I would, but unfortunately I have the gay and the government of Canada won't let me.

ENTROPY.
Stop. Wasting. Energy. We only have 10,000,000,000,000 years left!
(all types of energy, not just electricity. There is no such thing as truly renewable energy. They all go to entropy in the end).

( Info and the such and such )

I've decided to public my rant posts, so everyone can see them. They are that important to me.
[originally dated December 30th, 2005. Date changed to keep it on top of public posts - I know, I know, I can just date it far in the future, but then I'd myself be forced to see this banner everytime I looked at my journal, then scroll down to my daily entries. Which is just annoying.]

Red Cross Ambulances: yet another Hezbollah stronghold.
Naturally.

Just an English grammar lesson here:
Never, ever ever ever ever, ever ever, like, ever, ever ever ever, use APOSTROPHES (') for PLURIALIZATION. Ever.
One simple damn rule that people keep on messing up with. Yea, there are exceptions, but they are optional so if you don't by now know how to use apostrophes properly, just ignore the exceptions.

Seriously. I got a store memo (the same store that sells "Glad's Bunch") that told us to make sure that "...receiving doors are always's locked when not in use..."


That is all. Sleepy now, so napping.
& Publicing this.

I was just thinking: Gitmo in the US, Security Certificates here, have we learnt anything from The Crucible??
I mean, any evidence against these "witches" "terrorists" (if any, other than the fact they are Arab, being enough in the racist west to justify state kidnapping) is hidden away from view, and anyone who speaks out against this violation of the basic concepts of our two realms' existences is labeled an Enemy of the People, and surely in league with the terrorists. You are with us, or against us.
Is every defence an attack upon the court America? (Act III)
Yæ, The Crucible was a social commentary on McCarthyistic Communist-hunting, but its core principles can be drawn to the contemporary Arab-hunting here. Heresay is great evidence, and, naturally witches "terrorists," who once accused are irrevocably guilty, will name fellow 'conspirators,' thanks to the wholly accurate, torture induced confessions and accusations. Hey, it worked in getting the nine million witches and the few hundred communists to confess.


They believed, in short, that they held in their steady hands the candle that would light the world. [...]
Land-lust ... could now be elevated to the arena of morality; one could cry against one's [earthly] neighbour and feel perfectly justified in the bargain. (Act I, prologue)







Reproach me not with the fear in the country; there is fear in the country because there is a moving plot to topple Christ in the country! (Act III)



Ag. I must to work now. I'm publicing this, and there is another post today pending my return from work.

Clean Clothes Score Card Test your clothes: are they clean? The next time you buy clothes, ask the Retailer these questions: Does the retailer or any of her/his suppliers use homeworkers? Are they paid at least minimum wage? Are homeworkers paid on time? Are they paid for all hours of work? Are homeworkers given reasonable turn around time to complete a job? Has the original supplier registered for a Homeworkers permit, as required under the Employment Standards Act? Does the original supplier/employer make contributions to Unemployment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan? Were the homeworkers intimidated from joining the Homeworkers' Association? A score of less than 8 YESes means the homeworker is not receiving fair wages and working conditions.

(that relates to my paper, yes)

Oh that I was where I would be, there I would be where I am not, here am I where I must be, go where I would I can not. Come diddle-ai-day oh little ai oh day

