling?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevik_Initial_Decrees
1. The Decree on Peace outlined measures for Russia's withdrawal from the First World War without "payment of indemnities or annexations".
To me, that sounds a lot like Obama saying that we will get out of the Middle East and honor his commitment to veterans by expanding the VA and increasing pay.
2. The Decree on Land outlined measures by which the peasants were to divide up rural land among themselves. It advocated the forceful dissolution of many wealthy estates by peasant forces.
When I read that, my first thought was "Share the Wealth" I recall that story about homeless people squatting in foreclosed McMansions...
3. The Workers' Decrees outlined measures for minimum wage, limitations on workers' hours, and the running of factories by elected workers' committees. This consolidated Bolshevik support amongst the working classes in the cities, where they had taken power.
We are raising wages, encouraging unions, and giving tax cuts to the working class.
If you have some time, you should read some of these decrees. It's not so different from where we are today. It's a bit unnerving considering the latest accusations of power grabs by the Executive Branch and the Democratic Party(e.g. census matrix, new appointments, etc. etc.)
Where are we headed??
Speaking of circuses...
… iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses.
… Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses
(Juvenal, Satire 10.77–81) Roman poet, almost 2000 years ago, still relevant today.
Fruit-sniffing beagle and chimera chickens
Last night, we watched Homeland Security, a new reality type TV show that follows various employees that fall under the helm of the Department of Homeland Security. There were stories of border guards, immigration officials, USDA inspectors, etc. It was rather interesting to see how tedious some inspections have become in the last seven years. Most people took the inspections as a necessary evil in this age of terror, but some were simply frustrated by the bureaucracy. At an airport, one passenger forgot to declare his lunch that contained an orange, a food item which was sniffed out by a citrus-sniffing beagle and that initiated a search which resulted in a $300 fine. He was forced to pay on the spot else go to court and risk paying up to $50,000 if found guilty. That sounds crazy, but a necessary evil if you consider how much damage was caused by the Mediterranean fruit fly or how much the lowly fire ant has changed life in the South, not to mention the expense and pollution consequences of eradication. I suppose a zero tolerance law is needed, but it just seems like overkill.
By contrast, this evening on the Documentary Channel, we watched a program about genetically engineered foods and their consequences, both to the primary natural species, the environment, and secondary consumers. Here is the Documentary Channel's description of the program:
Life Running Out of Control
2004 -
From the loss of biodiversity to health scares about GM food, the effects of genetic technology are prompting more and more debate. This documentary is an intelligent look at both sides of the issue. Made for ARTE.
The program discussed how companies are creating chimera chickens, chickens with genes modified to eliminate their broody instinct, and vegetables without seeds. Monsanto and other companies like ConAgra are patenting natural crops like turmeric. I try to stay current on the GE debate, but I was not aware that this was happening. The documentary is now five years old, an eternity in the history of GE food. I shudder to think of the schemes and tactics in use today. Late in the program, while they are discussing GE fish, one anti-GMO researcher-activist makes a statement that there is not one law in the United States that prevents companies like Monsanto from creating, marketing, or selling Frankenfish. At the time the documentary was made(and this may still be true-I'm not sure), there were no laws at all concerning GE food. There was no requirement for independent safety testing, no requirement to notify or inform the consumer, and there was no recourse if the promises of safety were lies. Monsanto lied about the safety of DDT, Agent Orange and PCB's, and then when the truth was born out, they tried to cover their tracks and shuck responsibility. Now, we are supposed to trust them that GE food is safe and the answer to the world hunger. Right. Sadly, most Americans are not scientifically minded or interested in genetic engineering or it's consequences. They are perfectly happy with their high fructose corn syrup made from GE corn.
So, it all boils down to this...in the United States, GE food is created, marketed, and sold to us. We eat it without any laws to protect us, but don't try to bring an 100% natural, organically grown orange through customs.
It is an insane world.
By contrast, this evening on the Documentary Channel, we watched a program about genetically engineered foods and their consequences, both to the primary natural species, the environment, and secondary consumers. Here is the Documentary Channel's description of the program:
Life Running Out of Control
2004 -
From the loss of biodiversity to health scares about GM food, the effects of genetic technology are prompting more and more debate. This documentary is an intelligent look at both sides of the issue. Made for ARTE.
The program discussed how companies are creating chimera chickens, chickens with genes modified to eliminate their broody instinct, and vegetables without seeds. Monsanto and other companies like ConAgra are patenting natural crops like turmeric. I try to stay current on the GE debate, but I was not aware that this was happening. The documentary is now five years old, an eternity in the history of GE food. I shudder to think of the schemes and tactics in use today. Late in the program, while they are discussing GE fish, one anti-GMO researcher-activist makes a statement that there is not one law in the United States that prevents companies like Monsanto from creating, marketing, or selling Frankenfish. At the time the documentary was made(and this may still be true-I'm not sure), there were no laws at all concerning GE food. There was no requirement for independent safety testing, no requirement to notify or inform the consumer, and there was no recourse if the promises of safety were lies. Monsanto lied about the safety of DDT, Agent Orange and PCB's, and then when the truth was born out, they tried to cover their tracks and shuck responsibility. Now, we are supposed to trust them that GE food is safe and the answer to the world hunger. Right. Sadly, most Americans are not scientifically minded or interested in genetic engineering or it's consequences. They are perfectly happy with their high fructose corn syrup made from GE corn.
So, it all boils down to this...in the United States, GE food is created, marketed, and sold to us. We eat it without any laws to protect us, but don't try to bring an 100% natural, organically grown orange through customs.
It is an insane world.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Online privacy-not!
How insane is it that we teach our children not to talk to strangers and to guard personal information, yet we tell all about ourselves on sites like Blogger, or social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook, or even email and bulletin board groups? Identity fraud is increasing, and we are making it easier for the bad guys to victimize us. I think we must all have an intense need for that 15 minutes of fame. Some people, like Octomom and Joe the Plumber, just have a worse case of it.
The recent hoopla about privacy and ownership rights of material posted on Facebook have prompted me to downsize my public persona. I am not any more protected by 'deactivating' my account, but there is some comfort that it was the right thing to do. It's probably false security, but I needed to withdraw a bit anyway.
Facebook claims to have reversed it's policy, but still they are holding my information. Deactivation is not the same as a Permanent Delete. If I can log in and have my page just pop back up at will, it was never truly deactivated. Why would they hold onto that information if not to somehow make money from it?
The recent hoopla about privacy and ownership rights of material posted on Facebook have prompted me to downsize my public persona. I am not any more protected by 'deactivating' my account, but there is some comfort that it was the right thing to do. It's probably false security, but I needed to withdraw a bit anyway.
Facebook claims to have reversed it's policy, but still they are holding my information. Deactivation is not the same as a Permanent Delete. If I can log in and have my page just pop back up at will, it was never truly deactivated. Why would they hold onto that information if not to somehow make money from it?
