I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Monday, November 26, 2012

Linkee-poo, is written all over your face

Debra Doyle with with some quick links for gift giving to that writer in your life. I'll take one of those, and one of those. Plus you still can't go wrong with the Amazon Gift Card.

How nutmeg is not the innocent spice you may think it is. You might not think of it this way now, but in days past spices were worth genocide (if anything is ever really worth genocide, but to the mindset of the time it was). Dune doesn't seem so strange now, does it? Heck, spice is the reason Marco Polo took his journey and the Queen of Spain gave Columbus the money from her hocked jewelry. It was only after they figured out they had found a "New Land", and one without much spice, that they started sucking out the iron, silver, and gold.

"'Trying to hire high-skilled workers at rock-bottom rates,' the Boston Group study asserted, 'is not a skills gap.'… Many skilled workers have simply chosen to apply their skills elsewhere rather than work for less, and few young people choose to invest in training for jobs that pay fast-food wages. As a result, the United States may soon have a hard time competing in the global economy." I think I've said as much. Look, if you're having problems hiring people, or getting people with the right skills applying for jobs, then maybe you need to look at the rates you're paying. But then, if you pay workers more, that's less profit = lower stock price = less compensation for executives = self perpetuating cycles where executives get sky high pay rates (+200x what their factory workers get) because "you need to retain top people" and the people who actually make the profit for the company get shafted, because "you can always get more." Except the reality is different. Executives are a dime a dozen these days, but obviously factories are having a problem finding good workers. Also don't miss the paragraph with "…with the confluence of computers, increased trade and weakened unions, the social contract has collapsed, and worker-employer matches have become harder to make." That social contract used to be called the "virtuous cycle." (Grokked from John Scalzi)

"It is now impossible to defend capitalism, Texas, or cable television to me for the rest of the day. My head literally hurts right now." Or, how to throw an elegant, adult baptism. Anybody still think these people need tax breaks? (Grokked from the Slactivist)

"While the abortions took place more than a decade before DesJarlais embarked on a political career, they have opened him up to charges of hypocrisy because, as a congressman, he has been a staunch opponent of abortion. His official website says 'all life should be cherished and protected.'" Another conservative of the "the abortions I supported (and enforced) were all ethically necessary, all other abortions are abominations and should be stopped" crowd. "DesJarlais said he also regrets his sexual relationships with two patients and three co-workers while he was chief of staff at Grandview Medical." Great crowd the Teat Party got elected, isn't it. Let's see, a doctor having sexual relationships with patients. I believe that's a "we'll take your license now" offense. And "DesJarlais admitted in court to prescribing painkillers to one of the women," isn't that a "now you're going to jail" event? Seriously, WTF? (Grokked from Jay Lake)

Woman listening to the Lord talking drives 100mph in a 35 zone, while blowing her horn, at all 1am. Um, honey, that's ain't the Lord talking, that's the whiskey (see earlier link about Crazy Uncle Pat "hearing God" get it wrong on the election). (Grokked from the Slactivist)

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