The Raven

Sunday, November 3, 2002

Ground Zero

Back in my hometown of Berkeley, Calif., there's an initiative titled Measure 0, which targets all coffee sold in the city. According to the measure, every cup of coffee sold in the city would have to be "fair trade, organic or shade-grown." This is worth paying some attention to because Berkeley's stand on issues like grape harvesting and apartheid have had a tendency to go nationwide. One reason to support the measure is that the big players in the industry are lining up against it, even though implementation would only raise the price of a cup about 3 cents. From what I've read, coffee farmers get a pretty raw deal so it's hard to find fault with this.

So alarmed are Starbucks, Peet's and the National Coffee Association that they each had spent at least $10,000 as of the latest filing period to defeat the measure.

The political ad driving the campaign is a glossy mailer reading, "Excuse me waiter, there's the blood and misery of a thousand small farmers in my coffee."

The Secret Word

In this case, it was lingerie. The Ravenatrix and I stopped at the mall today to do a bit of prelimary shopping and during our perambulations we toured the Victoria's Secret shop. I'm still addle-headed from my visit, so bear with me. This place is a candy store for men—provided that your nerve is steady. While we were looking about at chemises and things, I noticed a young gent who, while with his sweetheart, appeared to be utterly embarrassed and uncomfortable.

There was a time when I could have been that young man, awkward, suffering from intense self-consciousness. But now, with the confidence of adulthood, I find that shopping for scanty unmentionables is a tremendously enjoyable and stimulating activity. One does have to thank the Victoria's Secret company for sending out all those catalogs and putting shops up everywhere. The world would be a much less interesting place without them.

Reason Prevails

That Frenchwoman we mentioned yesterday who doffed her top during a security screening at Evansville Airport has been fined $2. She'll have to cough up around $100 more in court fees but that's the end of it.

6:32:20 PM

The Holiday World

In this charming article, writer Victoria Kaulback discusses her decision to live and work in France. Suddenly, England is starting to look good again.

"How I long to see badly dressed people."

There's an important lesson here. Kaulback fell into the "Vacation Trap." When you're on holiday, the countries you visit can seem downright charming and you fall in love with the people, the sights, the rhythms of an exotic culture. You start thinking to yourself, "I could live here."

This delusion arises because you aren't working. You're just running about spending money, going on hikes, eating fabulous foods prepared by experts, while maid service keeps the towels fresh. Most countries look their best this way. Move there, however, and it's a whole new ballgame: you vs. the home team.

Freedom in a Box!

I was looking at this story in the St. Petersburg Times about some protesters getting arrested outside a stadium where President Bush was speaking, and something very weird jumped out at me:

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies told Redner and his friends three times to go to the official protest zone, but they refused, Redner said.

A "protest zone"? I freely admit my ignorance—I'd never heard of such a thing.

Designated "First Amendment zones" for protesters are common nationwide during political conferences and presidential visits.

The United States of America is a First Amendment Zone. The rights don't get roped off into controlled areas. The article cites some arrests at a similar event last year, where "a protest zone had been set up a half-mile away."

We googled "first amendment zones" and it turns out these are becoming standard, and they are upsetting a lot of people. Over at Democratic Underground, an editorial captures my disquiet perfectly:

Suddenly, "First Amendment Zone" is part of the standard lexicon. These pop up wherever Our Leader goes, and are mentioned in press reports as if they have always been part of the landscape.

The writer goes on to note that when Bush showed up in Stockton, Calif., earlier this year, "the First Amendment operated in an area about 20x100 feet." It should be noted, of course, that if you support the President, your zone is substantially larger.

This troubling development may have been spawned on college campuses, which are supposed to be improving our world, not ruining it. Issues & Views looks at censorship zones at West Virginia University—where you can say what you like, but only in a small area over by the cafeteria.

Universities that limit free speech to a restricted section of campus betray an arrogant belief that students are not capable of living with freedom and the values of the Bill of Rights. Without free speech, no other liberty or dignity is possible.

Quite so. Keep an eye out for these things and look for opportunities to shine some light on them. De-zoning freedom is obviously in our interest.

Thought for the Day

The UK Guardian has a story marking the centenary of poet Langston Hughes. I found this quote to be applicable to writing in general and Weblogging in particular:

"Words have been used too much to make people doubt and fear," he said. "Words must now be used to make people believe and do. Writers who have the power to use words in terms of belief and action are responsible to that power not to make people believe in the wrong things."

10:46:46 AM