I am fed up with all the attention on Barack Obama's old pastor. The guy has his opinions, he has his agenda, and he is really loving all the attention to the point of self-parody. He's becoming the media's new Britney Spears/Paris Hilton! Forget focusing attention on the real problems facing black America, it's all about him. I expect next he's going to adopt a miniature dog and dress it in a matching dashiki! That's hot!
The media is trying so hard to make him an issue, or a strike against Obama, but it doesn't work. Why? Because WE have pastors, and we don't think in lockstep with them all the time either. Even if we have men in our lives who have sometimes functioned as father figures, most of the public is sensible enough to understand that none of us think exactly like our parental figures either. In fact, parents and parental figures can be completely and embarrassingly different in ethics, beliefs and ideals. It doesn't change who we are and what we believe just because we love them.
So, media, please, leave off reporting on this flamboyant and embarrassing man, and stick to the real issues for once that are facing this country. I flip away from your channels when stupidity and non-news is being reported, and my channel changing button is getting worn out.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
More Lights OUT hours!
A few weeks ago, as a world we did a voluntary "turn off the lights" hour. Enormous amounts of power were saved, all over the world, and that was voluntary for one simple hour.
Unless you are living under a rock or in the Bush Administration, the word is getting out loud and clear that we need to drastically change what we do as a human race to slow or stop global warming. What if, as part of our effort, we started to do voluntary "power out" hours not only once a year, but weekly? Or even daily??? Even if some people would not or could not participate, it could be a step in the right direction for stopping our energy usage from killing us faster than it already is.
Think of it--each energy user in the world pledging to turn off non-essential lighting and energy usage for ONE HOUR seriously once a day. This is only the start of a new awareness of how we could be doing so much more.
We are going to have to start thinking of "sacrificing" our greed for easy energy and entertainment. As a beginning, let's start with something easy, yet something mindful. Something we may not mind adding more of, once we see how easy it is.
Decide on your hour. Encourage your towns and cities to decide on an hour--every week. It doesn't even all need to be the same hour all over the world. See how easy it could be.
Millions of tons of green house gases. It could become a festival, an event to look forward to, a time to be thinking of something larger than one's self, once a week, once a day or more.
Another thing we can all be doing now is signing up for Com Ed's Nature First program, which gives permission during high power usage times in the summer to shut down your air conditioner for 1-3 hours during the day. I did this in California when we lived there, and even on days that got over 100 degrees F I barely noticed my comfort level changing in the house at all, even if I was working from home all day.
It's these are easy steps, and we should be making them...now.
Unless you are living under a rock or in the Bush Administration, the word is getting out loud and clear that we need to drastically change what we do as a human race to slow or stop global warming. What if, as part of our effort, we started to do voluntary "power out" hours not only once a year, but weekly? Or even daily??? Even if some people would not or could not participate, it could be a step in the right direction for stopping our energy usage from killing us faster than it already is.
Think of it--each energy user in the world pledging to turn off non-essential lighting and energy usage for ONE HOUR seriously once a day. This is only the start of a new awareness of how we could be doing so much more.
We are going to have to start thinking of "sacrificing" our greed for easy energy and entertainment. As a beginning, let's start with something easy, yet something mindful. Something we may not mind adding more of, once we see how easy it is.
Decide on your hour. Encourage your towns and cities to decide on an hour--every week. It doesn't even all need to be the same hour all over the world. See how easy it could be.
Millions of tons of green house gases. It could become a festival, an event to look forward to, a time to be thinking of something larger than one's self, once a week, once a day or more.
Another thing we can all be doing now is signing up for Com Ed's Nature First program, which gives permission during high power usage times in the summer to shut down your air conditioner for 1-3 hours during the day. I did this in California when we lived there, and even on days that got over 100 degrees F I barely noticed my comfort level changing in the house at all, even if I was working from home all day.
It's these are easy steps, and we should be making them...now.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
April Fools
Before he went to work this morning, my husband went searching for the boys' Pokemon card decks. He wanted to play a joke on them by switching their energy cards so neither of them could play anything in their decks. You would think this was pretty obscure practical joke, and it is. He also knows that they are gearing up for a regional tournament and are working feverishly on improving their decks and playing scrimmages. Both kids are tournament champions. Their decks are always being worked on.
As Dan left for work he said, "I want to see what they do to get back at me."
April Fools Day is embraced by the male members of this family. Some of my favorite things I have found on April Fools Day have been:
Legos in my pillow
Salt on my toothbrush
My jacket sleeves turned inside out
Shoes filled with Legos
My comb replaced with the cat brush
My all time favorite was when the boys were very young. Both of them were hinting very broadly that I really needed to go play on the computer after I tucked them in. I left their room with them snickering under their blankets. On the office chair was a whoopie cushion. It was undisguised, just sitting there in yellow fullness. So, I sat on it as hard as I could to make a nice loud farting noise, and their laughter burst into the hallway. They gave each other high fives! "We got her!" the younger one shouted! It was the greatest trick ever!
I haven't found anything yet from the kids this morning, but I look forward to this afternoon.
*Later*
No practical jokes at all! Wah! The problem is that they had too much homework, so they had to get to that. Stupid school...but April is a long month.
Totally not an April Fools joke, my young friends at Rubbish had their short film, "Eyelids" make it into the Short Film Corner of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival! This short is starring my youngest son, Alex (and I am in there for about 3 seconds too) so we are very excited! It reminds me that we need to look into getting our passports updated...
As Dan left for work he said, "I want to see what they do to get back at me."
April Fools Day is embraced by the male members of this family. Some of my favorite things I have found on April Fools Day have been:
Legos in my pillow
Salt on my toothbrush
My jacket sleeves turned inside out
Shoes filled with Legos
My comb replaced with the cat brush
My all time favorite was when the boys were very young. Both of them were hinting very broadly that I really needed to go play on the computer after I tucked them in. I left their room with them snickering under their blankets. On the office chair was a whoopie cushion. It was undisguised, just sitting there in yellow fullness. So, I sat on it as hard as I could to make a nice loud farting noise, and their laughter burst into the hallway. They gave each other high fives! "We got her!" the younger one shouted! It was the greatest trick ever!
I haven't found anything yet from the kids this morning, but I look forward to this afternoon.
*Later*
No practical jokes at all! Wah! The problem is that they had too much homework, so they had to get to that. Stupid school...but April is a long month.
Totally not an April Fools joke, my young friends at Rubbish had their short film, "Eyelids" make it into the Short Film Corner of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival! This short is starring my youngest son, Alex (and I am in there for about 3 seconds too) so we are very excited! It reminds me that we need to look into getting our passports updated...
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