Do you see yourself having a nine-to-five job?
Lance Armstrong: "[Laughing] No, never, I don't see that. But, you know, life is funny and sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. But, nine to five sounds really painful." (from Dan Osipow's 7/17 entry in the Tour Notebook on the Discovery Team's website)
See, I'm not the only one who feels that way about the nine-to-five world. Of course, Lance Armstrong managed to find a non-nine-to-five gig that he excels at and that has really paid off for him. Wish I could do that.
For those who don't already know it, I am loving the Tour de France! I've become completely obsessed with it. I haven't had anything to say here (yet) mostly because there are plenty of experts out there with recap blogs. No need to hear it from me! But never fear, I will have something to say about it soon enough.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Justice O'Connor update/correction
No, I'm not going to rant on about anything. I recently picked up on a detail of Justice O'Connor's resignation that I had somehow missed before. I made a comment in my previous post about the possibility of the Court returning with an empty seat this fall. However, that isn't likely to happen. O'Connor's resignation is "effective upon the nomination and confirmation" of her successor. So I just wanted to correct that.
Bush announced his nomination last night. I'm sure those who know me expect a rant about that. But no, not today. Frankly, I don't know enough about him. All I know about him is that the Dems held up his nomination to the federal bench. That doesn't make me want to join his fan club, but it also isn't enough for me to automatically condemn him.
One comment I will make is that you cannot necessary judge the person based on the cases he/she has tried. Though I do know that he has appeared before the SC as an attorney arguing for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, I also know that as an attorney that's what you do. You argue the case before you for the side that employs you. Though I'm sure there are many prochoicers who wouldn't take the job that would land them in that position, I'm sure there are also some who would take the job anyway because of what the job is. So I personally need to know a little more about him as a person and as a justice before I can know for certain how I feel about him as a possible SC justice.
Bush announced his nomination last night. I'm sure those who know me expect a rant about that. But no, not today. Frankly, I don't know enough about him. All I know about him is that the Dems held up his nomination to the federal bench. That doesn't make me want to join his fan club, but it also isn't enough for me to automatically condemn him.
One comment I will make is that you cannot necessary judge the person based on the cases he/she has tried. Though I do know that he has appeared before the SC as an attorney arguing for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, I also know that as an attorney that's what you do. You argue the case before you for the side that employs you. Though I'm sure there are many prochoicers who wouldn't take the job that would land them in that position, I'm sure there are also some who would take the job anyway because of what the job is. So I personally need to know a little more about him as a person and as a justice before I can know for certain how I feel about him as a possible SC justice.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Live8 update
From http://www.live8live.com/:
The greatest act of mass advocacy in political history.
We invited you on a long walk and you went all the way. You are a great peaceful army of 3 billion who walked for those who could barely crawl. And you won.
From http://www.one.org/g8countdown.html:
On July 8, 2005, the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) committed to a comprehensive package of aid to Africa. British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the G8 would
I never expected these concerts to inform or educate the entire world. However, "more than 1 million fans united for 10 free concerts across the globe" (see CNN). Then there were all those couch potatoes at home (and who knows how many of us there were). Also, AOL will continue to have the concerts available through the end of the summer (you can watch videos of the concerts or listen to them via AOL Radio).
That's an awful lot of education and awareness. That's an awful lot of people who learned something they didn't know before. And though not everyone watching signed the petitions that were sent to the G8, a healthy number of them did.
I do agree that the media failed on this one. I do not agree that the concerts themselves did. The goal was to raise awareness and to educate people around the world. Reports say that there were over 1 million people in attendance. For those who didn't attend or watch, what you may not realize is that you could not be there and you could not have MTV or VH1 on without learning something. There were speakers explaining what was going on, there were giant TVs airing bits from MTV and one.org that explain the point, the goals. There were screens up that showed the members of the G8 as the performers were on stage. There were ticker tape type screens that were constantly running with messages about the day. Again, though the media didn't manage to educate those who didn't attend or watch, the organizers and performers (and MTV and VH1) did an excellent job of educating those who did.
Then there are the actual results from the G8, which I listed above.
As always, this is not a one-time event. We can't expect one day of concerts to be the end. MTV and VH1 both aired uninterrupted footage of some of the highlights this weekend. MTV has a next steps show airing. The white one bracelets are popping up all over the place. Though some say the plastic-bracelet craze has become too hip to actually be helpful, I disagree with that, too. Yes, some collect and wear them just because they're hip. However, they still start conversations. People still ask what this color or that supports or represents. As long as the bracelets continue to provoke the questions, then I say they're still helping.
If you still don't really know what this is all about, check out the MTV and VH1 news pages. Go to one.org and the LIVE 8 website to learn more about it all. Because I agree with the comment from D, "Your point about making a gesture, no matter how small, is valid. Perhaps mine can be paying attention to what's going on in the world around me."
What is it they say on NBC? "The more you know..."
The greatest act of mass advocacy in political history.
We invited you on a long walk and you went all the way. You are a great peaceful army of 3 billion who walked for those who could barely crawl. And you won.
From http://www.one.org/g8countdown.html:
On July 8, 2005, the leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) committed to a comprehensive package of aid to Africa. British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the G8 would
- increase aid to Africa by $25 billion, more than a doubling of 2004 levels;
- increase global assistance by around $50 billion per year by 2010;
- provide near-universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment drugs;
- cancel the debt of some of the world's poorest nations; and
- address trade reforms in the near future.