Listening to the Hair soundtrack, "Abie Baby" came on. A tribute to Abraham Lincoln (not Lincon, as I assumed). So I decided to look up the Wikipedia entry for this "Great Emancipator," because A) I'm a procrastinating loser, and B) to see the date of the American holiday, as I believed it was soon (February 12th). And found, the "why" of the emancipation. Republicans today in the states applaud Lincoln for being a Repulican and "ironically," according to today's views on the Grand Ole Party, freeing American Americans from chattel slavery. But the reason wasn't because of the actual moral qualms on owning people. No. That wasn't a worry. Except to the abolutionists. Lincoln subscribed to the more popular belief that it was just too darn expensive to own people. I mean, you gotta buy them, feed them, clothe them, house them, provide rudimentary healthcare and daycare (if they died you'd lose your investment!), and if you wanted ones for free, you gotta have some of the females out of work for a few months! Compared to paying some bloke 5¢ a month, really, it's pricey!
Which brings me to today. Labour laws and abject poverty have really changed the situation. You can buy a Mali labourer for like $50 (underground, of course). Hell I can afford that (if you wanted a sex girl without HIV, though, that'd cost you but still much cheaper than when it legal). And with minimum wages going up everywhere - I mean, you have much cheaper disposable slaves... Like, if it gets sick and you have to kill it, $50, big wup. Compared to the ~$50,000/slaveboy (today's funds) of chattel times, really, much more disposable. On a happy note, it's no longer a racist endevour. Really. Just rich people stealing up poor people. Yay. Racial equality.
I apologize for speaking so frankly of such a horror, but it's true.
The Gap is one company that was accused of using unfree labour. Young women from Asia are promised a job in Amerika... And they get that... um, well, the "American Commonwealth," eg off the cost of Guam. Of course, this is legally "America" and they can label their garments "Made in the USA," but labour laws are much different there than in the Continental/Hawaii/Alaskan USA (which I still think are crappy but not horrid there, compared to here, from what I hear). Yes there are laws, and slavery is essentially illegal in all Terran countries, but really, there are also ways of bending and taking the most advantage of laws. These ladies have arranged living conditions, food services, waterworks (at 1 hour of running water/day/dorm) and that jazz, of course for a cost, that their wages barely pay, so it's not 'technically' slavery, or dept labour. They are allowed on their rare day off, to go out "shopping" or so, so long as they leave their passports "for their safety." Also, "for their safety," the factory is surrounded in chain-link barbed wire fences.... with the barbs turned inside. I once remember telling my aunt of such stores and sweatshops, as is proper in genteel conversation, and she responded with the joke "oh but Pablo can sew such tight seams!" If she said that today to me I'd slap her. I don't give a fuck about her relations to me. It's not a fucking joke.
Sorry again for the swears. Emotions, people, emotions.
I like(d - haven't had it in forever) the Spanish hot chocolate mix "Cola Cao." Though I am a little worriesome about the ol' classic commercial from the 50's that's now a jingle in the hearts of many Spaniards, so it's told. "Yo soy aquel negrito / del Africa tropical / que cultivando cantada / la cancion del Cola Cao" (I am a little [black person/n word but not necessairly in a bad context] / from central Africa / who while cultivating, sings / the Cola Cao song). Hmm. Never liked that opening line. It bothers me. Supposedly there is a "Cocoa Protocol" out there to prohibit the use of unfree labour in the Cocoa industry but really, we've seen laws and rules sure as hell don't stop shit.
Slavery today still continues to be a $1.4 Billion dollar a year industry. The good thing about that is today it's the lowest it's ever been, as a percentage of the global gross profit (thanks to the low cost of slaves due to easy acquisition). Twenty Seven Million people work for unfree labour. That's the most people at one time being slaves. Though, at 5‰, at least it's the lowest percent (rather permil) ever.
Many things we buy daily are quite unfairly made. Made choices and research brands before you buy. Especially in the fields of sugar, cocoa, textiles (clothing too), steel (cars!), and other labour-intensive products. People aren't stupid when they are forced into slavery. It's unbrideled capitalism that allows it to prosper. Horrible injustices. You can't be sick as a slave anymore! You are too disposible! In the past they'd take basic care of you, I mean $50,000 is a lot to lose. But, $50, just break it's neck and throw it in the river. And if one gets pregnant! Abort! Where's the clothes hanger? (I am yes pro-choice but though that allows for the possibility of legal and safe abortions if needed and wanted it still vehemently opposes forced abortions, especially unsafe ones. That's why it's called pro-choice and not pro-abortion).
And this entry hasn't even touched the sex-slave trade! I spared everyone.

