I was originally going to deal with iPods being made in China, but tangentally. Then I did a little research. Here's the article about the lives of iPod factory workers that sharpened this cartoon.

Can music change the world? It's a question of whether it can move people to act politically. (And not just through web petitions, which are more about the sensation of action -- virtual change.) There's only so much we can do as consumers. We have to act as citizens.

Here's an example: After 10 years of reliability, my Kryptonite lock broke last week. The key didn't enter it anymore. I searched for the same model. I remember having paid something like $70 for it and was expecting to lay out around that much. To my surprise, it was only $20. The price was less than a third of the price it was a decade ago. Why? The lock was made in China. Did I buy it? Yes. There was no alternative. I needed a lock.

Increasingly, our choices for actions -- both as consumers and citizens -- are being constrained by the "free" market, which doesn't weigh the true costs of shipping heavy bike locks halfway around the world instead of making them nearby. Costs to the environment, to the workers who make them and to our own basic sense of How Much Stuff is Worth.

Stuff is worth far more than we're paying for it. And, as I've tried to illustrate in this series of cartoons (perhaps too didactically), this skews everything. We buy too much because we can afford it. We undervalue it. A lot ends up in the landfill in a year or two. Nothing is repaired anymore. It's cheaper to ship another Kryptonite lock halfway around the world.

Music sure can change my world. This weekend, I'll be at Hillside Festival, a yearly immersion in music and good vibes. This festival, which has eschewed the corporate, profit-driven agenda of most mainstream music, is the highlight of my year. The festival is flourishing (tickets are again sold out) -- a sign of hope that a grassroots organization can spread the word and, perhaps, make a difference by providing another model.

Hillside also marks the beginning of a much-needed two-week break. I've got three great cartoons on tap, though. So, although my blogging will be minimal, you won't have to forgo your Weltschmerz fix, if you feel your summer spirits need a little dampening.

Toronto readers, don't miss the Toronto Comic Arts Festival on August 18-19. I'll return just in time to be there on Saturday (family commitments mean I'll be there only one day). I'll be signing copies of my book, Attack of the Same-Sex Sleeper Cells, which will be available at a special low price. So if you're in town, be sure to drop by. I'd love to meet you.

10 Years Ago This Week:
Sorry -- this will have to wait until I have a little more time. Tune in later; I'll try to get the update ready before I head off camping.