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FTAs and Big Ag’s equivalent of the “financial innovations”

10 March 2010 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

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The China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) went into effect this year amid much anxiety by ASEAN. Years of stalling due to fears of a massive influx of already cheap and now subsidised Chinese goods that ASEAN countries cannot compete against finally fell amid the sudden loss of Western markets for Southeast Asian exporters in the crash of 2008.

The fears haven’t gone away. Barely hitting the news -and finally at that- are concerns faced by India in its free trade agreements (FTA) with Australia and New Zealand, as well as with the European Union and Japan. At issue are intellectual property (IP) regimes that use these instruments to harmonise protections (of seed varieties patented by agricultural multinationals as in the piece below). India’s careful navigation through these agreements will likely have large impact on other developing South East Asian countries as well. According to DNAIndia:
..there is strong pressure on India to join the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) -1991, which would make Indian farmers pawns of multinational companies engaged in crop research. Joining UPOV-1991 would crush farmers’ privileges to share, exchange, and sell plant variety protection (PVP) seeds to other farmers

PVP guarantees IP protection to plant varieties developed by agricultural multinationals. The objective of UPOV is to protect new varieties of plants by IP. Harmonisation of PVP across the Asia Pacific region is the aim of developed economies through FTAs, say experts.

Why do we always aim for the high tech solutions? There is certainly value in drought-resistant and salt-tolerant varieties, but many local /native varieties can provide significant increases in yields with improved low-tech techniques. Preserving native varieties and not eradicating them in favor of frankenplants emerging from Big Ag’s R&D pipeline is just plain smart.

Now consider patenting seed varieties in this angle presented in the webzine Grist.com, Are GMOs the ‘financial innovations’ of agriculture?

In a sense, Big Ag — along with the Obama administration — is doubling down on the industrial system we have now: one that is already starting to show signs of stress, from the rise of superweeds along with the price of oil. Monsanto and Syngenta are claiming the ability to genetically engineer all the risk out of agriculture. But in narrowing farmers’ choices to a small set of patented seeds, seeds that must be bought by and distributed to every far-flung farm in the world every year (most of which lack basic infrastructure like, say, roads, and which must grow them according to strict protocols), these companies presume to have managed all the risks, just like the banks did a few years back. They are also presuming that the “Business as Usual” scenario, the world as it exists today, will continue indefinitely; that, in other words, there are no Black Swans hiding in the reeds.

As Salmon describes it for us so clearly, it’s a huge gamble. Only this time we’re not gambling with money — we’re being asked to gamble with our breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and farmers with their livelihoods. That is a bet that none of us should have to take.

The new new imperialisms, one after another, developing as fast as the speed of technology. Governments are now the instruments of protection for corporations rather than the population. That’s certainly the reality in the US given its recent Supreme Court decision giving corporations the same status as people. ASEAN has problems of its own and it won’t even know what hit it.

People really must find ways to organise outside of government solutions. But are citizen organisations fast enough? Time for the Do’s and Don’ts of 21st Century Strategy.

Filed Under: Interests, Life Tagged With: ASEAN, Big Ag, FTA, GMO, india

new dating site for finding submissive Asian ladies

8 March 2010 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

So there’s this new website pandering to all the stereotypes about Asian women. Ah, progress the modern way: to get dumb and dumber. No need to have any sense whatsoever or plain smarts anymore. Thinking is taboo; we will fight for the freedom to be ignorant as long as Wall Street, Big Ag, Big Pharma or any other alchemist with magic to peddle will simply spoon feed us our most basest desires. Heck, let ’em roll our economic reality into a black hole while our government deficit spends and bails these buffoons out for nonsensical wars so we can set the next one up and rule the world. No, really rule the world.

But I digress. Here’s a less grandiosely oversimplified commentary from Sociological Images:

[These Asian women] aren’t trying to use you to get to the U.S. (though, after stating these are women living in the U.S., they are always described as Asian, not Asian American). And the men who want to date them just love and respect “the Asian culture” (and, you know, there’s just one culture in all of Asia). And how do you show your appreciation for a culture? By marrying someone who personifies the elements of that culture you have romanticized.

Unlike “the average woman” (which presumably means White women in the U.S., since we’re the majority of women and all), Asian women haven’t become too competitive (just intelligent and independent! But that’s different!) and certainly aren’t “masculine.” Again we see the romanticizing of a certain stereotype of “Asian culture,” with Asian women having a “well-known cultural attitude of gentle and caring support” and “Eastern values,” which apparently involves being sweet and supportive. Though they’ve also “learned Western values,” which here is associated with being “outgoing…independent and fun…”. Thus, the West = independent, fun women, while the East = supportive, submissive ones.

