In the past two years, I have travelled to many places I have never thought I would spend significant time in. Let alone doing the things I was and am doing. DC, Italy, Indonesia, DC, Indonesia, Brussels, DC, San Francisco

國在山河破?? 我看1021水災

1021宜蘭水災，讓台灣大家見識到國家的脆弱

風調雨順
國泰民安
五穀豐登

在地勢險要的地方發展人類文明，本來就要面對很多挑戰。
工業革命之後的數百年內，
人類打著人定勝天的口號不斷挑戰自然，
征服了工業革命前界定為不可能的事情，
也無限擴張著我們的文明，

在不斷的超越人類極限的同時
在醫藥、科技、管理等登峰造極同時，
我們忘記了，雖然住在一個”人”的社會，
卻永遠永遠脫離不了自然的範疇。
我們永遠永遠是自然界的一環，不是自然界的主宰。
不論科技研究再怎麼日新月異，
對於自然界的了解並不代表一定要改變自然界。

接二連三的水災，
讓我們見識到”天”如何在一天內改變地貌，改變我們花了幾輩子打造的家園。
可是我們忘記了，
我們是用幾輩子改變了地球花了幾億年造成的台灣寶島。

電視上，政客炒的是為什麼還不蓋蘇花改，
人民氣的，是為什麼不能有快速回家的路。

可是，路再怎麼蓋，
破壞了水土保持，
大水一來還是會垮。
政府再怎麼有效率，
對於日益頻繁的天災也無法阻止家屬的傷痛欲絕，

真正的問題不是怎麼蓋回家的路
而是怎麼和對我們越來越不友善的大自然，
和平共處，
如何在我們繼續進步的社會文明裡，保有對於大自然的尊重。

台灣的地理地質我了解不多
但我知道，
現在才顯現的問題，
是多年來大家不尊重大自然所種下的果。
天災不只是人的問題、
人禍也不只是政府闖的禍、
人類無限放大自己的權利和欲望的結果，
得到的就是自然的反撲。

八八水災、北二高基隆段走山、蘇花高坍方，都讓同為人的我們不捨、感傷、悲憤。

還記得古代帝王將相
每年必做的事
是祭拜
祈求的是: 風調雨順 五穀豐登 國泰民安

古時候的人最悲的是”國破山河在”

現代台灣人
在不斷超越了極限後，
帝王將相，祈求的是”凍蒜”，
在曾被標榜為「社會救星萬靈丹」的民主制度下，
老百姓突然發現，
國雖然還在，但山河已經殘破不堪，

而尚存的國，已經無法修補破掉的山河。

Man In the Mirror

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know

I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change



A wise word from Michael Jackson.

The Heart of the Matter Lyrics

I got the call today, I didn't wanna hear
But I knew that it would come
An old true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
She said you found someone
And I thought of all the bad luck,
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love's open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?

I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again
I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
...People filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age
The trust and self-assurance that can lead to happiness
They're the very things we kill, I guess
Pride and competition cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us,
Doesn't keep me warm

I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you, Baby
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I figured out, I have to learn again
I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down and hurt your pride
Better put it all behind you; life goes on
You keep carrin' that anger, it'll eat you inside

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

I've been tryin' to get down to the Heart of the Matter
Because the flesh will get weak
And the ashes will scatter
So I'm thinkin' about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore

Fair Trade Truth

Quoting Economist:
http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/515&fsrc=nwl

"When it comes to ethical trade the big guns of the free trade movement are firing at all the wrong targets. Ethical trade brands that give a better deal to small farmers growing tea or coffee? A brazen attempt to distort markets and—even worse—mislead consumers. Shunning toys or garments produced by child labourers? Just another case of thinly veiled protectionism.

This is the sort of thing that gets free trade a bad name. Whether we like it or not, trade is a human connection. It ties consumers in rich countries to some of the world's poorest people. Consumers should care about how their purchasing power affects the lives of others and they should be demanding information and making informed choices. The market for ethically traded goods is growing not because most consumers do not listen to eminent free trade economists. It is growing because people care about social justice."

Hi-Tech Sweat Shop report!

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/china-taiwan/091103/silicon-sweatshops-disposable-workforce

SLAVERY!

Slave

Pronunciation: \ˈslāv\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English sclave, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French esclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Sclavus Slavic; from the frequent enslavement of Slavs in central Europe during the early Middle Ages

Date: 14th century

1 : a person held in servitude as the chattel of another
2 : one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence
3 : a device (as the printer of a computer) that is directly responsive to another
4 : drudge, toiler

     Now think about working person. 

     In the modern society, one HAS to earn money to make a living. If one does not have an outstanding/unique ability to make money (say writing, singing, composing, starting and succeeding at entrepreneuring), he or she has to make money through jobs. Jobs that are perceived secure and pay good money. Preferably jobs from big companies that do not risk closing down any time soon.

   Once one takes the perceived good job, one usually conforms to the company policy or culture. One feels the pressure to do so to keep his/her job. So if the company asks the person to sacrifice more and do more work, one has to obey, in the fear of disobeying will cost him/her the job, thus the money that feeds one.

   So, the money along with the company forms the DOMINATING INFLUENCE that one have to be a subservient to. One stops being an employee, and becomes a SLAVE.

   Just think of the sweatshops. How did the sweatshops come to being?

   First of all, local people need jobs to advance their living condition. A paying job at the sweatshop usually rewards higher than a local job, although comparatively low compared to other places. Such job is usually repetitive and does not need much sophisticated skills.

Once a person is on the job, due to the money this job pays, he has to keep the job, therefore no matter how tiring the job is or bad the working condition is, he/she just have to work through them. If they attempt to do otherwise, they will be let go, and the next local person who has this low-end skill will take the job, probably for the same amount of money, or lower.

    Condiser the condition for slaves back in the pre-Civil War era in North America. Slaves were bought off by their owners with MONEY on a slave market (as oppose to the job market). Then they were forced to work. They have to work hard, or physical punishment will ensue (the modern term is fired or no pay raise). They have to obey their owners, and if they run away, they probably would have a chance to escape such a miserable life, but if they get caught, harsher physical punishment will ensue too (quit your job, and it might be harder to find a better job).

    Owners do not care much about their slaves’ well-beings (neither do the companies, or no sweatshop will come to being. One may wonder why employees from Foxxcom commit suicide. This is why: Foxxcom do not care about its employees’ well being). Owners want as much labour they can get from a slave as possible (Companies want to generate as much profit as possible, be it to rip their employees off, then be it.). Slaves were driven to death by laboring too much (How often do you hear people get over-fatigued and died on a job these days?). If a slave gets sick, most owners would not give a damn than to buy a new slave. If an employee is sick, he or she either get an unpaid leave, or just leave. 

So, you see how the current monetary-based, corporate-dominated society has forced us into a modified version of SLAVERY and trap us in it?