My Errant Mind

Some Errant observations on life in the world…

• “Food Sovereignty” And Green Economics…
• Iran Launches First Rocket Into Space…
• Jordan’s King Abdullah Says Last Chance For Peace…
• Robotic Cars To Run In Government Sponsored Race…
• Pirates Hijack Ship Off Somali Coast…
• Virginia Apologizes For Slavery…

Take a look…

“Food Sovereignty” And Green Economics…

There is a growing movement towards taking back agriculture from big corporations. Farming practices and the push towards more sustainable global agricultural practices are creating new attitudes and practices. Local food and agricultural networks are on the rise, and issues such as genetic diversity among livestock animals and crops are garnering a lot of attention. This article makes some great points. I love the concept of “food sovereignty” of course—anything that puts huge corporations on notice that their practices are no longer going to be tolerated.

Iran Launches First Rocket Into Space…

Iran announced that it launched its first rocket into space. The nation whose leader wants to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth can now put satellites into orbit. Still defiant of the international community’s warning to cease working on their nuclear program, this adds a dangerous element and sense of urgency to the political situation between Iran and the rest of the world.

Jordan’s King Abdullah Says Last Chance For Peace…

King Abdullah of Jordan seems to think that the Middle East peace process is at a crucial stage. It is his belief that there is a opportunity that must be seized, and that many Arab nations are ready to recognize Israel. He even suggests that Palestinians must abide by the demands of the Mideast Quartet (US, UN, EU, Russia) and recognize Israel. That means Hamas must be willing to give in, of course, which means this opportunity Abdullah sees is probably going to be wasted. He says it is time for Israel to be recognized by Arab states and integrated into the regional neighborhood.

Robotic Cars To Run In Government Sponsored Race…

The government is sponsoring a road race for robotic cars driven by artificial intelligence. The winner gets a $2 million prize and the right to brag a bit. The cars will be completely unmanned and navigate obstacles through a mock town. They must do more, however, and react to obstacles accordingly by making sense of what they are. The hope is that by 2015 a version of the intelligent vehicles will be ready for the battlefield and by 2030 for public roads. So hang in there guys, pretty soon women will be able to sit back and let robots drive. Then we will have to find something else to complain about, I suppose—right?

Pirates Hijack Ship Off Somali Coast…

Pirates hijacked a food laden aid ship off the coast of Somalia. Luckily the ship had already delivered its cargo. This same ship was targeted by pirates a year ago but managed to outrun them. I thought we had naval forces off the coast of Somalia and we had just been attacking the Islamic Courts factions and Al Quaeda? Are we going to do all of that work and let a dozen pirates undo it all? I mean this is ridiculous. We’re talking about ships getting hijacked by a dozen guys. If the government would pay, I would be glad to keep the Somali coast pirate free. All I need is a fast boat (which I get to keep at the end of the mission), about $500,000 for salaries for a handful of guys and a lot of bubblegum and beer to stave off boredom for a year. Do the Somali government a favor and hire me. Somebody? Anybody?

Virginia Apologizes For Slavery…

State lawmakers in Virginia expressed regret for the state’s role in slavery it seems. One 80 year old Virginia legislator who had suggested blacks needed to get over the issue of slavery last month voted for the measure. While it is a nice gesture (and apologized for mistreatment of Native Americans as well), I’m wondering what the point is? No one alive suffered under slavery. Do we need to start apologizing to nations we defeated in war next? Maybe the whole world will start apologizing to everyone’s descendants for every abuse ever committed. Maybe those Africans who sold their neighbors into slavery will apologize to the US for supplying us with slaves and allowing us to build the institution of slavery in our country—which has made so many people feel guilty for something that happened generations before their time.