Every time I go to the library to write I see this little old Chinese lady sitting in a doorway. She has all her bags grouped around her and a rain hat pulled over her face to make her look invisible. There is a peace and resignation around her. I have seen her every time I go to the library to write. She has always been and seems to live in this doorway of a shuttered law office storefront.
I have started to go over and give her 3 bucks and today I added half a moon cake. I hope that she will remember that part of her earlier life. Continue reading The Forgotten Old People in San Francisco
Category Archives: Politics
The Growth-Based Economy has to evolve
From the time I started understanding how life and the economy work I always had this gnawing question in the back of my mind:
If everything hinges on growth, isn’t there a limit? The earth is finite. We grow and grow and grow and then what?
Now we know; we have too many cars, too many wars, too many people, to much of everything.
And still we have to grow to keep our standard of living, our way of life. Continue reading The Growth-Based Economy has to evolve
WHY DO DICTATORS ARISE OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
What are the causes that these many dictators arise over and over again with each generation?
It looks like a combination of greed for money, a brutal craving to boss others around and a meanness that is unsurpassed and incomprehensible.
These dictators have absolutely no respect for the lives of others.
They have no compassion and no feeling for others.
The callousness cannot be justified nor tolerated.
That cannot be all there is to it. Continue reading WHY DO DICTATORS ARISE OVER AND OVER AGAIN?
Not Everything Is Progress
Not everything is progress just because it can be invented.
Why are the developers of self-driving cars so hellbent on
developing the self-driving cars and putting them on the street
to try them on us, the human guinea pigs?
Are the so concerned about us so we don’t get into accidents while driving?
Think again. Continue reading Not Everything Is Progress
SPREADING FEAR THROUGH RAIDS
I felt compelled to go to a protest against ICE raids today.
I could not be calm without at least making my voice of opposition heard.
It was not my choice of group who organized it but I acknowledge them for keeping up the opposition against ICE raids.
We did an 11 minute period of silence for the people who constantly live in fear of discovery. Continue reading SPREADING FEAR THROUGH RAIDS
WE HAVE TO RESIST THE STEREOTYPING
The time has come to abolish stereotyping. If we don’t, we will be nothing but robots in service to the few who have trained us like monkeys.
We are already halfway there. Ads are targeting us according to what we at one point have bought.
I was buying some workout leggings the other day.
Suddenly I am inundated with ads for leggings, not once, not twice, but every time I open my email, my Facebook and who knows what else. Every time!! Continue reading WE HAVE TO RESIST THE STEREOTYPING
CREATE A SAFE SOCIETY NOW
There is so much to do.
Everywhere I look there are people to help, animals and plants to preserve, messes to clean up and on top of it to live a life I love.
Where to start?
We have to choose where to make a difference.
Creating a society where it is safe to live without fear of getting killed is a big job and a good place to start. Some people, especially the young, will take on the task of decreasing possession of guns in the country. Continue reading CREATE A SAFE SOCIETY NOW
WHAT IS ZERO-SUM AND WHY IS IT OBSOLETE
During the long centuries of our evolution life was pretty much predictable. There was no technology to speak of.
People grew what they could, hunted what they could and the kings and rulers took what they wanted and left a little for the people who did the work. That production was the pie that existed for people to live and eat. If the kings took a big piece of the pie there was not much left for the peasants. Continue reading WHAT IS ZERO-SUM AND WHY IS IT OBSOLETE
THE NEGOTIATING STYLES OF DINOSAURS
The upset over the latest rude and crude behaviors and insults of Trump has not died down yet.
There is no need to get mad every time.
Rather than getting embarrassed or angry after each new incident it behooves us to analyze why the same or similar incidents keep occurring. Continue reading THE NEGOTIATING STYLES OF DINOSAURS
IF YOU RESIST, IT PERSISTS
I post a lot on Facebook and make many comments on other Facebook sites. Often when there is a political post, trolls show up. It took me a bit to realize that trolls do not engage in real dialogue. I engaged with them, trying to get a real dialogue They just want to poison the atmosphere if it is not a post that feeds the hatred that they want to spread. Continue reading IF YOU RESIST, IT PERSISTS