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My dear Animals, I hope you will forgive me for cutting out today a little earlier than I customarily do, but I really, really have to go spend an afternoon trying not to lose my cool at the DMV.
I promise to hang around a bit longer tomorrow, and have some real conversations. In the meantime, I leave you with these:
* Nobody seems to have noticed here in the good old U.S. of A., but major protests have been filling the streets of two Spanish-speaking nations.
-In Spain, the protests and strike by miners is turning into something that looks like a war, with the miners, who are protesting austerity measures that will put them out of work, shooting homemade fireworks at riot police. The Guardian has amazing video.
-In Mexico, tens of thousands spilled into the streets in protest of alleged vote-rigging that they contend handed the PRI its victory in the recent presidential election. Check out this impressive photo, taken at Zocalo Square in Mexico City on July 7, accompanying a July 8 AFP story.
* Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pretty peeved to learn that the U.S. Olympic Team’s dress uniforms, designed by Ralph Lauren, were manufactured in China. The AFL-CIO helpfully compiled a list of U.S. manufacturers who could have handled the job.
Gotta fly. Hasta manana.
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sue on July 14, 2012 12:09 PM:
not to mention the uniforms are an ugly rendition of a mitt romney yachting costume!
schtick on July 14, 2012 12:10 PM:
Too bad they don't have such a hissy fit about our American flags being made in China or all of the rest of our clothes being made in other countries.
TCinLA on July 14, 2012 12:17 PM:
Sue beat me to it - those uniforms are AWFUL. But then, they are designed by Ralph Lauren, so why is anyone surprised?
Schtick is right too.
DJ on July 14, 2012 12:23 PM:
The USOC gets no funding from the government; if politicians want to bitch, they should put their money where their mouths are. American garment workers, who are ready, willing, and able to make these uniforms, have reason to complain.
But Ralph Lauren isn't the only offender here. Do you think Nike, who makes the uniforms the athletes will wear on the podium, and the uniforms for many US teams, has ensured that it's all made in the USA? Or Li Ning Sportswear, the official outfitters of US Diving?
Jose Hipants on July 14, 2012 12:34 PM:
Apparently, no congressperson gets donations from USOC, thus they are free to bitch about the Chinese sourcing.
Walmart, on the other hand...
c u n d gulag on July 14, 2012 12:45 PM:
A tip for Adele, and everyone else, on going to the DMV.
This was taught to me about 30 years ago in NY City - where, if you think YOUR DMV is SSSLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW - think again!
He told me, go on any Friday, about 1/2 hour before closing - and especially ANY day before a Holiday, at that same time.
I guarantee you, you'll be done by closing, no matter HOW MANY people are in front of you!!!
I've been doing this for 30 years now, and it has NEVER failed me - NOT ONCE!!!
And I'm talking about never failing me, not only in NY City, but upstate NY, NJ, Philadelphia, and 3 towns in North Carolina
DMV workers want to 'get to the weekend' as much as anyone else.
You want to see an organized, tightly run machine, with highly motivated workers?
Walk in, grab your ticket.
They'll be done with you in NO TIME!!!
I'm talking photo's, eye-test - the WHOLE ball of wax.
exlibra on July 14, 2012 1:21 PM:
* Nobody seems to have noticed here in the good old US of A, but major protests have been filling the streets of two Spanish-speaking nations. -- Adele Stan
I guess we must be reading two different versions of the NYTimes; they've been very good about reporting on both countries' protests (esp the Spanish ones). Or, could it be that you consider the Times "nobody"?
DIane Rodriguez on July 14, 2012 1:58 PM:
I read yesterday that Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-D) with others, introduced a bill to require the Olympic uniforms be made in the USA. I was most disgusted with the oversize Ralph Lauren Polo logo on the jacket pockets. Really?
Doug on July 14, 2012 2:38 PM:
The LAST time Spanish miners were acting like this was in 1935...
emjayay on July 14, 2012 3:20 PM:
Coal is of course the worst fossil fuel, and apparently was being subsidized by the government. It probably makes sense to at least end the subsidy, and regulate pollution from the burning of the coal which would maybe make it uneconomic anyway.
