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“Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.”


Friday, September 14, 2007

Welcome to Potterville

Listening to the BBC World Service this morning, I heard there was a run on the Northern Rock bank corporation in the UK, which has been caught up in the mortgage crisis--and you thought it was just an American problem. But what gets me is that this is a run on the bank. People are pulling their money out--life savings, according to the BBC. Now, Northern Rock isn't Britain's biggest bank; they're #8. Their stock has fallen something like 60%.

The Federal Reserve is trying to prop up the American economy. Germany apparently is also bailing out banks, again according to the radio.

I'm not an economist, mind you but I've got a bad feeling about this.

I have two friends who've been laid off from their jobs; different industries, different jobs, even. One friend worked in human resources; the other friend--a library clerk--her company lost their government contract. Now, that second one has me worried because my company is also contracted to the government; we edit patents. I haven't heard anything that would make me think we could lose the contract, and I kind of doubt we will, but it does give me pause. Especially since we bought a house in June and how have mortgage payments to make. As long as we keep our jobs, we're fine. But lose it, and we're screwed.

Meanwhile I'm looking at going back to school to get certified to teach English. (Don't let my blog fool you--I'm actually good at grammar, but blogging isn't condusive to showing it.) Hey--the world always needs teachers, right? Um, right?

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posted by Mary, 9:45 AM

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

From Russia With Love
Or,
Just Do It

Via my husband comes more stories on Russian procreation:

Russian region to host Day of Conception

Ulyanovsk Gov. Sergei Morozov has decreed Sept. 12 a Day of Conception and is giving couples time off from work to procreate. Couples who give birth nine months later on Russia's national day — June 12 — will receive money, cars, refrigerators and other prizes.

[snip]

"If there's a good, healthy atmosphere at home within the family, if the husband and wife both love each other and their child, they will be in good spirits and that will extend to the workplace. So there will be a healthy atmosphere throughout the country," he told AP Television News. "The leadership (of the country) is interested in the family."

Russia's population has dropped since the 1991 Soviet collapse, fed by declining birth rates, a low life expectancy, a spike in emigration, a frayed health care system and other factors. The country — the world's largest — now has just 141.4 million citizens, making it one of the most sparsely settled nations. And experts estimate the population could fall below 100 million by 2050.

To me, there's something infinitely creepy about a government promoting having more kids in this way; it's a little too Kinder, Küche, Kirche for me. The above article wouldn't give you that impression, of course, but seen in context of recent Russian movements, it's a bit...

Well, meanwhile: "Russia Says It Tested World's Most Powerful Air-Delivered Bomb".

And people are worried about Iran?

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posted by Mary, 10:15 PM