Sadness and Joy in the News

[lizzytysh]

On poverty:

I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn't poor, I was needy. Then they told me it was self-defeating to think of myself as needy, I was deprived. Then they told me deprived was a bad image, I was underprivileged. Then they told me underprivileged was overused, I was disadvantaged. I still don't have a dime. But I sure have a great vocabulary.
Jules Feiffer B.1929

Can't tell you how many politically-correct changes in terminology I've been through in my jobs, either.
The person being served, however, remains the same person.

The rich never feel so good as when they are speaking of their possessions as responsibilities.
Robert Lynd 1879-1949

There are some awesome quotes on this site, Jurica. Amazing how contemporary some are for having been spoken so many years ago.

On war:

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.
(Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. President, 16 Apr 1953)

One murder made a villain, millions a hero
Beilby Porteus 1731-1808

There never was a good war or a bad peace
Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790

Okay, okay; I won't bring the whole site here .

[Kush]

I thought this was interesting and newsworthy.

LONDON - Britons are the most prolific shoplifters in Europe, a survey published on Wednesday showed.

They stole $6.29 billion (3.58 billion pounds) of goods from their nation’s shops last year, the equivalent of 1.59 percent of British retail turnover.

Razor blades were the most stolen item followed by alcohol and toiletries, according to the British-based Center for Retail Research.


Finland had the second worst shoplifting problem followed by Portugal and Greece while the Swiss were the most disciplined shoppers, the survey showed. Theft accounted for 0.89 percent of Swiss retail turnover.

In all, Europeans stole $36.72 billion (30.8 billion euros) worth of goods from their stores last year -- 71.5 euros per person.

Customers were blamed for 48 percent of the thefts, staff for 29 percent and suppliers for 7 percent.

The survey covered 423 retailers in 24 countries, accounting for 20 percent of European retail turnover.

[lizzytysh]

So, where does the U.S. align with those stats? Did it say?

[Paula ~ put that back! ]

Sorry, girl. Had to use someone for my little witticism and you seem to have the best sense of humour for that kind of thing ......remember the "We need 'worry beads' just to deal with Lizzy!"

[Kush]

Nope....this was only for EU nations.

I'd imagine US is probably right up there somewhere....perhaps between Britland and Finland.[/i]

[lizzytysh]

Or ahead of them .

[Byron]

Bloody hell Kush, they've stolen the words as well!

The British-based Center For Retail Research.......

[Tchocolatl]

Between Bee's da and Lz's ya, and the silence between, who I'm a? And where I am going, and what is the sense of my life? 10 little laws (of nature, more than religion to my belief) to respect and things would improve socially speaking at the speed of light. No matter the system we are using. But. But majority of humans are so funny. And by this I mean "funny". They think that they can by-pass those laws without consequences if nobody catches them. Like let say a man who thinks that he could walk in the air between two cliffs if nobody is there to "punish" him for infringing the law of gravity. He will indeed walk in the air, but not in the direction he would like. It would be very funny if it would not be so boring in the long run.

What people who are under the spots are doing, the majority of people are doing it. Politicians and cie are not so unlike the majority, in the contrary. This is a portrait of the majority in our society at this time of "its age" that we are seing when we look at those under the spots.

Only the little "thief" operates as such a little scale that it does not touch many people.

We just tend to forget that the ocean is made of drops. Or, if you prefer the forest is made of trees. And it is the forest sometimes that hides the trees.

Is the tree thinks that because it is well hide, it is smart to do things that could arm the forest?

Does a tree have a counscious? If yes, where it is going? What is the sense of its life?

[lightning]

Who has counted the shoplifters that don't get caught?
Perhaps England has the clumsiest ones or its stores have the strictest surveillance.
In America shoplifting doesn't always generate a police report. The storeowner might ask the thief to put it back, or, if undetected figure it's not worth the hassle.

[lizzytysh]

the strictest surveillance

With the overall surveillance I personally witnessed, my bet is on this! That's how they caught the tube/bus bombers so quickly. Yes, then there's the unprosecuted shoplifting.

[lightning]

Then all they can really say is that England's caught the most shoplifters, Finland second, etc.

[Tchocolatl]

No matter shoplifting is an addiction like cigarette for many. "They" are spending soooo much energy to convince "us" that we need all the crap "they" have to sell.

In this particular regard, I like "In my secret life" lyrics (even if it may be my personal feeling about it all over". You know "and the dealer wants you thinking... la la la...").

Now I guess the freedom is to question the need to possess all that crap. Or not to need to steal. 'cause both are a sickness, also. A compulsion.

Change of subject, or parenthesis : Boss, I am under the impression thatyou are insisting on the responsibility only of persons of power and autority, because people in general tend to follow a leader or to comply to a force of some sort. This is not fool. We are all influenced. I guess it is in our gregarious nature to go in pack and follow leaders. Only leaders are choosed because they are representative of the majority. So as individual we can influence the leaders also. Right?

[lizzytysh]

Then all they can really say is that England's caught the most shoplifters, Finland second, etc.

The reverse could then be said, "Kudos to England and Finland's security systems and law enforcement for their effectiveness and diligence!"

In some cases, poverty could be at the heart of shoplifting statistics. I've never heard that Finland has much problem in this area; but, I believe England has its pockets of poverty.

[Paula]

I had forgotten about the worry beads Lizzie

Notice top of the list razor blades and then alcohol and toiletries. At least we have clean shaven sweetly smelling tealeafs.

[lizzytysh]

I had forgotten about the worry beads Lizzie

Not to worry. I'll always be here to remind you .

I wondered about that list, too ......and was wondering why no one had commented that at least Leonard Cohen is well-supported in Britain .

Well, personal hygiene is clearly crucial to Brits ~ at any cost ~ or no cost, as the case may be. Think of how demanding they must be regarding jail conditions. Gripe, gripe, gripe, whinge, whinge, whinge ~ not enough soap, not enough towels, dirty floors, filthy sinks, where's some deodorant, I need more blades, I cut myself where's the alcohol ~ geez. And U.S. prisoners thought they had it bad.

BTW, is "whinge" a Brit term for a more intense, more dramatic form of "whine"? I've been meaning to ask Michael, but you're right here, so......

[Kush]

Notice top of the list razor blades

Hmm...or perhaps in Britain they've stopped handing them out with Leonard Cohen CDs these days. (just kidding)