Friday, October 24, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
I Voted
I've voted! Nevada has early voting and I'm so glad they do. No having to get up extra early on voting day to get to the polls. Just go to your local mall or grocery store and vote. The early polls opened yesterday and will remain open until October 31. Sadly for poll workers, Oct. 31 in Nevada is a state holiday and while the rest of us have the day off, the polls remain open. But it's all for a good cause and I salute all those workers.
And if all goes well I just voted for the next President of the United States. Come November 4, we'll find out if I was right. Or left.
And if all goes well I just voted for the next President of the United States. Come November 4, we'll find out if I was right. Or left.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Poverty - Blog Action Day 2008
"They" say you should write what you know. I can't say that I know poverty but poverty is the topic of Blog Action Day 2008 and so I'll try.
The closest I ever came to poverty was in 1982 when I fled from my ex-husband with my daughter and the $300 that I had squirreled away from the grocery money my ex doled out to me. Even then, though I had no money and no job, I had the support of my mother,SIL, brother, father, grandparents and BFD so I knew I'd be fine. I'd have a place to stay and food to eat. I had an education and a good work ethic. I was broke but I wasn't poor. And now, 26 years later, I have a good job, a house that's almost paid for, a daughter who is self-sufficient and, when the stock market recovers, a pleasant retirement on my horizon. And I still have family and friends I can count on. I'm blessed.
Some people are not so blessed. They don't have a place to stay or food to sustain them. They have no skills, no education and no support system. They depend on the kindness of strangers. Those of us who are blessed are the strangers who contribute to the support of those who have less. In a perfect world, we would all contribute what we feel is appropriate and that would be enough to help those who have nothing. Charitable donations would be sufficient to provide for those who can't provide for themselves.
Sadly, it doesn't work that way and so, together, as a government, we attempt to create a system that takes contributions from some of us and redistributes those contributions to others. We don't know the people our money goes to and unfortunately, with anonymity comes contempt. You can see that just by observing conversation on the internet. People insult each other and engage in hate speech they'd never use with their neighbors and friends. And when money is involved it becomes even more vicious. We're sure that other person doesn't "deserve" the money or is scamming us. They could work if they wanted to. We're giving them the money for food so how dare they buy Filet Mignon when we're eating pot roast. Negative feelings spawn resentment; those of us who have resent those who have not. We argue about who is deserving and who is not. One group says we should help everyone and one group says we shouldn't help anyone.
I don't have any answers, only observations. I can only imagine a world where everyone has the basics they need to survive; shelter, food and health care. Those are my basics. If every person had those basics, wouldn't it be great? Imagine.
The closest I ever came to poverty was in 1982 when I fled from my ex-husband with my daughter and the $300 that I had squirreled away from the grocery money my ex doled out to me. Even then, though I had no money and no job, I had the support of my mother,SIL, brother, father, grandparents and BFD so I knew I'd be fine. I'd have a place to stay and food to eat. I had an education and a good work ethic. I was broke but I wasn't poor. And now, 26 years later, I have a good job, a house that's almost paid for, a daughter who is self-sufficient and, when the stock market recovers, a pleasant retirement on my horizon. And I still have family and friends I can count on. I'm blessed.
Some people are not so blessed. They don't have a place to stay or food to sustain them. They have no skills, no education and no support system. They depend on the kindness of strangers. Those of us who are blessed are the strangers who contribute to the support of those who have less. In a perfect world, we would all contribute what we feel is appropriate and that would be enough to help those who have nothing. Charitable donations would be sufficient to provide for those who can't provide for themselves.
Sadly, it doesn't work that way and so, together, as a government, we attempt to create a system that takes contributions from some of us and redistributes those contributions to others. We don't know the people our money goes to and unfortunately, with anonymity comes contempt. You can see that just by observing conversation on the internet. People insult each other and engage in hate speech they'd never use with their neighbors and friends. And when money is involved it becomes even more vicious. We're sure that other person doesn't "deserve" the money or is scamming us. They could work if they wanted to. We're giving them the money for food so how dare they buy Filet Mignon when we're eating pot roast. Negative feelings spawn resentment; those of us who have resent those who have not. We argue about who is deserving and who is not. One group says we should help everyone and one group says we shouldn't help anyone.
I don't have any answers, only observations. I can only imagine a world where everyone has the basics they need to survive; shelter, food and health care. Those are my basics. If every person had those basics, wouldn't it be great? Imagine.
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
- John Lennon
Monday, October 13, 2008
Buddy, Can You Spare A Tank?
It's happened to me several times. I'm filling my gas tank and someone approaches me with a sad story about how they just need a little money. Maybe it's bus money or money for milk for tomorrow's breakfast or money for gas. I gave money to someone once and then happened to go in the mart and see them getting a soft drink. Now I just tell anyone that asks that, no, I don't have any money right now.