So. Part two of "Human Trafficking" was on tonight.
Even though part one left me in catatonic stupor, I quite wanted to see part two.
And they really grill it into your mind. Of course part two ended relatively happily, it still is quite a heartbreaking story, especially since the ending was a fairy-tale ending for the TV audience, and in reality it rarely would ever happen that way.
And I don't care if this is something you don't want to hear. On related/official websites they say that the problem is aggravated because people simply can't talk about it, the subject is taboo. Sure, you can talk about Sarah Jessica Parker's sexploits on TV or who murdered who, but when it comes to real situations of rape, slavery and sex slavery, emotional torture, child molestation, trauma-induced murder and related issues, you just can't mention it at the water cooler. I apologize if you don't want to hear my rant but I'm going to say what I'm going to say whether anybody want to hear it or not. And I will try not censor it, as much as I feel obliged to. I'm not even going to bother with a lj-cut, if you don't want to read it then you'll just have to use [pg-dn] button on your keyboard.
This movie, though fictional like I said, is inspired by true events, and actually they had to tone down the horrors for television and really up the efforts of authorities for dramatic effect. In reality, many police in modern first world countries even, don't give a fuck about these 'cheap russian hookers,' and ignore the fact that they may be slaves to an large organized group. It is quite emotional and moving.
Modern day slavery is known as the third most lucrative illicit 'industry' in the world, after arms and drug trafficking. The biggest problem is that in situations of economic troubles, many people take advantage of the situation, and prey on vunerable individuals. Many perpretrators prey on women from Eastern Europe for the fact that they are the current fashion of 'beauty,' that of an innocent-looking milky white blonde haired girl with loose curls, that they are educated and proficient in English, a necessity for high-paying western clients, and their financial situations leave them in the perfect situation to be willing to drop everything for a high paying job, or love in the West. They are told that they must pay the cost of their smuggling with dept bondage, which is illegal anywhere adopting UN Human Rights laws. Of course boys are preyed on also, but due to the much lower demand and cultural situations that value women at much much less than men, boys are used much less for sexual trafficking. In even poorer-off countries, like in eastern Asia, children can be simply sold by their parents, with the authorities either too paid-off or apathetic to care, and, again, rich westerners taking advantage of this situation with no regard for international-scope laws that aren't effective enough to stop these rapists.
But it's not a problem that is exclusive to those countries. While there are some that are trafficked within thier own countries, it is much more lucrative to sell these slaves across borders, because once a confiscation of their documents, movie, etc is in order, they are completely vunerable. Even if someone can conceive of escaping, they face deportation when it is heard they have no proof of identity and that their business in the west was prostitution. So if brutal, brutal physical and mental and sexual abuse is not enough to destroy their minds and hopes and confidence, they have no where to go. Even a loss of trust in authorities, who, as said above, don't seem to give a damn about these 'cheap russian hookers.' A reign of terror seizes their minds. Most just give up. In just four years, most of these (mostly girls) are dead, from continual abuse, rape, disease, AIDS, and various other problems.
This completely different from prostitution, even those who go into prostitution because they think it is their only chance of sufficient financial support to survive. This is slavery. It's commonplace, not just some magical TV special.
I think the most potent problem in this whole thing is the complete and utter objectification of women and the promotion of sex and the pursuit of it for complete and utter personal pleasure with no regard whatsoever for the other personages. Prostitution and pornography, I don't wanna sound like a proveyor of prudence, but they are extreme facilitator of this problem. Stop evaluating people on their sexual attractiveness and actually take evaluative data on their personages. This is exactly not what our 'beauty' obsessed-hollywood media wants us to do. People are much too complex to give in to treating them like sexual animals, our minds are our greatest faults being chalk full of that crazy, terrible little thing we call 'emotion'.
I actually think these reflections have totally killed my libido. Which I figure is a good thing. I've wanted that since it started up. Either taking pills or hormones to kill it... or reflections like this. Ya sure I like(d?) sex, but I hated liking it.

I think even though I really didn't get out what I wanted, that's all I can think of tonight. But I think I may be able to sleep at least. I'll see. I still have sleeping pills if not. At least I know I won't be catatonic. Regardless, I'm not allowing comments on this post just because I don't feel it right. Or maybe I might allow comments. Ok I'll allow comments if anyone wants to add anything but I'm not replying to them.

There just... must be more done. I don't know what, but I do know talking about it and not making it a subject of taboo is a start. I almost forgot - The Polaris Project is also a prominent grass-roots campaign to try to stop this horror.