What are you...

[Escriba]

Laughing histerically because for one year more I'm RIGHT!

You know, the International Film Festival of San Sebastian ends today and today was the day when the jury had to publish the name of the winner. And there is a tradition: nobody is happy with the award; never. There are always one, two or three titles that everybody thinks that can win, but they never win. Never. This years has been the same: three candidates. Three choices. Everybody was almost sure the Japanese "aruitemo, aruitemo" ("still walking") was going to win, because the other that could win, "Tiro en la cabeza" ("Shot to head"), was too controversial (critics would begin a war with knives and pistols, and it would be very dicussed in the society). Have any of these films win?

NO.

A Turkish-French-German-Belgian movie called "Pandoranin Kutusu" ("Pandora's box") has won. Oh, the drama. Oh, the whistling I don't know why the press has any hope in the jury. They will never vote something they like.

Anyway, it's been a good festival for the people. I mean, I've looked at Antonio Banderas or Woody Allen quite close up. People like Jonathan Demme or Michael Winterbottom were regulars in the Old Part of San Sebastian (they like to eat a lot, as it seems ). And we had a new queen: Meryl Streep (who has come to receive the Donostia Award, like Antonio Banderas). She's wonderful

Nope, no autographs and no photos, I'm not one of these teens that wait in group at the Hotels' door to have any of them anymore (I've grown up, fortunately). I'm a calm admirer now Besides, our city is so small that you can meet the "celebrities" while you go for a walk.

[evcake]

sounds like you have really...excitable critics.

[panyasan]

Grading the first bluebook exams of the semester. Subject = the role of capitalism in pre-industrial Early Modern Europe. Bonus points awarded for any tester who can bring Star Trek into their answer and have it make sense.

Good times, aye.

Dr. Flannagan, Ph.D

They are a couple of interesting episode about Ferengi's (if you like them.. ), one is about Quark being against forming a union, the other is about that Feranginar, the planet of Ferengi's goes backrupt and/or that their great leader wants to make some social changes. Which make sense, because capticalism in it's purest form can't exist for a long time, because a happy worker does produce more and spends more. Also unions did gave power to the workers to change their situations. Both things can also been seen in the industrial age of Europe.
So professor, did I pass my test???

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

It's pretty clear that TPTB had no clue about what real capitalism and a market economy means when they thought up those silly caricatures called the Ferengi. I've ranted about that frequently in my DS9 reviews, and I don't feel like repeating myself, so anyone who's interested can take a peek over there.

[Elessar]

It's pretty clear that TPTB had no clue about what real capitalism and a market economy means when they thought up those silly caricatures called the Ferengi. I've ranted about that frequently in my DS9 reviews, and I don't feel like repeating myself, so anyone who's interested can take a peek over there.

What always annoyed me more was the OBVIOUSNESS of the fact that the Federation was a socialist society yet they shied away from admitting it, which basically just meant it made no sense whatsoever. In one episode there is no money, in another they get paid. I mean it's not practical anyway, why would anyone become doctors, architects, teachers, etc if there was no one to pay them? In a socialist society, of course, they'd work for the Federation Government, but that wasn't the case of those in those kinds of professions that we saw. Everyone just seemed to kind of work for nothing, just b/c they enjoyed it. But where their living came from is ANYONE's guess. They had all the bells and whistles of a bustling interstellar capitalist economy yet they explained away greed and corruption by acting like money and private enterprise didn't exist. I think the "Yoyodyne Corporation" is the ONLY company that ever gets mentioned... so... at least the military industrial complex is still up and running!

[Distracted]

Which make sense, because capticalism in it's purest form can't exist for a long time, because a happy worker does produce more and spends more.

Huh? Since when does capitalism necessarily make workers unhappy? If you let workers buy stock in the company, then they have a vested interested in it and work harder to increase revenue. That's capitalism at its finest. Capitalism itself isn't necessarily oppressive, it's the elitists who run the society and don't provide the infrastructure to educate the workers or allow them to invest that cause the problem, and they can exist no matter what the system. Class divisions occur in socialist and communist societies, too, and it's class division that causes unhappiness... the haves vs the have-nots. At least in a truly capitalist society a person can hope that with sufficient hard work and investment he/she CAN rise in society by making more money. That won't happen in societies with rigid class distinctions.

[Eian Flannagan]

Capitalism itself isn't necessarily oppressive, it's the elitists who run the society and don't provide the infrastructure to educate the workers or allow them to invest that cause the problem, and they can exist no matter what the system. Class divisions occur in socialist and communist societies, too, and it's class division that causes unhappiness... the haves vs the have-nots. At least in a truly capitalist society a person can hope that with sufficient hard work and investment he/she CAN rise in society by making more money. That won't happen in societies with rigid class distinctions.

And, thus, the crux of the role of capitalism in pre-Industrial Early Modern Europe. Dis gets a passing grade. panyasan gets Ferengi bonus points, but the exam was grading pre-Industrial Early Modern Europe. Unions not a big show yet, so most workers had no power.

Fun point: One of my students did reference Valeris' remarks in ST: VI regarding the derivation of the word "sabotage," and successfully related it to pre-Industrial Early Modern Europe. I was so proud. Big bonus points. Huge.

Eian

[TPoptarts]

Watching: House MD... like I'm just starting to watch it now from the beginning. I wanted to watch it from the beginning on TV but when I had a TV I couldn't get Fox. So I'm downloading it now. (Like everything else because I don't even have a TV anymore)

Question is what the frell am I doing watching hospital shows when I spend too much time in real hospitals.

[enterprikayak]

Listening to:

Priso snoring loudly in the next room.

