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I agree with Stacy. I don't think it's selfish at all to avoid those news stories and images. I do think it's selfish when people have a cavalier attitude about it, like saying "well the ocean is big, it will take care of itself" or "these things happen. That's a risk, but a necessary one" Those people make me want to choke them.
That's the thing, Stacy, most of the things that I can do RIGHT NOW are just sops to my conscience. There is NOTHING I can do but give money. Unfortunately, there's a point where I can't give any more money - after donating this year for Haiti and several donations to the folks on here experiencing difficulty I am tapped out financially and psychically (is that a word?).
I know we could do better with our carbon footprint, but at the same time it is unrealistic to think we could be carbon neutral. We don't live in that world. If I don't want to drive, then I ride the bus, but the bus runs on gas or natural gas, both of which take energy to extract and can be hazardous to man, beast and environment. I use reusable containers rather than plastic bags, but those containers are made out of plastic whose manufacture usually involves some sort of petroleum product. I would use glass, but JoJo's daycare doesn't allow it. And the tops of glass containers are plastic as well. :crazy:
I'm doing my best in this life, I really do think I am. I try to be gentle with people, look after my environment, show compassion and concern for others, give when I can to charities and people in need. I guess that I can't allow myself to get sucked in to feeling bad about everything or I would drown in it.
I do feel guilty about not having an infinite capacity for it. I don't think I could ever be a social worker.
Riding the bus means 1 less car on the road. That helps. That's a big reason why I do it myself. Using re-usable plastic is way better than use once and toss. It saves from being tossed in a landfill. I almost never buy paper plates. Even when we go camping, I take plastic dishes along and wash them by hand. For me, that's REALLY roughing it!! lol...but I can't bring myself to have paper plates. I feel tremendous guilt. Recycling also makes an impact.
I'm hopeful for our future. I just read an article today about an Ithaca company that wants to build a solar manufacturing plant in Binghamton. I'm happy when I read things like that. For some things, regular people like me and you have to wait for the technology to catch up. I cannot afford to install solar panels on my house, as much as I'd love to do it.
Guys, come ON. You do what you can do. Of course you can't be carbon-neutral. You're conscientious and you do what you CAN. Stop it with the guilt.
There is absolutely no benefit to YOU or to the WORLD in your being sucked into the negative imagery. What does it help to have images of dying babies or tar covered animals in your brain as you fall asleep each night? There is nothing productive about that. The only reason those images are important is to jar the stinkers who have no conscience into realizing that this stuff is REAL and that they should actually try to make a change.
I can't watch the news, either. I have seen some pictures of the oil spill and it is heartbreaking. I'm sure I've seen that same oil-covered pelican you all have, and it is seared into my mind. I choose not to look further, same as Stacy says, because I do not want to lie in bed at night and see it all as my bedtime slideshow in my mind.
Has anyone seen the comedy Upright Citizen's Brigade sketch of what happens when BP spills coffee? Okay, this may be me once again posting a completely inappropriate link for the seriousness at hand, but I thought it was funny.
I also cannot watch horrible tragedies and have only watched one report about the oil spill because it upsets me to the point that it will impact my daily life. The same thing with other human tragedies. When Hurricane Katrina happened, I watched the news coverage for a few days and was near tears for weeks thinking about it so after that I limit my exposure to things like that.
But I also try to help out with giving money or clothes. We also took in some relatives of a friend from New Orleans when the hurricane occurred for a few weeks.
Since the oil spill, I also have made a point to make sure I don't give BP any of my business. Though I have a van, I rarely drive, DH bikes to work and we volunteer to clean up parks and I clean up my street twice a month because people throw crap all over the place over here, so I don't feel guilty about anything luckily because I feel that I do the most I can to help out environmentally. We recycle way more items than we throw away and I am proud of that, so is Ky and he tells people all the time not to throw away recyclables to the point that it annoys them. He actually made my aunt get a recycling container, telling her how she was killing penguins by not recycling or leaving lights on all the time LOL. Recycling here is very easy, you just get a big garbage can and throw all the recyclables in, no seperating or anything so he told her she had no excuse no to recycle. They'll even give you a container from the city, theirs is small though so we have a huge garbage can instead. I think we're the only people on our street who recycle and it saddens me to even think about that.
