Comments on: [1081] The Truth About Markets – Christchurch

By: Mep

Mep — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:29:19 +0000

@ Karl Marx – Yes, obesity and its health consequences (e.g., diabetes, heart problems) are absolutely tied to class. It’s a relatively hidden form of inequality. And when lack of access to health care is added into the mix, being poor or even lower-middle class in America can be a death sentence. However, there is evidence that obesity is rising for people of all income levels. I haven’t seen enough data to assess what the underlying factors are; my guess would be that it has a lot to do with the degradation of our food system (e.g. high fructose corn syrup and increased reliance on other sweeteners/additives; factory farming). It would be interesting to see whether increased work hours and time spent commuting are also implicated. That’s perfectly logical considering that the majority of people have been increasing time spent at work to make up for loss in wages, benefits, and purchasing power in general over the past 3 decades.

By: Karl Marx

Karl Marx — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:37:45 +0000

Let’s be clear, obesity in Amerikkka is a phenomenon that’s developed out of class distinctions:

* Access to nutritional foods is restricted whereas cheap processed foods are filled with only addictive ingredients appealing only to sensory inputs for the bottom line.

* Irregular eating habits caused in the duration of time between when food stamps expire, going without cheap processed junk food, and gorging oneself after your “Quest” card is recharged.

* Geography is another contributing factor that can both limit access and perhaps even inhibit or restrict ones ability to exercise, ie. getting shot, mugged, or raped are good deterrents.

By: Karl Marx

Karl Marx — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:09:35 +0000

Thanksgiving in the Manhattan Colony

In 1641 the Dutch governor Kieft of Manhattan offered the first “scalp bounty”–his government paid money for the scalp of each Indian brought to them. A couple years later, Kieft ordered the massacre of the Wappingers, a friendly tribe. Eighty were killed and their severed heads were kicked like soccer balls down the streets of Manhattan. One captive was castrated, skinned alive and forced to eat his own flesh while the Dutch governor watched and laughed. Then Kieft hired the notorious Underhill who had commanded in the Pequot war to carry out a similar massacre near Stamford, Connecticut. The village was set fire, and 500 Indian residents were put to the sword.

A day of thanksgiving was proclaimed in the churches of Manhattan. As we will see, the European colonists declared Thanksgiving Days to celebrate mass murder more often than they did for harvest and friendship. [1]

Transcript + podcast:

http://mikeely.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/native-blood-the-myth-of-thanksgiving-2/

By: dan valley

dan valley — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:40:32 +0000

@ snoot…..Interesting. The horse of the Apocalypse representing famine is set to ride when a man’s whole day’s work is rewarded with a handful of grain. Quite the backdrop to what we are soon to experience with the currency volitility.
……most in china already work for a handful of grain…I see the BB peice is still ruminating with you.

By: GGees

GGees — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:47:59 +0000

Let the peasants eat cake!

By: Mep

Mep — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:10:50 +0000

@ Max – I don’t know that we have an accurate estimate of fuel costs in Afghanistan. $400/gallon has been commonly cited as the upper-end of what fuel costs. But if we believe Pentagon figures that the marines use 800,000 gallons per day, then the sticker price is $320 million/day JUST FOR the marines.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/63407-400gallon-gas-another-cost-of-war-in-afghanistan?page=2

Sickening, indeed.

By: norcalkid

norcalkid — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:06:50 +0000

re: hackers, data storage and Afghanistan…
The governments will never be able to keep up with the teenage hackers. My bets always go with the hackers, they have creativity and knowledge on their side. As to safe storage, get a bunch of cheap flash drives to backup your data. They are small and easily stored.
No outside military entity has ever been able to “conquer” Afghanistan. Why does the Pentagon think it can “win” where other empires have failed? Morons. I invoke Santayana’s quote about learning from history.

By: Mep

Mep — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:32:37 +0000

@ James – My local grocery store(Wegmans) is determined not to be undersold–turkey is advertised at 49 cents per pound, but in the store, it’s 29 cents per pound w/ a $25 purchase. It’s supposed to be a limited, one-per customer thing @ the 29 cent/lb. price, but I’m reading that some locals have been able to get multiple turkeys at the checkout for that price. In contrast, their free range turkeys are in the neighborhood of $2.50-$3.00/lb. I spotted a 20 pounder for $59.

@ Stacy – I like that you’ve already decided the color of burka that you’d like to wear into Afghanistan.

By: PaulH

PaulH — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:00:31 +0000

@Justget Itright

Me too. You may wish to consider one of these…

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com

I have my eye on the Fencl.

Here’s the tour :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbRvsWuWNUM

By: Adam C

Adam C — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:45:28 +0000

@warburg sidney

We are not in disagreement.

By: warburg sidney

warburg sidney — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:25:27 +0000

Science should be transparence and not act in secrecy, adam!

By: Youri Carma

Youri Carma — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:18:34 +0000

Turkey Training for TnX Giv’N http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl7q5IELpCY

By: Adam C

Adam C — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:18:30 +0000

The leak/hack story is kinda dead now. From here on in, it’s all about getting access to the ["deleted"] raw surface temperature data and resurrecting honest science.

‘…whatever one thinks of the morality of climate-change alarmism, it is important to understand that the people actively involved in this campaign honestly believe in their cause. This is not a movement that consciously seeks to deceive or which conspires to fiddle the figures. It is a lobby driven by powerful beliefs and convictions, which need to be taken seriously if the issues at stake are to be clarified and understood. — …focusing on the behind-the-scenes emailing and manoeuvring of crusading climate scientists – where now anti-greens accuse greens of being involved in a vast, top-secret conspiracy – may inadvertently reinforce the conspiratorial outlook that dominates the discussion of climate change. And such an outlook is inhospitable to intellectual clarification and the search for the truth. Those who are genuinely interested in furthering humanity’s understanding of the workings of the earth’s climate should resist the temptation to play the conspiracy card.’

Spiked — We don’t need another conspiracy theory
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/7748/

Stay on target; science not rhetoric:

Skeptics Handbook 1 & 2: http://bit.ly/5ilJaD

By: Justget Itright

Justget Itright — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:11:37 +0000

I am giving thought to converting to an Amish life style, with a Mexican twist, and a couple wind turbines and solar panels.