Archive for February, 2009
« Previous EntriesNeglecting the Global Economic Crisis?
Monday, February 23rd, 2009As the economy continues downward, attention narrows and becomes more local. Much of what I’ve been reading lately treats the financial crisis as a U.S. issue. In doing research recently I looked at several statements about the crisis by religious groups in the U.S. In each case they referred exclusively to conditions in the United [...]
Santelli’s Rant
Thursday, February 19th, 2009(Update: Blogger Dean Baker puts a bit of perspective on Santelli’s rant.)
In the world of talk radio and cable television bloviation, Rick Santelli’s rant is but a blip on the radar screen. While it is a cause celebre on the blogs, after the first blush of attention it will fade into the thousands of other [...]
Wesley Study Bible
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009The United Methodist Publishing House has hit a home run with the publication of the new Wesley Study Bible . The Bible includes textual commentary and other resources in a well-designed layout. Commentary and the text to which it refers are arranged so they appear on the same page, making it functional and convenient for [...]
To Volunteer or Advocate?
Monday, February 16th, 2009How can a concerned, caring individual bring about change? Is it better to volunteer and help one-to-one or to advocate for change in a way that benefits whole groups of people?
Is it enough, for example, to volunteer at a food pantry that meets the needs of one person at a time, or to advocate for [...]
A Netbook Conundrum
Saturday, February 14th, 2009I ordered an HP netbook online. It was heavily discounted and I like this model for its keyboard. I received an email confirmation followed by a UPS tracking number. The netbook was picked up in Shanghai. It’s in Anchorage as I write this.
Am I the only person who wonders how a company can make money [...]
Merrill Lynch Bonuses Top U.S. Contribution to Fight AIDS
Thursday, February 12th, 2009On Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show Wednesday evening, economist Dr. Jeffrey Sachs made the point that the bonuses claimed by Merrill Lynch executives total more than the U.S. contributes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis .
Sach’s comment came on the same day The New York Times reported an investigation by New York [...]
Panning for Gold in Zimbabwe
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009The Guardian features a video apparently smuggled from Zimbabwe about desperate people, ironically, panning for gold to survive. Zimbabwe’s economy could hardly be in worse condition and people are bartering gold powder for a tin of millet meal, bread or salt. It’s hard to imagine a more dysfunctional and implausible situation.
Once the food basket of [...]
Did Wells Fargo Just Commit a PR Blunder?
Sunday, February 8th, 2009It’s your fault, and mine, that Wells Fargo can’t say "thank you" to its tellers by taking them to Las Vegas for twelve days of revelry and relaxation because we’re so persnickety about how the bank’s corporate leaders spend money. That’s the gist of a full-page letter published in the New York Times this morning.
No, [...]
Blogging Global Health
Friday, February 6th, 2009Christine Gorman who writes the Global Health Report blog proposed last week to a dozen health bloggers that they write on prevention vs. treatment and nine bloggers took up her challenge. The variety of posts and the wide range of subjects and expertise are interesting. Christine offerred these links which I repeat here:
Healthtwine: Prevention vs. [...]
Bill Gates Unleashes Mosquitoes
Thursday, February 5th, 2009At the TED Conference Bill Gates opened a glass jar of mosquitoes and let them fly, saying there’s no reason only poor people should be infected.
Moments later he explained the mosquitoes really weren’t carrying the malaria parasite, but the point was made.
A couple of thoughts. First, let’s hear it for Bill Gates for finding another [...]