Understanding Private Equity

Came across this article explaining what a 'vulture capitalist' is and does. Basically it explains how private equity companies take over businesses and loot/run them. Anyway might be useful in understanding another murky corner of the financial system. Now back to that PhD on derivatives.

Rape in the Military

The saddest thing is that we act like this is not the normal behaviour for an organization whose job is to occupy and dominate other groups.

Slow Times

Had some great conversations at a gathering last night. One reminded me that humans (like other animals) are meant to slow down in winter. So perhaps my inclination toward hibernation and lethargy is actually quite natural and shows a connection to real cycles. Spring, summer and fall are more active times when most animals are making babies and preparing for the cold times to come (with the promise of spring not far off!). It's interesting that our culture has created the opposite system where frenetic work happens in seasons when we should be calm and lounging happens in seasons when we should be working. One might argue that it's a civilized attempt to screw up our connection to natural rhythms, thereby further disconnecting us from the land. But of course it's all a great debate but most of us can't quite shake the desire to cuddle up in front of a warm fire.

Also talked about the difference between 'work' and 'selling out labour'. They are very different to my mind. But to many of us work is synonymous with selling our labour. The only way you can work is to sell your labour. Mowing the lawn isn't real work, growing a garden isn't real work. Cash in hand or rather numbers on a computer screen somewhere, are the true measures of work. But of course there are other ways of working that don't involve selling our labour such as bartering or giving our labour as a gift. Flashback to Marx in high school on this one.

And is it just me or is something in the air. I think somebody has recently become the 100th monkey. I had a conversation with someone I would never have suspected who is really wanting to build a resilient life, learn to grow food, make things, do things, not just sell his labour. They are coming out of the woodwork. Bring it on!

More Voices From Occupy

Bill Moyers on Occupy Wall Street from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

The New Canada

I didn't think it would happen so fast. Have you heard the shit coming out of the mouths of the Prime Minister, his ministers and his underlings? The Dear Leader is standing up for the tar sands, whose good name apparently has been much maligned of late. Now 'radicals' and 'foreign money' are being blamed for the black eye given the tar sands internationally. Seriously, check the links. And the government even warns that they might bring down the Dear Economy, our sacred cow.

It all feels a bit 1930s to me. The outsider is to blame and defiles the purity of our land (and our dirty oil). Bad time to be an activist or to have an opinion that differs from that of the Dear Leader (and his oil buddies).

Here's a letter I just wrote to the Dear Leader, maybe you should too if this seems important (or better still do something that might actually teach him a lesson):

Prime Minister,

I'm very disturbed by your government's recent pronouncements about 'foreign money' and 'radical ideologies' opposing the tar sands. I have read comments from Conservative MPs and Minister Oliver that sent shivers down my spine. Honestly it is a tactic that was used in Nazi Germany, villifying the outsider, the other. It's pretty clear to me that your government is actively working to whip up sentiment against anyone labelled an environmentalist or even people who just want to have their say in a public process. How long before the offices of non-profits are broken into? How long before a nonviolent activist is beaten up? This is undemocratic and will only fuel a cycle of radicalization. You're on a dangerous path Prime Minister. We are going to hold you responsible. Stop the scaremongering and xenophobia right now.

And equally shamefully you are hoping to 'streamline' environmental approvals that always get approved anyway. So we need to speed up public comments and open houses because of foreign radicals. Your buddies in the oil industry are going to write you some big cheques for that one. I bet you are really happy, making a crisis and helping your oil buddies strike it rich. While the rest of us still make the same crappy wage and have to pay more for gas. Canadians aren't blind about your handouts to these corporations.

In the end there is something very wrong with the tar sands. People around the world, those 'foreigners' you speak of with such venom, know this too. We are on the wrong path. I don't expect you to see this dark path since you are blind with power but we can't keep going down this road.

Shame on you Mr. Harper!

Epiphany

This morning I woke up and as usual the boy was awake so I changed his diaper and then we came downstairs together while mum got some more sleep. We played for a bit in his bouncy chair and I kept agitating the coals in the wood stove so that they would burn down and I could take them out. Then I made mum and I a chagga chai that our friend harvested and made and made some oatmeal with dehydrated cherries from our friend Xavier and some sunflower seeds. I noticed (stinky) that the litter box needed emptying and so did our human equivalent upstairs. So that's my next few jobs.

However mundane and repetitive perhaps the truth is that the everyday jobs I do here make me really happy and I just need to embrace that. Maybe my feelings of being stuck aren't so bad. Maybe we don't have to do amazing things all the time like write songs and novels. Maybe we should leave that for the manic people.

Maybe dumping the bucket can bring just as much joy.

Stuck

I think I'm feeling a bit stuck. Perhaps we all are at this time of year. But in theory I have the time to do so many amazing things. And of course I am already doing amazing things. But I guess I'm feeling down that I'm not doing more. I could be writing stories, I have so many stories in the back of my mind. I used to write them on my old blog. I had some pretty good ones I thought. Or I could be building things or making plans for next season. There's going to be a municipal election and I really want to ensure that we have a good show for progressive candidates. I could be writing letters (I still do now and again). I could be doing the dishes. I could fix that pesky dripping tap. Jane and I say we want to walk up the hill every day but dressing up in all our winter gear seems so daunting to me. It's enough to dump the bucket and make great meals.

And then there is the small matter of the insanity of the world. I sometimes feel like I must be crazy because if I'm not then everyone else is crazy (well not everyone). The dominant culture is just so powerful that everyone thinks the same. And maybe I'm scared to talk back. To offer alternatives. So I dither in the margins.