with all the talk about the direction of the global economy, what's the link between the global to the personal.. why should anyone care about what's happening with global trade agreements? there are a ton of reasons from the type of job that you can get, job 'security,' to issues of access (health care, water), the global aids crisis, to problems with corporate greed and accountability.

well here's a focus on an example of what's happening in our own community, from the guardian uk. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1089065,00.html)

earlier this year, ibm was 'discussing' moving millions of white collar jobs to southeast asia. if you bank with hsbc, you might notice many of your customer service calls being handled by people in india. it used to be manufacturing jobs leaving, now it's white collar jobs, and who knows what else. that's the race to the bottom that global justice activists talk about, where there is no end in sight to how low the standards go. the kind of shell of a community that's produced as a result is the sad thing... low wage jobs, no health care coverage, and no leverage for people to fight back from these kinds of conditions.

more and more there is a focus on the world water grab, the privatization of water. water covers most of the earth but only a small amount is available, and then mostly it's available to people who can afford it. we already pay so much for water-- we pay more for bottled water than we pay for gasoline. it takes a few cents for these companies to make bottled water, and the mark-up is so high, it's a billion dollar industry.

as much as i believe that our world is not for sale, companies are already displacing water in several ways and profiting from it. football field sized bags are filled with water that is moved from its natural sources to other locations. companies like bechtel and suez and vivendi and rwe have a strong hold on this industry. the wto, the ftaa, and other such institutions and trade agreements all enable these companies to take water out of bodies of water and make profit from it. the water fights are not just a phenomenon in africa either, there are groups in michigan fighting companies like nestle for taking water for profit.

for more on water privatization and the water for all campaign, check out (http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/)

Health care is also a huge part of these discussions, and may be more relevant than the water grab. hardly anyone i know who's around my age has health insurance, especially working folks. with the plans that people do get, one-third of the costs that you pay to your insurance company goes to administrative fees. that's a lot.. there's so much more i could talk on and on about health care but i'll save the diatribe. but one thing i'll mention is that i was just reading that the biggest reason why many employers aren't hiring people or have to lay people off is often health care-related. prices are skyrocketing and it's hard to keep up. i just hate to see what happens when we all get older, with the sad state of affairs that exist right now.

i love momma prisco for having such a good memory and i love grammomma prisco for creating the warmest three toned blanket on the face of the earth. and i love mike for letting me steal the warmth, and having tons of inspired energy always. i promise i really never held any grudges over the exploded beer thing despite what you think. and someday i will make up for not bringing anything back from br (it takes two of us to forget). somehow.

today is sunday of the angels. blue angels and brown angels. anime. gwendolyne n alleyne. traffic circles and guitars. brown tapestries and smoke. peanut butter recipes. bitters and absolut.

water street. obligations are so passe. blue ruched shoes. unwritten recommendations. unmade picture frames. self imposed deadlines. selective amnesia. instruments. pink thread. green on white. manic repressive meanderings. holiday meetings of the o'beberlicking family reunion. relativity.

charlemagne we seek your forgiveness in untimely callings. this is for you not by me. familiarity will set in

a touch of insomnia
a lot of questions
a blatant disregard for tomorrows appointments
a lot of hope

yay food shuttle avocados

ceramic tiling is tough without the right tools. so mike and i took an avocado sushi break.

oops oh my, theres a conflict tomorrow night. oh well

[One]

What -- "Writing a Difference: Activism and Writing"
When -- Friday, December 5 7:30 PM
Where -- Medaille College Lecture Hall, 18 Agasiz
Circle (Parkside and 198)

The WNY Peace Center's Visions For a Better World
series presents a reading/discussion on the
relationship between writing and activism. Chilean
poet and human rights activist Marjorie Agosin will
headline the event, with local panelists including
Manny Fried, Roxanne Amico, and Tim McPeek. For more info, call the Peace Center at 894-2013.


[Two]

The Unprofessionals
Squeaky Wheel (175 Elmwood Avenue)
Friday, December 5 at 8 PM
Programmed and selected from an open call by Lindsay Sampson

Amateurs and the unprofessionals. And all of those who do not fit too well in the Real world. The Messy and the inaccurate. The wild and absurd. The marginalized, the "different". The more interesting and complex. The under represented.

we just finished filming stuff for the 30 second move on commercial. when the editing is done maybe i'll post it here (bc we have that capability, right paul?) it was great fun

theres too much to say about today and tonight and tomorrow and such but who cares wins

now we're in december, hibernation season kicks in. its important to make sure to come out of hibernation for a short while to say hello. this applies to all of us.

everything all of the time

i've been thinking about religion a whole lot lately. i think it's about time that i've joined a church. i've been giving it a lot of thought, and i think i've found the perfect one (http://revbilly.com), just in time for the holidays.

i am writing this entry, not for paul, but rather bc i care about this (e:strip) project


for years we've thought about putting an ad in national publications:

call to activists, artists, and people willing to create:come to buffalo!

buffalo is the best and biggest secret on the earth-- a city with a small town feeling-- with a great community, great arts, and great architecture where the rent is cheap. this rust belt city is for the taking, but we need community-minded and motivated souls to make it a better place.

that's really what we need in this city. that's what we really need for this city. it obviously hasn't got us anywhere going through the usual methods.

it starts here

i've met more and more people who are interested in urban planning, smart growth, community-based initiatives, regional development. its wonderful to see that energy, and its so so important given the context of our world developing on a global scale where regionalism and community based thinking is not part of the equation. i'm wary of thinking that there is any one or two solutions that would work, but lets at least encourage going in that direction where people are thinking and doing and building our own communities. that power is in each of us, and sometimes you just have to do it yourself to make things happen.

this city is ours for the taking.

i for one, am not going to sit idly.

from alternet: Information Warfare in Miami

"The 'Miami Model' used during the anti-FTAA protests represents a new police strategy whose aim is to control not just the streets, but also the "story" told by the media." (http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17293)