Sigh.

Filed Under: Interests, Life Tagged With: asian women, dating site, sociological images

thanks to MacMall’s incompetence i found a better Apple retailer

8 March 2010 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

An excellent piece by Tony Greenberg, Why Good Service is About Trust, made me recall why we won’t be purchasing from  MacMall.com again. This summer on a trip back to the US, my husband and I placed quite a large order with them for equipment to take back abroad. Being a graphic designer, Keith wanted a quad core mac tower (the best specs at the time of the order) and an equally able MacBook Pro for mobility. And a few programmes including the shockingly expensive Adobe Professional Suite upgrade.

With a four-week window in NYC we needed assurance about delivery– not a problem for most companies and certainly assured us by MacMall’s rep before we placed our order. First it took them a week and a half to authorise such a large order (really MacMall? that long to process a credit card authorisation for a measly ~$10,000?). Then two days before our flight there was no sign of delivery, no call or email notification about a delay. Had we been advised that the entire order was delayed by one spec, we actually would have gladly settled for a less than ideal workstation. We just didn’t want to waste our holiday doing any shopping, which is why we went online for this order.

But there was absolutely no communication. Numerous calls and emails from us over the last week prior to our flight were handled with lukewarm assistance by MacMall reps. Finally after one last wasted day on many frustrating calls and getting put on hold all the way up the management chain we canceled the order and hopped a cab to B&H, a photo/video/electronics megastore for professionals (not far from my Manhattan apartment). MacMall realised they were losing us and actually had the audacity to FedEx the order–with the delayed spec and all!– but it went Back to Sender.

Considering the circle of friends, family and clients that my husband and I regularly interact with, that’s a heck of a lot of bad PR for MacMall. Through MacMall’s staggering incompetence, we found that B&H is actually a MUCH better retailer with a stellar reputation  and impeccable customer service. The (literally just-released!) 2.93Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor we ended up with under advisement from the B&H rep  is actually a much better machine than the 3.2Ghz Quad-Core we were struggling to get delivered from MacMall. Plus, due to its architecture, it cost us $2000+ less! I have to remember it pays to go to a physical store and talk to knowledgeable reps!

Here’s what Mr Greenberg had to say about MacMall:

..MacMall, a Torrance, CA. based distributor of Apple computers and related gear. It’s the same firm as PC Mall… I guess poor customer service is a core MacMall positioning element that I could have known about ahead of time. Note MacMall’s low consumer rating on ResellerRatings.com. If you were ever to consider returning or replacing a product, it would be one of the worst places you could choose. Out of thousands of online resellers, to me it seems like it’s just one step above a phishing site. MacMall execs, I suggest you look at the Apple stores, busting at the seams, and chase the premium services market not the sleazy discount / no service no frills game.

As Mr Greenberg writes:

I give them my money for, and put my trust in, their products or services, and I expect them to value that accordingly. I can be a firm’s greatest ally or its worst nightmare.

After all, what’s your time worth? … Shouldn’t our service providers pay us our hourly rate when they put us on hold? Ahh, that would make them think thrice.

And if you don’t value your time in dealing with a company that doesn’t, you should.

Companies spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars to acquire a single steady customer, on the expectation that they will be able to milk that customer for far more money in coming years (figure out your company’s cost of customer acquisitions and their lifetime value here).

We patronised MacMall for many years (since they launched their website back in college in the late 1990s?!), but we just found a better Apple retailer!

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: apple, B&H, customer service, MacMall

Ain’ts no more!!

4 March 2010 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

This is a post so long overdue, a non-fan put up his own thoughts about watching the Saints in Phnom Penh. Thanks John!

My interest in the Saints was piqued because after 43 years of solid mismanagement and dysfunction, this team is a study in how to lead a disparate group of “rejects” to success.

Drew Brees was cast off from San Diego. Reggie Bush was passed over by Houston. Jonathan Vilma was expendable as a Jet. Pierre Thomas wasn’t considered a draftable NFL prospect. Marques Colston was drafted… in the seventh round. Only so many bad breaks can happen to a group of young men. Right?