This weekend I was filling my gas tank and heard a voice, say, "Excuse me." I looked up to see a nicely dressed elderly lady looking at me. She continued, "Could you help me get gas? Normally my daughter comes with me." I wasn't sure why she was getting gas by herself if the daughter usually does it for her but I opened my car door and got my wallet and went to the other side of the pumps where her car was parked. At that point, she told me she just didn't know how to pump the gas. She gave me her credit card and I swiped it and asked for her zip code. Then I asked her what grade she wanted, selected it and put the nozzle in her gas tank. While the car filled with gas she told me how she left and then discovered her granddaughter, who had borrowed the car the day before, had left her with an empty tank. She just never learned to pump gas. Her husband died five years ago and her daughter usually helped her get gas. I learned a lot more about her while the tank filled. When the tank was full, I handed her the receipt and said goodbye.
I not sure how I feel about my willingness to pay for some gas for a woman who looked like she could afford it when, if a scruffy looking man had come over and asked me to help him get gas, I would have said no. Even though the woman wasn't really asking me for money, I pulled out my wallet without thinking. Maybe I should be more open to helping people who might really need the money. Or less suspicious of them.
This weekend I was filling my gas tank and heard a voice, say, "Excuse me." I looked up to see a nicely dressed elderly lady looking at me. She continued, "Could you help me get gas? Normally my daughter comes with me." I wasn't sure why she was getting gas by herself if the daughter usually does it for her but I opened my car door and got my wallet and went to the other side of the pumps where her car was parked. At that point, she told me she just didn't know how to pump the gas. She gave me her credit card and I swiped it and asked for her zip code. Then I asked her what grade she wanted, selected it and put the nozzle in her gas tank. While the car filled with gas she told me how she left and then discovered her granddaughter, who had borrowed the car the day before, had left her with an empty tank. She just never learned to pump gas. Her husband died five years ago and her daughter usually helped her get gas. I learned a lot more about her while the tank filled. When the tank was full, I handed her the receipt and said goodbye.
I not sure how I feel about my willingness to pay for some gas for a woman who looked like she could afford it when, if a scruffy looking man had come over and asked me to help him get gas, I would have said no. Even though the woman wasn't really asking me for money, I pulled out my wallet without thinking. Maybe I should be more open to helping people who might really need the money. Or less suspicious of them.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I'm In, Are You?
October 15, 2008 is Blog Action Day. Blog Action Day is an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Stop Me Before I Embarrass Myself
Google has a feature that tries to keep you from emailing while drunk. If you set the option, Google googles will make you answer a few math problems before sending mail. It only works late on weekend nights so if you are a weeknight drunk, it won't help.
If this feature is successful, Google should have a similar option to peep keople from dlogging brunk too!
If this feature is successful, Google should have a similar option to peep keople from dlogging brunk too!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Power of Complaining
For the past several years, every Thursday morning, a local paper has been tossed on my driveway. I glanced through it a few times but wasn't overly impressed. It wasn't a bad paper, just not something I was interested in. Sometimes I would take it with me to work but mostly I just tossed it in the recycle bin.
A few years ago, I called the home office and told them I prefer not to receive their paper. The editor seemed puzzled since it is a free paper. I explained I just recycle it and thought it was a waste to give it to me. For about a month after my call, I didn't receive the weekly paper. But then the deliveries resumed.
Eventually it really annoyed me that these people insisted on tossing this paper on my driveway so that every week I was responsible for disposing of it. About 6 months ago I wrote an email to the paper explaining that I didn't want to read their and wanted them to stop delivering it to me. I suggested that they give away their paper at libraries, groceries stores and coffee shops and not waste the gas driving around my neighborhood littering.
I have not received a paper since then. Every Thursday, I walk out and see papers on every driveway but mine. I wonder if I should share my email with my neighbors.
A few years ago, I called the home office and told them I prefer not to receive their paper. The editor seemed puzzled since it is a free paper. I explained I just recycle it and thought it was a waste to give it to me. For about a month after my call, I didn't receive the weekly paper. But then the deliveries resumed.
Eventually it really annoyed me that these people insisted on tossing this paper on my driveway so that every week I was responsible for disposing of it. About 6 months ago I wrote an email to the paper explaining that I didn't want to read their and wanted them to stop delivering it to me. I suggested that they give away their paper at libraries, groceries stores and coffee shops and not waste the gas driving around my neighborhood littering.
I have not received a paper since then. Every Thursday, I walk out and see papers on every driveway but mine. I wonder if I should share my email with my neighbors.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Pails By Comparison
Maybe I'm just naive but I don't understand why we have to have one giant 700 billion dollar bailout bill that everyone agrees on. Why can't it be one issue at a time? 50 smaller 14 billion dollar pails. For instance, it seems both parties and the public agree on increasing the FDIC limit. So pass that bill. One down. What's next?
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