THE GREAT WHITE BEAR

Those were some of my favorite lines too. I also enjoyed the opening piece where they were trying to find a host. Funny, I've been bed with George Clooney in my dreams too. Hmmm, wonder if I'll be hosting the Oscars any time soon? ;-)
 

That reminds me of the company that fired all it's employees that refused to quit smoking. While we all know that smoking has a lot of negative health effects (I myself quit alomst 3 years ago) and think that no one should (with the exception of the traditionally Native American use of tobacco in certain rituals) it really bothered me that a company could make your job contigent on whether you conformed to their rules even outside of work. Yes, they provided non-smoking programs to their employees, but I was still creeped out by their decision and that they got away with it, by using the argument that they needed to decrease their health insurance costs. What's next, refusing to hire people who are obese or have chronic medical problems?
 

I had linked to an article in a computer trade magazine awhile back that talked about similar tags:

Tracked Workers Outraged Over RFID Tagging

Kinda makes you want to consider living "off the grid".
 

John Stewart was very funny at the Oscars. Obviously, he has more edge than he displayed there, but he did well considering the event. The audience was dull, as usual. The term "Too hip for the room" comes to mind.
 

Heathen: Actually, didn't Walmart try to institued a policy not to hire obese people b/c of insurance costs? I vaguely remember that. I think it got knocked down, but still.

It just really creeps me out.
 

I can't imagine ANYONE allowing an employer to implant a chip in their body!! What's wrong with those sheep?!
 

Wow, you knocked it out of the park with this post!
It was only a matter of time before the microchip thing progressed to humans. Bit by bit our personal privacy is being obliterated. Can Minority Report be far away?

I love Jon at the Oscars. Indeed two of my favorite lines were "This is the first time many of them have ever voted for somebody who won!" and "...are both movies about hard hitting journalists who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. Obviously, these are period pieces."
Yep, obviously!!
 

tshsmom: Problem is, in this economy, where there's 100 schmoes in line waiting for that job, people will do pretty much whatever the boss says.
 

Good point Laura!
 

I liked seeing Jon Stewart host the Oscars - he was amusing, even if I cringed at a few of his comments.

As far as chips implanted.... nothing gets implanted in this body.
 

The implications of chipping freak me out and I would NEVER get chipped, period, even if it did mean never having to fumble in my purse again. But it's not the Mark of the Beast: That's Satanic Panic spread by a few whackjob fundies. :D
 

Even as a cynical athiest, I wouldn't ascribe that to a few whacko's. A future society where you can't partipate in commerce or basic society without a certain indentifying mark is basic Christian theology. It is a idea held in Catholocism and mainstream Protestanism, as well as Evangelicalism.
 

GWB: Can you please explain your last comment? I don't understand.

I would never get chipped, either. I wonder if this is making mainstream American news, since you found the article on BBC. That is curious in and of itself, isn't it?
 

GWB: It's not just christian thinking. Every society has had their ideas about who should be allowed to do certain tasks or participate in certain activities. Whether it's because of race, religion, gender, social class, nationality/citizenshi, or some other criteria. The chips are just another way of accomplishing that, and a way if integrating all these criteria. Rather than trying to figure out who is who, simply scan them, and realize that they cannot go to a particular type of school because they come from the wrong class, etc., etc.
 

Hi GWB,

Just stopping by to say hello and how is everyone?

Sigh.
 

If we accept that fundies were correct about the Mark of the Beast chip thing...wouldn't we have to accept all their other b.s. too, just in case they're right? :S
 

They could tag our organs too and we could keep an eye that liver or heart we need whenever its first owner is finished with it.
 

wc - it is a part of Christian theology that in the end times, when the Antichrist rules, in order to take part in comerce, and society in general, one would have to bear a certain mark (666) in order to show fidelity. Of course, those who accept this mark are doomed to hell for eternity. But those who don't will suffer the deprivation of not being able to hold a job, or buy and sell goods, marry, receive government services, etc.

sme - I prefer to think of it as Orwellian, myself.
 

Yeah. I'll go with Orwellian, too. But if it is the Beast, we'll find out soon enough.
I just realized yesterday that if universal chipping takes place, hostage-takers and kidnappers will be ripping these things out of people all the time. And mentally ill people will be removing their own, probably with steak knives and such...Ugh.
 

Yes, that scares the shit out me too,, employers are way too invasives now w/ drug tests, smoking conditions, credit checks and now this crap?

I loved john stewart!!