I also found that unlike many sports where the sheer simplicity of a game is pure agony to watch for its lack of mental stimulation, American football is like business strategy speeded up. There’s a lot to learn from the sheer amount of coordination and strategy in these games.

Plus I’d never been to a game before, nor was much of a fan, until this year’s trip back home. But friends scored us some great seats at the Superdome, and man was that over the top and a LOT OF FUN!

And then finally I was sold after reading about the civic and charitable work the players and coaches do in the New Orleans area, becoming an integral part of the region’s recovery after Katrina. I even follow Drew Brees’ twitter feed now! (I don’t normally go gaga for athletes but he’s so articulate, smart and civic-minded I can’t help but drool over this guy!)

“I never had followed football but became an instant Saints fanatic because there was no single organization that was holding together the spirit of the people in this community like the Saints,” said Natalie Jayroe, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans.

(For anyone who ever lived in or loves New Orleans, this piece by Wright Thompson in ESPN, Saints the Soul of America’s City, is beautiful and really quite touching.)

And what a moving season it was, for those of you who watch football and saw the Superbowl. No objective stats supported this team’s ability to make it this far, much less take the title. Hardly any pundit or gambler put their money on the Saints. The only things behind their momentum was a lot of desire, an intensely loyal fan base (win or lose New Orleans was going to throw this team a party!), and a singular belief by both the team and its city that this was the year.

It didn’t make any sense, and that is the brilliance of it. So in keeping with a great American tradition, I need to own that game! I wish I could’ve been in New Orleans for all of it, but glad to have a great crowd in Phnom Penh to watch it with!

HELL!! IS!! FREEEEEZZZZZZIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!
Did it really happen?!
Would you believe Jon Hall from Hubig's Pies was passing through and stopped in to watch the game? Small world!
There's our limo for the day :-)
3pm and they iz crunk!!
Our entire crew was even decked out in the black and gold!! ;-)

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: drew brees, football, new orleans, Saints, superbowl

Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding by Jesse Winchester

18 February 2010 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

What an absolutely beautiful ballad.. This man has a gift, to be able to take you by the hand and lead you to a tender, touching moment. It’s a song that cherishes and treasures those earliest years of your love. Listen and watch this moving piece by a singer-songwriter born in Louisiana, Jesse Winchester, on The Spectacle. He brought tears to Neco Case and Elvis Costello.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Elvis Costello, Jesse Winchester, Neco Case, Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding, Spectacle

Saints the Soul of America’s City by Wright Thompson

4 February 2010 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

Because I need to preserve this beautiful piece by Wright Thompson, Saints the Soul of America’s City, for later reading, in its entirety:

NEW ORLEANS — The soul of New Orleans is in a trumpet and a low-ceilinged bar. It’s in the free red beans in the back. It’s in the art hanging near the food that has two dogs howling at a New Orleans Saints moon. It’s in the voice of Kermit Ruffins, two hours into his standing Thursday night gig at a packed club hidden in the neighborhood behind the French Quarter, the place weathered and peeling like the side of a workingman’s boat.

He plays a song he wrote, “All I Want for Christmas Is the Saints in the Super Bowl,” and the crowd dances and sings all the words. When he takes a break, he calls me in closer. There’s something he wants to show me. He undoes his thin black tie, and the top two buttons, then pulls both his collared shirt and T-shirt down just enough so I can see. I notice the top point first, and slowly, the entire tattoo comes into view, a month old, enormous, covering his entire chest. I start laughing, and so does he. A symbol of the city adorned with a symbol of the city. Kermit Ruffins has gotten an enormous fleur-de-lis, the Saints’ helmet logo, tattooed on his chest.

“Only in New Orleans,” he says, winking. “I’m killing ’em when I take off my shirt at the beach. Especially at the Super Bowl.”

Hello, madness

These are strange and beautiful days in New Orleans, and they must be seen to be believed. I’ve visited the city dozens of times since I was a boy, lived and worked there for a spell and last week, when I went down to experience the mania over the Saints’ undefeated season firsthand, I found myself not sure whether every street was a dream. Some moments made me laugh, and others were so full of a desperate love that I had tears in my eyes. [Read more…] about Saints the Soul of America’s City by Wright Thompson

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: football, new orleans, Saints

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Those little feet pitter-pattering about rule our lives lately. But on the occasional free moment I get to tap out scatterbrained bursts of consciousness about raising toddlers in Cambodia, traveling with them and working abroad. These posts are my personal updates to friends and family. But since you’re here, have a look around. Thanks for stopping by…

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