Random Notes
/A few totally random thoughts for your Wednesday reading pleasure...
- On the international development front…the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) recently released its updated strategy for meeting the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs are 8 international development goals that all UN nations adopted in 2001. They include such targets as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, and ensuring environmental sustainability. The new USAID report has some good ideas and information and is worth a read. However, one important (I believe) issue that this report remains silent on is the damage that massive farm subsidies, which are prevalent throughout the developed world, continue to inflict on farmers in developing countries. Agriculture is the key economic engine of most developing countries and corporate farms in the U.S. and Europe, due to the huge subsidies, are currently able to dump their products into the markets in Africa and elsewhere at rock bottom prices that local farmers (who don’t receive subsidies from their governments) cannot possibly match while still maintaining a livelihood.
- Was heading to lunch at the union yesterday and much to my chagrin, when I got within hearing range of the building, I could tell that the fire alarm was going off. I know…you’re probably highly concerned about how this affected me…and yes, I must report that it did pretty much ruin my lunch routine. It was highly distressing. Ended up taking the opportunity to try something different…by going to Chipotle. Now, I haven’t been there in several months, but get this…the girl at the counter nailed my order cold. Talk about customer service! Take a lesson Q. However, the burrito finishing girl was obviously a newb…her salsa distribution was weak and her wrapping was frankly a disaster. I guess you can’t get everything you want in life.
- On Monday, condiment girl at the Q asked the guy behind me in line if he wanted cheese and sour cream. He laughed and said, “I’m lactose intolerant…does that answer your question?” I mean…what could possibly possess someone to answer that question that way? I was flabbergasted. In my opinion, that’s taking TMI to a whole new level. I really think a simple “no thanks” would have sufficed, but then again I sometimes feel that I just don’t understand humans very well (I’m kicking myself for not checking to see if this guy had his cell phone clipped to his belt…but I’m 95% sure that he probably did…I know I haven’t explained my theory on guys with cell phones clipped to their belts…but I’ll leave that for another time). Anyway I almost forgot to mention, the very best part about the whole interchange was…the worker replied, “so am I.” I was half expecting them to start a support group right on the spot!
- Six weeks from today, we are scheduled to touch down in London. In honour (British spelling) of our impending journey, let’s all rock out to some Airplanes by B.o.B and Hayley Williams.