But I do understand not wanting to see or hear about all that. I watched one news program about the spill and was angry for about a week. I will read some updates about it but I am not going to watch the oil leaking and I try not to see images of the animals, because it is just sooooo upsetting to me, to the point where I can feel a lot of rage about it and I don't like to get that mad.
Erin
It was pretty funny, though it's so easy to make fun of such ridiculous incompetence.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lydia
Lydia I did see that on Maddow. I think in a way it isn't even really making light of the situation, that's literally how ridiculous it is that this oil company was allowed to remain so unregulated, that we have ended up in this situation.
Add me to the list of those who just can't look at the images. When I do look I feel rage and helplessness and it just doesn't do any good. I can control what happens in my life and beyond that I have to let things go.
I wish I could go down there and help with clean up, but they aren't letting locals in. They have it locked down like crazy.
That's crazy.Quote:
Originally Posted by stephmama
I tried to get an appointment to get my hair cut before DH comes back for his visit but I can't get one until the day after he gets here. Is there any point in going while he's here? I really do need a hair cut. Badly.
I just stumbled upon this. Took me back to when I was a little girl. I remember asking my parents for a squirrel and being really upset when they said I couldn't have one.
Bridget, my second thought was that you should share this with Savanna!
That was so cute! Good story.Quote:
Originally Posted by gwennero
I had a pet squirrel when I was growing up-and a pet fox, too, but not at the same time...lol...I am from the Ozarks, though, so my roots are true Clampett style.Quote:
Originally Posted by gwennero
I think I got a stuffed squirrel for Christmas one year. Just wasn't the same.
Mandy, do you mean a real squirrel that was stuffed taxidermy-style? Did we have the same parents?
I can't say I ever got a stuffed squirrel, but we had an entire stuffed frog band, complete with instruments, some stuffed mice, a stuffed owl, and a stuffed armadillo.
That chipmunk was adorable!
:lol:
No, I meant a plush stuffed toy squirrel. We most definitely did not have the same parents! But I should have been more clear about that!
OMFG, did you guys see this??? Pics with Jesus
Seriously? I can't stop laughing. I mean, I'm pretty sure there are Christians out there WTFing this one.
I confess I am back from my trip to Yellowstone... We ended up going through the south entrance, up to Old Faithful, then out the west entrance, through part of Montana, and Idaho, then south to Salt Lake, and then home.........
I really wish I had tomorrow off to recuperate, but I don't. Off to work @ 645 am...
Isn't Yellowstone cool?
I loved that pics with Jesus site, but I thought it would be wiser to not comment in Random. I would love a picture of me and Jesus arm wrestling, or something better.
Yeah, Yellowstone was cool.. Jackson Hole is BEAUTIFUL too... I wish we could have spent more time in Yellowstone though.. My dad is a truck driver, so hes all about getting to the end point, and not really enjoying things along the way.
I thought about all the inappropriate things you could do in a picture with Jesus...is that wrong?
Hi ladies. I posted this in ranting and venting but you all have been beyond supportive as I've gone through all of this with my mom so I wanted to tell you here that she died yesterday. She was surrounded by my dad, me, my two brothers and her best friend when she took her last breath. It was a long, rough day. We could hardly stand to see her that way but at the same time it's hard not to grasp that tiny bit of life that was left in her.
I can't believe she's gone.
I love you guys for helping me through this.
Bridget, I'm so, so sorry.
ETA: I was thinking about you yesterday. I didn't see you online and I was worried.
I confess DH is here ... and WOW. I guess we missed each other.
Oh, and I am totally creeped out by the pics with Jesus.
Bridget, I am so sorry for your loss. I am so glad her last moments (and her life) were surrounded by love.
I'm so sorry Bridget.
Oh Bridget. I'm so sorry. :hugs:
I'm so sorry Bridget. I've been thinking of you a lot. :hugs: