If I knew how, I planned on posting this at 8:08 a.m. also but I’ll be at a meeting during that time-frame so this will have to do.
More on the Olympics.
I don’t put this on equal footing with the war in Iraq but there are some similarities.
I never thought going into Iraq was such a good idea in the first place. But – and I don’t think this is hypocritical – I am concerned for all the young men and women who are risking their lives and for the families of those who have already lost their lives. I heard today we reached a 500-casualty milestone in Afghanistan. Most of them probably never asked to be sent there but they are loyal and brave and so they go. Some don’t come back. Some don’t come back the way they left – either mentally or physically or both.
I never thought letting China host the Olympics was such a great idea. It seems only to reward the largest human rights abuser in the world. Arguably the most prolific polluter. And for what? So numerous American companies can make money. I realize few in the U.S. had anything to do with the IOC’s decision to award the 2008 Olympics to Beijing. But I didn’t hear a chorus of boos from corporate America when the selection was made either.
So shame on the IOC for picking it. Shame on NBC for tempering their news coverage so as not to offend corporate sponsors and those affiliated with their parent GE while they televise hundreds of hours of coverage. OK I heard this on that bastion of fair and balanced coverage – NPR, so it may need some qualifying.
But for the athletes – all the best. I wouldn’t want to deny some of these kids what might be their only shot at Olympic glory. Even just the honor of participating. So for them – good luck. Swim, run, throw, jump well and make American proud.
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Friday, August 8, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mia Farrow, Sudan and China
I wonder how and why celebrities get such a big soap-box from which to voice their opinions but then again all of us should be free (we are) to do the same. We just don't get a large and immediate audience for our collective ramblings.
Today I listened to a live phone interview with Mia Farrow from a refugee camp in Chad - near the border of Sudan. She is there symbolically speaking out against China's involvement in supporting the government of Sudan - mostly by buying their oil. She has been vocal in calling for people to boycott or protest or something against the Olympics being held in Beijing. I'll give her credit.
It must be 110 on a cool day there; it is dangerous, not pretty, un-glamourous etc. but she is there making her point. She doesn't draw the attention of Ms. Jolie but she could be at home in her Park or 5th Avenue penthouse spending Frank's, Andre's or Woody's money but she's walking the talk, so to speak.
I can't go to Chad or Sudan but I'll be starting up my Olympic boycott on 08/08/08 by not watching any of the Olympics this year.
Today I listened to a live phone interview with Mia Farrow from a refugee camp in Chad - near the border of Sudan. She is there symbolically speaking out against China's involvement in supporting the government of Sudan - mostly by buying their oil. She has been vocal in calling for people to boycott or protest or something against the Olympics being held in Beijing. I'll give her credit.
It must be 110 on a cool day there; it is dangerous, not pretty, un-glamourous etc. but she is there making her point. She doesn't draw the attention of Ms. Jolie but she could be at home in her Park or 5th Avenue penthouse spending Frank's, Andre's or Woody's money but she's walking the talk, so to speak.
I can't go to Chad or Sudan but I'll be starting up my Olympic boycott on 08/08/08 by not watching any of the Olympics this year.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Made in China
For more on this see previous post on my Olympic boycott – which by the way is going well. I’ve not watched anything of the Olympics from Beijing yet!
A week or so ago we did the most of our Christmas decorating – actually my wife did about 99% of it. My job is usually confined to the outside lights (none up this year by the way) and the Christmas tree.
I bought one – our first real tree in years. A Douglas fir.
After my work is done, the kids and adults alike get to hang all the ornaments. Sort of a family tradition. I have to hang the lights first – don’t try it the other way around.
Once we were finished our two littlest ones decided they wanted a tree of their own. My oldest daughter has a small tree in her room that she decorates each year. The little girls felt left out.
A day or two later I went to Walgreens and bought them what must be the ugliest or tackiest artificial tree I’ve ever seen. It is shiny green – almost fluorescent and pre-lit. But the pre-lit thing was not working. My girls noticed right away that it was lit on only one side.
Seeing they were right I decided to take all the lights off and start over – hanging lights being sort of my special household skill.
It took about ½ hour to remove and re-hang a small strand of lights. I’ve never seen a strand like this one before. The wiring was all goofy and they had the funny little clips to hold the strands on each branch.
When I was finished the girls hung their ornaments and were proud of their little green shiny tree.
In cleaning up after myself, I found a small piece of cardboard on the floor that simply said “Christmas (with a small Holly leaf underneath) and beneath that the words: “Made in China.”
Which explained a lot. I doubt most people in China have any idea what a Christmas tree is supposed to look like. From what I read and hear, we are busy exporting our western culture to them so they can buy all our stuff. But wait a minute. We buy all THEIR STUFF!
Think of all the money we could save in shipping if we just made our stuff and kept it here and they made all their stuff and kept it there.
Somehow in this all-important cultural exchange I think Christmas trees got left off the list.