The problem is suddenly pulling out the rug people have organized their lives around. Just like Thatcher did to coal miners in England. Or like Romney at Bain did to American companies. In all these cases what should maybe happen anyway sooner or later is caused to happen overnight in ways that ruin people's lives. Including in Bain's case, ruining their retirement as well, and costing the rest of us to partially address the damage with federal money.
emjayay on July 14, 2012 3:24 PM:
OK, before anyone complains, I suppose I should have said in the UK or mostly Wales, not England. It's all so confusing over there. They all have the same accent, except they actually don't.
Anonymous on July 14, 2012 3:45 PM:
I noticed in the list at the bottom of an international press story yesterday about Spain that part of the plan is to sell many nationalized assets in Spain. Huh, fire-sale prices on lots of national assets at a time of financial distress.
Now, there's not a motive for private equity types to swoop in and buy things for pennies on the dollar (or Euro) for a nice hold-and-flip profit in a few months or a year or two now, is there??
elisabeth on July 14, 2012 5:20 PM:
The DMV is like the post office -- there's a lot of reflexive putdowns of the folks who work there, and the supposed inefficiency/slowness etc. But our local DMV is great, very kind workers who are patient with people who don't have great language skills, who haven't ever done this before, who just need a non-driver's ID or whatever. (Ditto for my local post office). To me this non-reflective dissing of public workers just feeds into the negativity about government in general that isn't helpful to social progress.
jpeckjr on July 14, 2012 5:48 PM:
I think the Olympic uniforms are uncreative and unattractive.
I think the photo that is circulating showing five stalwart athletes looking nobly into the distance with the flag above them looks vaguely fascist.
I think the USOC and staff were insufficiently sensitive to the question of where they should be made. Did it cross no one's mind at the USOC that not made in the USA might become known and, therefore, a public relations issue?
I think the USOC which is completely privately funded can have them made wherever they choose.
I think it is too late to get new uniforms in time for the opening ceremonies in two weeks.
exlibra on July 14, 2012 6:05 PM:
elisabeth, @5:20PM
Ditto and ditto on DMV and the PO; everyone seems to be kind, knowledgeable *and* efficient. But I live in a "5 minute town" (end to end, in a car, if you hit both street lights "just so"); in a big city, where people tend to be more stressed, it's, likely, quite a bit different. Though I also notice that a lot of visitors and "transplants" from big cities also have no time for the little niceties of the daily life; they do complain about every half minute spent by the workers on being human.
angryspittle on July 14, 2012 8:36 PM:
Where the hell is the DMV open on Saturday?
DJ on July 14, 2012 9:02 PM:
I think the photo that is circulating showing five stalwart athletes looking nobly into the distance with the flag above them looks vaguely fascist.
I've seen posters like that from the Soviet Union, too. Fascism or communism has nothing to do with it; It's common heroic posing.
Throwing about words like "fascist" only serves to dilute and distort their meaning.
zandru on July 15, 2012 10:43 AM:
DMV - in my 600,000 person small town, the DMV branch nearest my house is always busy, but surprisingly efficient. I'm always pleased by how friendly and considerate the (large) staff is. It never hurts to bring along a book or magazine (e- or hardcopy) to make any waits more tolerable, so long as you keep your eyes and ears out for your number to be called/flashed up on the big board.
We also have many for profit privately-run businesses which can handle all your drivers license and auto registration needs, for a price that is at least double the DMV's. I've never seen anyone in any of them, so the wait is probably pretty short there. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
Olympic Uniforms - So what's with the blazer n' slacks look? Is this some kind of sick joke? What do the athletes actually COMPETE in? I'd rather see them on the winners podium (assuming they make it) in competition uniforms or warmups, not something reminiscent of an afternoon at the yacht club. They've got a big Ralph Laurant logo on them?!? Not a conspicuous American flag?
Harry Reid was right - burn 'em all.
ivy on July 15, 2012 11:39 PM:
Every time I see this spambot it takes me a beat longer than it should to actually understand the URL. This time I was like: ¡°A gel o v e r? What does that mean?¡± until my brain properly processed it as Age-lover.
Still not checking it out, though.