News of the day

[mzrowan]

The first Argentinian gay marriage may not happen today; a judge has blocked issuing the marriage license until the Supreme Court can examine the issue.

Well, that didn't last long -- who had "December 1" in the pool? Microsoft is investigating an issue in Windows 7 dubbed "the black screen of death".

The Beeb shows us photos of a day in the life

Comments

[lightcastle]

I personally suspect the DARPA thing of being a recruitment drive. I have no logical reason for this whatsoever.

I expected you were going to put the article with the woman using mindfulness (examples include the raisin exercise you gave us) as possible treatment to women who feel a lack of sexual desire. It was in the Sunday NYTimes Magazine.

The Food Stamps article has lots of annoying people. And the "People can vote themselves benefits will be the end of democracy" has been the mantra since forever. I think it shows up in pre-Revolution documents. Of course, it is only non-white people and the poorer classes who would abuse that. Corporations never vote for or influence representatives who would protect their interests.

[mzrowan]

It was in the Sunday NYTimes Magazine.

I haven't had time to read the Mag articles yet, and I don't like posting links to articles I haven't read. ;-) I'm sad, though, because that one looks really interesting!

And the "People can vote themselves benefits will be the end of democracy" has been the mantra since forever.

This breaks my head. What do these people define as "democracy"? Because to me, it's a system of government in which the populace gets to decide how they are governed, and the majority rules. So if the majority of people want more benefits...I mean, if they were saying, "Democracy will bankrupt our government and lead to anarchy", I would disagree, but at least the statement would make sense.

[delerium69]

Well I've long come to the conclusion that some folks only like democracy in theory; in practice scares the crap out them. Hence why you see people up in arms when they see someone actually practicing their right under a democracy, such as protesting against a government's policies. Just say you like a democracy then shut up about it.

[mzrowan]

Well, I have to admit, I'm a little less impressed with democracy this week, what with recent events in Switzerland.

[horsetraveller]

Thank you for the link of the photos of the Congo.

I wonder what they have for "birth equipment" that one woman must wait for if the other woman is having a baby first. I can't think of anything.

Scissors to cut the cord?

[mzrowan]

I wonder what they have for "birth equipment" that one woman must wait for if the other woman is having a baby first. I can't think of anything.

Hm, yeah, with no electricity, that cuts out a lot of what we'd have here, like heart-rate monitors. They do mention the birthing bed -- maybe that's the sum total of their birthing equipment.

[delerium69]

Man, I would so love to see some funding given to these amazing women so their jobs could be a little easier.

[mzrowan]

It's mentioned in the caption on the last photo that this center is now getting funding from a medical aid agency called Merlin. Hopefully this publicity will drum up more donations for them.

it's my experience (on taxes)

[drwex]

that people in fact have NO idea that the money has to come from somewhere. The various idiotic "no tax" and tax rollback measures we see at all levels prove that over and over. We want better schools but don't want to pay more property taxes for them. We want two wars but don't want a war tax.

Et cetera, ad nauseum.

[darxus]

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship, then a monarchy." - at least as old as 1951, http://www.lorencollins.net/tytler.html

And in response to your response to this comment, he didn't use the words "allow" or "representatives who reflect their views."