People are lazy; not necessarily by nature, but because they're so incredibly busy with everything else. Simply "living" life, while adhering to every recommendation, pressure, and expectation that has become the norm for present-day society, is such a chore that people don't have time nor energy to seek knowledge. Gaining real knowledge requires taking risks and possibly action. Gaining knowledge requires keeping the mind open when there is so much (overwhelmingly so) available to fill it. Therefore, unless it deals directly with their personal, daily life, reassurance will always preferred by the people.

No where is this more evident than in today's oil crisis. People don't want to hear that continuing to drive their car is continuing to drive the price of fuel up – they already believe this to be true. Nor do they want to hear that continuing to drive their car is continuing to contribute to global warming – again, they probably already believe this to be true. But are people driving less? Not really. Rather than consider what a large-scale boycott of fuel could possibly do to the price at the pump – knowledge of supply and demand and the financial effects of such a boycott, people pay attention to governmental reassurance – baseless claims that everything is going to be okay. 

Knowledge of supply and demand, and the implementation of a boycott of fuel, would require people to park their cars; it would require people to ride their bicycles; it would require of the people action in some form or other. But since filling up the car with gas happens, for most, only once every week and a half, it's much easier to ignore the knowledge available, and accept the government's reassurance. This reassurance, dolled out by an administration that desperately needs and wants to improve it's approval ratings, allows people to be complacent and go about their lives "as-usual." But now that higher oil prices are affecting the price of everything else – from food, to utility bills, to the clothes we wear – people are beginning to seek certainty from the government: "Are you sure everything will be okay?"

The better question would be, "what must we do to help ease the current oil crisis?", but the answer would require some serious action and restructuring of people's daily lives. People are lazy.

The PM took a few of us out for drinks.  It was great to sit, talk, relax and celebrate!  I've been invited back for the wrap up meeting, to teach and advise on video software and a process they can use for their newsletters, and for the celebration dinner sometime within the next few weeks.  Awesome!

In the field across the way there is a family or a bunch of families that seem to be playing cricket.  I don't really know if that's what it is, but they are playing something that looks like baseball but with a flat paddle thing and the pitcher is throwing the ball REALLY fast, underhand.  The kids attached to this group are the ones that asked the morsel if they could "ride her kite" a few months back when we were flying her kite in the field.  It was interesting and funny, the mistake in language and the awesome implication that they were going to ride the kite.

I talked to D1 tonight.  It was great to catch up, discuss things, plans, future, inspire each other and reflect on how things are going. He's sick, at home.  We talk about his getting out of his job, about options, goals.  We pump each other up and validate each other's skills and efforts.

And I looked again, for the missing sofware, After Effects, which I needed for a gig on Wednesday but had to turn down (for want of the software...)  And there it was!  Hidden from me by me, in a strange box in storage.  It should allow for some really great jobs here in the near future.

My acupuncturist was painting her attic when I called for an appointment yesterday, saying she would call me back to schedule.  I got a voice mail today telling me that she was now in Disneyland, and would call me when she got back to Seattle.  Funny, no?  I love it.  She's a very measured and careful person, so I'm actually enjoying this bit of silliness from her.  I hope it frees her in ways that she likes.

Tonight, after my one small glass of pinot noir, I almost started telling my companions about my blog.  I wanted to share some of the good parts but then realized I would be compromising my ability to disclose things from afar.  Darn.

I survived this week and not only that but it turned out well.  I'm spoiled by always having success, and think maybe this was a good lesson that it seemed that it wasn't going to work out.  That I'm not always going to be the rockstar and that there are so many possibilities.  But to tell you the truth, I don't really buy THAT either.  I always think there is a way.  Always.  I just can't see myself giving up.

This weekend is the family reunion with many people arriving from the East Coast.  I'm tired and don't want to attend.  I played hooky tonight but should go tomorrow.  There are times when an absence is to much worse than attending and having nothing to offer.

Last night in school, after a hard day, hard week, I felt as if I was stupid to even be trying to design, to start a company, to make a line of clothes.  I felt old and that it was too late.  The other girls were great, pointing out that there were many haute couture ladies who were 42, 56 when they started.  It's true, I know.  But I was feeling fragile and overwhelmed.

The sidewalk at the bus stop smelled like summer.  Dirt and heat, the smell of weeds and the air didn't move.  It felt freeing to prop against the little wall with the other women, waiting.  Ease and sun, exhausted and relieved.

I become suspicious because 'the market' is an abstract entity with no feelings or conscience. The market doesn't care if the workforce is old, young, sick or healthy; it doesn't worry about low wages; it doesn't even care if wages are paid or not; and, it certainly doesn't care about working conditions.

It's all about productivity and profit: keep costs low, and output and profit high.

But, there's a difference between 'laissez-faire' and 'do-not-care'. The market's lack of humanity is recognised the world over, and in all civilised countries, to varying degrees, markets are regulated in an attempt to prevent abuse, corruption and inhumanity; if you like, it's the 'humanisation' of the abstract concept. And humanising laws and regulations are introduced by enlightened and caring governments - not by 'the market'.

So, it was sad to read in today's newspaper that Hong Kong, as regards weekly working hours, ranks as the fifth worst in the world, just above Peru, South Korea, Thailand and Pakistan. According to the article, 40.9% of workers in Hong Kong work more than 48 hours per week.

I'm also disappointed the government still seems to be influenced by the 2006 Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce view that introducing a minimum wage and regulating working hours would affect Hong Kong's position as "the most international business and financial centre in the Asian half of the world".

However, I can see the beginnings of a movement for change: this week, I also read the employer members of the Labour Advisory Board - following a trip to Britain last month - are now "more ready to accept a universal minimum wage law", provided it's not set too high, I presume.

Better late than never!  :)