WikiLeaks!

I just want to say how proud I am of WikiLeaks. The best part is that some idiot in the US suggested that they be added to the list of terrorist groups. That itself should tell you a lot about how important this leak is.

And putting lives at risk? Um, the only lives at risk are those of people who are engaged in the most reprehensible actions imaginable. What you choose to do for a living matters. If you live by the sword you are very likely to die by the sword.

I want to make this clear: from my perspective any action that challenges the powerful and exposes their secrets and lies is justifiable. The last thing these powerful institutions want you to know is all the dodgy, deceitful and violent things they do in the world. Anything that exposes the truth is so important.

And the fact that the people behind Wikileaks are still alive and able to avoid the full might of the CIA and probably every other state intelligent agency is incredible. They are very special people to be able to avoid all the might of each state pursuing them and to hide the files all this time? I know that the founder is supposedly a rapist or something and true as that might be (and one wonders about the motivation behind the charges), it doesn't take away the fact that this once he and his team are heroes to the truth.

It's funny that all the states are lining up to support the US and one another after this leak. Iran is dismissing them? China has banned all reporting of the story? Surely these governments of all would make hay from secret US files? All these states are in it together. All they want is control and if one state and its secrets are shamed then they all are shamed because they each do the same thing. Pretty pathetic to watch the rats scrambling over one another.

Sorry for the rant but go WikiLeaks!

Peninsular Precipice

This Korean business is quite a problem for all involved. I was surprised and slightly worried to hear that South Korea and the US had fired into North Korea at which point North Korea went and bombed an island killing four. And let's not forget that a few months ago a South Korean naval vessel was sunk probably by the North. These things can escalate pretty quickly.

This image is from BBC and shows how provocative the South Koreans were when their ship was sunk. Seems pretty clear to me that it was violating North Korea's waters and one wonders what they were up to. Maybe that's why it went away in the media quickly. The image also shows the location of the island for some context.


Ultimately this story is going nowhere. South Korea and the US, for all their bellicose behaviour and needling the north can't do a thing to get back at North Korea. If they attack in any forceful way there just might be a nuclear missile heading for downtown Seoul. The risk just isn't worth it, no matter how much the pundits emasculate you.

And so that's it. More insane behaviour on both sides. A lot of bravado and no solutions, no moving forward. And the North Korean people eat grass while South Koreans tuck into McDonald's and the whole nightmare continues.

This is the crazy thing about nuclear weapons. Once you have them, no one, not even the world's greatest superpower or whatever it calls itself, can dare to push you around.

This situation also reigns in Israel where a formidable nuclear arsenal precludes any threats from its neighbours and the only groups that stand up to it are non-state actors, who aren't troubled by holes where cities once stood. In fact it would be good for recruiting and you might just get a few X-Men thanks to the fallout. Even the mighty US has to beg Israel to stop settlement construction.

So what lesson then, do these two examples teach to Iran? Get nuclear weapons and you're relatively untouchable. A few sanctions perhaps but as long as you ensure their pain is felt by the poor alone you'll be fine.

But one day, someone will finally decide that a city has to go. And then all hell will break loose. So we had better start disarming. But the Republicans are back and this is the recession that will never end so there's little chance of that.

Fall Scenes

I've been meaning to write this post for a while though now it's a bit outdated. Some friends visited from Hamilton at the end of October and we had a really nice time just before I moved down to the city. I wanted to share some photos of some of the things we got up to this fall: cider making, melon picking, pumpkin gathering and of course kraut making.

I'm going to do my best not to show anyone's face because some of my visitors were adamant that they don't want to be tracked by the authorities. Fair enough. I remember when I didn't want my details online. But pretty much everyone knows that this is my blog so what can you do? But at least I'm not on facebook.






This last one is all of us pushing a round bale up the driveway to the house where we could use it as mulch. Hard work but not if you have four friends!

Bring on 2012!

I love it! Sound and fury signifying nothing. Welcome to the future. You don't have to say anything real, just make people feel good while they starve or get thrown out of their homes. And I love the bear growling. I know he would vote Republican!

Shopaholic

So I'm in the city. Fortunately for me, I've managed to find a job and I'm feeling pretty blessed right now. I'm starting tomorrow and looking forward to earning a little before going back to the farm. I guess I'm really a farmer now that I travel to earn real money. I'm just lucky for a degree which makes getting a job a little easier. Not all farmers (and others besides) are so lucky or privileged.

But since I've been in the city I've noticed a few things. Once Dan and I came to the city and shortly after we arrived our stomachs were both grumbling and upset. Dan figured that it might be the crazy energy of the city, all those people, few other animals, cell phone towers, wireless routers. It was something to experience. I suppose that we could have eaten something funny but that's doubtful.

So what have I noticed since being here. For one, my stomach has been really bloated. I am cutting wheat out of my diet. Perhaps my colon is crying out for wheat in vain. But I'm just bloated and haven't figured out what's causing it since I mostly always eat beans and rice, and I'm trying to eat fruit in between. It's quite a journey to understand your digestive system without just taking a pill.

More importantly and shockingly for me, I find myself looking through junk mail and other ads, looking for deals for home. I want to get my mother a printer since I've wrecked the last two freecycle finds and I'm sick and tired of dodgy used printers. I found a really good deal on a new model but it still vexes me that I'm such a shopper, especially of this new thing.

Now that we have internet at home I waste hours looking for (albeit useful) stuff for our home. Sewing machines that could handle a lot. Crocks for fermenting. External DVD players for my base-model laptop. At least I'm not after a cell phone. Perhaps I should chill out and maybe buying a few things that would actually be useful is not the end of the world. Still I don't want to be a shopaholic!