It's 12:30 am. The question is, exactly when do I go in and start the process of laying there and listening and trying to sleep? If I go in too early, he'll have bruises tomorrow from all the times I kicked him in noctural rage.

[enterprikayak]

1255 am.

I'm going in.

*primes kicking-foot for action*

[Alelou]

Ear plugs. Rated 22 or higher.

T'Pop Tarts, after watching House a few times you can at least be grateful you're not one of this guy's patients. Not only is he incredibly rude, all his patients end up on the verge of death just so he can save them with his brilliance.

S

[enterprikayak]

And that's when he doesn't send his crack team of under-surgeons to investigate your house and whatnot. Ahh, House. So incorrigible.

One of my favourite Hugh Laurie performances was actually on "Friends" when he talks to Rachel on the plane to London to break up Ross and Emily's wedding (he has his British accent):

Rachel: ...And so then I realized: All this stuff I had been doing--proposing to Joshua, lying to Ross about why I couldn't come to the wedding--was all just a way of...

Gentleman on the plane: Oh, oh, oh! I'm sorry, can I interrupt? Yeah, I just want to say that you are a horrible, horrible person.

Rachel: Uh, pardon me?

Gentleman on the plane: You say you love this man, yet you're about to ruin the happiest day of his life. I'm afraid I have to agree with your friend, "Pheebs." This is... this is a terrible, terrible plan.

Rachel: But he has to know how I feel!

Gentleman on the plane: But why? He loves this... this Emily person. No good can come of this.

Rachel: Well I... I think you're wrong.

Gentleman on the plane: (Sarcastically biting his fist). Oh no! And by the way, it seems to be perfectly clear that you were on a break.

[panyasan]

Capitalism itself isn't necessarily oppressive, it's the elitists who run the society and don't provide the infrastructure to educate the workers or allow them to invest that cause the problem, and they can exist no matter what the system. Class divisions occur in socialist and communist societies, too, and it's class division that causes unhappiness... the haves vs the have-nots. At least in a truly capitalist society a person can hope that with sufficient hard work and investment he/she CAN rise in society by making more money. That won't happen in societies with rigid class distinctions.

And, thus, the crux of the role of capitalism in pre-Industrial Early Modern Europe. Dis gets a passing grade. panyasan gets Ferengi bonus points, but the exam was grading pre-Industrial Early Modern Europe. Unions not a big show yet, so most workers had no power.

Fun point: One of my students did reference Valeris' remarks in ST: VI regarding the derivation of the word "sabotage," and successfully related it to pre-Industrial Early Modern Europe. I was so proud. Big bonus points. Huge.

Eian

I was referring to captalism in the most earliest form, when workers were more or less treated like some kind of slaves. They had to work very long hours under extreme circumstances. Till some one discovered that if you just improved their working conditions, the workers did produces more etc. Hence my remark that a unhappy worker produces less. Eians explanation gave a great overview of this historical period. (O, do I miss my old history classes!)

I think with it's flaws, current capitalisme does give people a change to live in freedom and to use their talents. I have been to the post-communist country of Okraine where people are terrible poor, the holes in the roads are bigger then the roads and they only eat meat once a month (and they give it to you, because you are their guest). I also spend some time in China, where in my experience service is non-exist. Really, in a restaurant I had to insist I got a meal and when we asked a second one, they said there was no food (while in fact there was). Also I asked some one for tea, I got a ice cold tea, so when I asked for WARM tea, they took the cup away and gave me luke-warm tea. Why should you bother to help your customer, when there is no benefit for you or for your talents. Any way, the rest of the breakfast (warm rice with meat) was okay and I had a great time. But I am still happy to be living in a country with a free market, that stimulates people to use their talents.

BTW Eian, I was some what confused about the link between capitalism and pre-industrial Europe. Capitalism did sort of developed together with industrialism. Was there any capitalism in pre-industrial Europe? Or do you see colonism/sea trade and travel as a early form of capitalism?

[blacknblue]

People use different definitions for capitalism. To me, any kind of trade that is unsupervised by a third party is capitalism of some type. If two kids are swapping toys without parental supervision, they are engaging in capitalism.

i like making the distinction between economic system and social structure. As a hillbilly, may I point out the history of coal mining in Appalachia? In the early days the coal mines were run by large companies that were owned by rich easterners who never set foot on the hills. Their designated agents operated the mines using local labor that were treated nobetter than serfs. The miners were paid not in cash, but in company scrip that was good nowhere except at the company store, which sold basic necessiteis at drastically inflated prices. Thus, the workers were kept perpetually in debt to the company. Anyone who tried to escape got a nighttime visit from the Pinkerton agents. Anyone who so much as breathed the word "union" disappeared without a trace. Unless the mine company decided to make an example of them of course.

It wasn't until after several actual outbreaks of real civil war (small, but unmistakeabe warfare) that the mine companies broke down and allowed unions to form and began to negotiate. "Bloody Breathitt" for example was the site of a pitched battle between miners and the coal company agents. Eye witnesses report that blood was literally running ankle deep in the main street gutters for a few moments.

None of this had anything to do with capitalism. Prior to the introduction of the mining industry, those hills were almost exclusively agrarian, just like pre-industrial Europe. And just like pre-industrial Europe, robber barons came in and tried to dominate the picture until they were forcibly subdued. It was a social matter, not an economic matter.

[Linda]

Uh, but Bnb, wasn't economics driving this social matter? Isn't the bottom line always economics, i.e., who gets the most resources? Resources including land, goods, human labor? The rise of unions was the best thing that could happen to the working man/woman. As a union steward, I am kind of biased about that. Too bad Rigil is not in on this discussion. He and I would probably kill each other if we were in physical proximity, over the matter of unions.