Will this never end? My fault for buying a fake tree. But don’t we make anything in the U.S. anymore?
I heard a piece on NPR this morning about the steel mills in Pittsburgh – there aren’t any, any more, hardly. One of them has become some sort of specialty vendor that simply stamps – actually cuts in with a laser – words etc. on steel. Steel that is probably made somewhere else.
Who is making our steel? Can’t be China since the price of steel (so I’m told) is high because all of it goes to China to help with their building boom.
How do we stop this?
Union clothing workers and sweat-shop cotton mills forced all our clothing making out of the country years ago.
The best cars are made in the U.S. by U.S. workers, working for foreign companies.
Locally, Zenith, formerly a TV maker, moved their plant to Mexico a decade or so ago.
What’s next? With the writers strike I won’t be surprised if we don’t outsource our TV programs to Bollywood. Animation is already largely outsourced (except I hope not for Pixar. Steve Jobs please tell me all your computer animation is done in the good ole US of A)
I wrote several months ago about my chagrin at finding that my cowboy boots were made in China. Now my kids’ Christmas tree. And now guess what?
My staff bought me an i-Pod Nano for Christmas and Birthday (and maybe because I’m just such a generally nice boss!) and I was looking at it. Some of the labeling says “Designed by Apple Computer, Cupertino CA.” The instructions inside say “printed in China.” I thought maybe I was OK but my curiosity got the better of me and guess what? If you dig deep enough it says my i-Pod was “Assembled in China.” I had no idea. I’m shocked. I thought at least I could have at least one genuinely American-made product.
And my question about Pixar? I don’t want to know.
A week or so ago we did the most of our Christmas decorating – actually my wife did about 99% of it. My job is usually confined to the outside lights (none up this year by the way) and the Christmas tree.
I bought one – our first real tree in years. A Douglas fir.
After my work is done, the kids and adults alike get to hang all the ornaments. Sort of a family tradition. I have to hang the lights first – don’t try it the other way around.
Once we were finished our two littlest ones decided they wanted a tree of their own. My oldest daughter has a small tree in her room that she decorates each year. The little girls felt left out.
A day or two later I went to Walgreens and bought them what must be the ugliest or tackiest artificial tree I’ve ever seen. It is shiny green – almost fluorescent and pre-lit. But the pre-lit thing was not working. My girls noticed right away that it was lit on only one side.
Seeing they were right I decided to take all the lights off and start over – hanging lights being sort of my special household skill.
It took about ½ hour to remove and re-hang a small strand of lights. I’ve never seen a strand like this one before. The wiring was all goofy and they had the funny little clips to hold the strands on each branch.
When I was finished the girls hung their ornaments and were proud of their little green shiny tree.
In cleaning up after myself, I found a small piece of cardboard on the floor that simply said “Christmas (with a small Holly leaf underneath) and beneath that the words: “Made in China.”
Which explained a lot. I doubt most people in China have any idea what a Christmas tree is supposed to look like. From what I read and hear, we are busy exporting our western culture to them so they can buy all our stuff. But wait a minute. We buy all THEIR STUFF!
Think of all the money we could save in shipping if we just made our stuff and kept it here and they made all their stuff and kept it there.
Somehow in this all-important cultural exchange I think Christmas trees got left off the list.
Will this never end? My fault for buying a fake tree. But don’t we make anything in the U.S. anymore?
I heard a piece on NPR this morning about the steel mills in Pittsburgh – there aren’t any, any more, hardly. One of them has become some sort of specialty vendor that simply stamps – actually cuts in with a laser – words etc. on steel. Steel that is probably made somewhere else.
Who is making our steel? Can’t be China since the price of steel (so I’m told) is high because all of it goes to China to help with their building boom.
How do we stop this?
Union clothing workers and sweat-shop cotton mills forced all our clothing making out of the country years ago.
The best cars are made in the U.S. by U.S. workers, working for foreign companies.
Locally, Zenith, formerly a TV maker, moved their plant to Mexico a decade or so ago.
What’s next? With the writers strike I won’t be surprised if we don’t outsource our TV programs to Bollywood. Animation is already largely outsourced (except I hope not for Pixar. Steve Jobs please tell me all your computer animation is done in the good ole US of A)
I wrote several months ago about my chagrin at finding that my cowboy boots were made in China. Now my kids’ Christmas tree. And now guess what?
My staff bought me an i-Pod Nano for Christmas and Birthday (and maybe because I’m just such a generally nice boss!) and I was looking at it. Some of the labeling says “Designed by Apple Computer, Cupertino CA.” The instructions inside say “printed in China.” I thought maybe I was OK but my curiosity got the better of me and guess what? If you dig deep enough it says my i-Pod was “Assembled in China.” I had no idea. I’m shocked. I thought at least I could have at least one genuinely American-made product.
And my question about Pixar? I don’t want to know.
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