Shopaholic Reform: Back In Action

Sunday, May 23

Back In Action

Aaaand I'm back from the depths of Mount Desert Island. All in all a good trip, although 18 people on a school trip is definitely too many. Would have been far more enjoyable with 8-10. Particularly b/c there weren't showers in the camp ground, just pay showers down the road and many of my classmates didn't feel the need to shower while we were there. It got a little ripe towards the end of the week, not the greatest. Just sayin.

Anyways, while I thought that I wouldn't have any time to spend any money while away...I was wrong. This trip gave us FAR too much down time, including an entire day to just meander around and do what we wished. So of course I managed to spend a little dough...but not all that bad.

Here's the rundown for the week:

$6.00 - Hot showers at the lovely private showers down the road from the campsite ($1.50 for 4 minutes)
$6.37 - Belfast Cooperative (lunch on the way up)
$16.70 - Irving (food for Veruca)
$11.25 - Cafe Bar Harbor (drinks)
$19.50 - Thirsty Whale (drinks while paper writing with my group)
$5.something - Ice Cream shop in Bar Harbor (delicious peanut butter extreme ice cream, yum)
$32.45 - Bark Harbor (dog toy for the soon to be addition...Maggie Mae and treats for the pups, who I'll be seeing next weekend when I'm home for Court's wedding)

Adorable, right. Maggie is going to love it.

$20.73 - Mobil
$11.77 - Chipolte (dinner when I got back after a nice long nap in a bed)

For a grand total of $123.77, not including the $$ I spent in tolls. No idea how much that will be, I haven't looked at my fastlane account yet.

Considering I am getting paid $100 from Antioch for driving a group up to Maine, it's really not all that bad.

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Something to Chew On...

The downside to Globalization

1. “The general complaint about globalization is that it has made the rich richer while making the non-rich poorer. It is wonderful for managers and investors, but hell on workers and nature.”¹

2. Multinational corporations are accused of social injustice, unfair working conditions (including slave labor wages and poor living and working conditions), as well as a lack of concern for the environment, mismanagement of natural resources, and ecological damage.

3. Multinational corporations which were previously restricted to commercial activities are increasingly influencing political decisions. Many think there is a threat of corporations ruling the world because they are gaining power due to globalization.

4. Opponents say globalization makes it easier for rich companies to act with less accountability. They also claim that countries’ individual cultures are becoming overpowered by Americanization.

5. Anti-globalists also claim that globalization is not working for the majority of the world. During the most recent period of rapid growth in global trade and investment, 1960 to 1998, inequality worsened both internationally and within countries. The UN Development Program reports that the richest 20 percent of the world's population consume 86 percent of the world's resources, while the poorest 80 percent consume just 14 percent.

6. Some experts think that globalization is also leading to the incursion of communicable diseases. Deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS are being spread by travelers to the remotest corners of the globe.

7. Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions. Safety standards are ignored to produce cheap goods. There is also an increase in human trafficking.

8. Social welfare schemes or “safety nets” are under great pressure in developed countries because of deficits and other economic ramifications of globalization.

As manufacturing continues to decline, so does our ability to innovate. In the long term, this means fewer well-paid jobs, lower productivity, declining wages, declining living standards and low economic growth. Globalization is a big part of this decline and will affect all jobs and all sectors of the economy. From the point of view of multinational corporations and Wall Street investors, globalization is probably viewed as a wonderful phenomenon with many opportunities. But from the point of view of American manufacturers, manufacturing workers, the middle class, professional service workers and overall economic growth, I think the disadvantages far out weigh the advantages.

-Mike Collins, The Pros and Cons of Globalization (2010)