Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K. And elsewhere.

Mar 14, 2007

Iteration 03/14/2007: News and Commentary

1. What credit card companies don't want you to know
   Credit card and bank fees will eat you alive. You'll blink, and you'll wind up so far in debt you won't be able to easily get out. And while many individuals in the 80s declared personal bankruptcy and had their lifekilling credit card debt erased, the credit card companies got tired of the shenanigans and lead a reform of personal-bankruptcy laws. Now your interest will be frozen, but your accumulated debt won't go away. Read this article, grab your scissors, and take back your life by slicing your credit cards in half. (Yes, they can be a useful tool...if you have the discipline to use them very, very sparingly.)
2. How to survive really hard times
   This was written before the year 2000 rollover, but the information's just as handy. (And, coming on the heels of last week's list, a nice point of continuity.) Most of us take technology and plenty so much for granted, we literally wouldn't know what to do if we found ourselves without a regularly restocked store of some kind. Kind of a disturbing lack of knowledge...especially seeing how the country's sliding further and further into debt, and our infrastructure isn't what most people thought it would be. (New Orleans *still* hasn't really recovered from Hurricane Katrina.)
3. Oprah's ugly little secret
   Raises an interesting point: how much responsibility does a person have, when promoting something as prone to reinterpretation as an idea?
4. How my eyes were opened to the barbarity of Islam
   Another interesting piece, particularly because it will have people asking, pissed-off-ed-ly, “Isn't Islam supposed to be the religion of peace?” Yes, yes it is. And Christianity is a religion of love and tolerance - and look how many bigoted, angry, hateful people put a veneer of righteousness on their actions by claiming to adhere to a particular section of the Bible? Any time religion or philosophy becomes used as a political tool, start questioning every single thing that comes from whomever's wielding that particular club. (And yes, what happened to the woman who wrote this article is hideous and disgusting. However, the Magical Changing Personality isn't limited to one particular country...or even one particular gender.) Learn the reactionary message that 's on the surface, or look beneath and learn the larger lesson. The choice — and the responsibility — is yours.
5. Subliminal advertising leaves a mark on the human brain
   It's interesting that this is illegal in the UK...and that it isn't illegal in the US. It's also interesting to note that for the subliminals to take effect, some degree of concentration or focus is required. If you're like me, and multitask while watching TV, the subliminals have less chance of getting to you. (Apparently.) Also a good reason to watch TV with friends or family, and talk during the commercials. (Certainly it's more fun than a tinfoil hat...)
6. Wipe out a single memory
   While this hasn't been tested on any animal higher than lab rats, it could be a good therapeutic tool for survivors of severe trauma. However, I remember reading a book (science fiction, naturally) where a character objected to another's offer to suppress a certain memory. All I am are my memories, the character pointed out; and without those memories, we lose any lessons from those memories. That's valuable to remember, if this technology is ever refined to the point of being used on humans. (...but could they go through and remove the subliminal memories?)
7. Emma Darwin's diaries
   The diaries of the wife of naturalist Charles Darwin have been scanned and put on line. Check it out: It's Darwin's wife's blog, now in Google's cache! (But...Darwin married his first cousin? So an early theory of evolution, check...but no worries about potential inbreeding? Gah.)
8. How to solve the diabetes epidemic
   Governments, the healthcare industry, food manufacturers and distributors know that large amounts of sugar and fats cause health problems, even in children. This is hardly news. Yet high-sugar, low-protein-content foods are not just made available, nor even easily available...but high-quality foods, healthsome foods, are not just more expensive, they're harder to find. Eating habits start young, but so many parents, schools, and care groups are either busy, or strapped for time and money. It's easier to give the kids less healthy foods...far too easy. But the food producers and distributors are businesses, and they put profits first. (Of course.)
9. California moves closer to banning trans-fats
   This did occur in New York City earlier this year: restaurants, eateries, any place that prepares and sells food is going to have to start changing its menu to disinclude trans-fats in the cooking and preparation. Even in California, land of the hippy-dippies and the overly health-conscious, this will not be easy. (A friend was researching moving to CA from TN, and she was researching prices of personal chefs so she would know how to price her food. She asked me: doesn't anybody in that state cook?!??)

I'm going to have to loop back and provide the other three links later - there's actually Something To Do, yippee. (And there's a new episode of Jericho tonight. And we're halfway to Friday. w00t!!)

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Keywords: | Wednesday | memes | current events |
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