Education: Cost -Benefit Analysis in a Pre-Collapse Economy

(via Syd O) Coming out of law school with a lot of debt has opened my eyes to the cost-benefit educational analysis I never did. I've even encouraged several people not to go back to school. Obviously a temporary economic downturn wouldn't make it wise to forgo higher education, but what if it's not temporary and a new post-collapse economy is approaching? That's the gist of this article by ex-professor Carolyn Baker. Aside from describing the lackluster student ethic found at undergraduate universities, the piece does a good job of asking the question of whether "skills" for an infinite-growth, petroleum-based economy is something a youngster should invest $150,000 in. It's a question worth asking.

How to Break Up With a Friend

That's what I feel like with John McCain. (via VH1) Jacob Weisberg has a good article on the sad state of McCain affairs these days.

The Round-up Revolution Will Not be Televised

Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" seed has created a revolution in farming. The GMO seed is used in nearly all crops in nearly all conventional farms... and has likely infiltrated Organic seed as well. There's a strong possibility that the prevalence of the GMO has even displaced conventional, original, and heirloom seeds such that in the near future (if not already) there will be no corn, bean, rye, alfalpha or other crops planted that do not contain the gene. Read this High Country News article from 2007 to get a better picture. "Food Inc." also documents the way that "frankenfoods" have taken over and how Monsanto has used its corporate power to put seed cleaners out of business (on breach of contract grounds) for trying to save and reuse non-GMO seeds.

Just last month SCOTUS (with only Stevens dissenting) provided another win for corporate America by reversing an injunction that ceased distribution of Roundup ready seed until an EIS could be conducted (read the summary here).

Full speed ahead Frankenfood.

Unfortunately Monsanto and GMO's and Roundup are here to stay, but awareness