I never expected these concerts to inform or educate the entire world. However, "more than 1 million fans united for 10 free concerts across the globe" (see CNN). Then there were all those couch potatoes at home (and who knows how many of us there were). Also, AOL will continue to have the concerts available through the end of the summer (you can watch videos of the concerts or listen to them via AOL Radio).
That's an awful lot of education and awareness. That's an awful lot of people who learned something they didn't know before. And though not everyone watching signed the petitions that were sent to the G8, a healthy number of them did.
I do agree that the media failed on this one. I do not agree that the concerts themselves did. The goal was to raise awareness and to educate people around the world. Reports say that there were over 1 million people in attendance. For those who didn't attend or watch, what you may not realize is that you could not be there and you could not have MTV or VH1 on without learning something. There were speakers explaining what was going on, there were giant TVs airing bits from MTV and one.org that explain the point, the goals. There were screens up that showed the members of the G8 as the performers were on stage. There were ticker tape type screens that were constantly running with messages about the day. Again, though the media didn't manage to educate those who didn't attend or watch, the organizers and performers (and MTV and VH1) did an excellent job of educating those who did.
Then there are the actual results from the G8, which I listed above.
As always, this is not a one-time event. We can't expect one day of concerts to be the end. MTV and VH1 both aired uninterrupted footage of some of the highlights this weekend. MTV has a next steps show airing. The white one bracelets are popping up all over the place. Though some say the plastic-bracelet craze has become too hip to actually be helpful, I disagree with that, too. Yes, some collect and wear them just because they're hip. However, they still start conversations. People still ask what this color or that supports or represents. As long as the bracelets continue to provoke the questions, then I say they're still helping.
If you still don't really know what this is all about, check out the MTV and VH1 news pages. Go to one.org and the LIVE 8 website to learn more about it all. Because I agree with the comment from D, "Your point about making a gesture, no matter how small, is valid. Perhaps mine can be paying attention to what's going on in the world around me."
What is it they say on NBC? "The more you know..."
Thursday, July 14, 2005
That Dumbledore...
It is our choices... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
And if you don't know who Dumbledore is, not only are you not reading the right books, but I'm also going to make you ask!
And if you don't know who Dumbledore is, not only are you not reading the right books, but I'm also going to make you ask!
Tuesday, July 5, 2005
Is there anything they won't do?
MTV's the '70s House. These kids didn't know where they were going or what they were going to be doing when they signed up for this show. Seriously. They showed up at the address they were given to discover the '70s House. They had to hand over everything modern--cell phones, CDs, laptops, even hair and makeup products ("what will I do without my makeup" one of the girls whined). They even had to change their clothes. Oh, the horror! They have Pong and 8 tracks. And the reward for tonight's winning team is a fondue party. The one kid's response: what's fondue? Come on! What city doesn't have a Melting Pot?!
Who does this? Who signs up for... who knows what, who knows where, for who knows how long? Presumably they've given up work and/or school, not to mention family and friends, for an indeterminate amount of time and they don't even know why.
Did I mention that they arrived not even knowing what they're playing for? And I admit I completely missed it when Dawn, the House Mom/cohost, filled them in on that little detail.
Spontaneity is one thing, but this just strikes me as ever so much more than that.
I suppose a future post should answer this question: is there anything I won't watch? (Though I'm guessing you can answer that one all on your own!)
Who does this? Who signs up for... who knows what, who knows where, for who knows how long? Presumably they've given up work and/or school, not to mention family and friends, for an indeterminate amount of time and they don't even know why.
Did I mention that they arrived not even knowing what they're playing for? And I admit I completely missed it when Dawn, the House Mom/cohost, filled them in on that little detail.
Spontaneity is one thing, but this just strikes me as ever so much more than that.
I suppose a future post should answer this question: is there anything I won't watch? (Though I'm guessing you can answer that one all on your own!)
It's going to be an ugly summer
What a time for Sandra Day O'Connor to retire. Right before the 4th of July weekend. A time when we should all be remembering what our country stands for, a time when Congress is on a break for the holiday. Or are supposedly on a break for the holiday, that is. Seems many managed to break into their holiday celebrations in order to do the Sunday-morning talk show circuit.
Democrats are saying that the nominee must answer all of their questions.
Republicans are saying that certain questions may not be asked.
The Republicans are back to talking about the nuclear option. I guess the compromise reached a couple of months ago (a compromise that was not a victory for this country, regardless of what the Dems were saying) means nothing.
And of course, let's not forget that this is the 4th of July weekend. A weekend of war movies and fireworks. A weekend to remember how we all came to be in this country, why this country was founded in the first place.
Freedom for all, right? Well, not really. Our founders didn't want to follow the rules of England anymore, but they didn't really want all people to be free. Just the rich white folks. And even then, "freedom" was only as defined by those same rich white folks. We tend to forget that little factoid.
African Americans were slaves (and don't fool yourself into thinking that African Americans in the North were living the good life). Women had zero rights. And actually, women were given rights as citizens after the slaves were freed, owning property, and voting.
So back to the Supreme Court. Conservative that she is, Sandra Day is actually often the swing vote that ends up giving us many of the rights we have today. Her vote, for example, has kept Roe v. Wade from being overturned. Though the current administration would certainly deserve another conservative appointee who ends up voting with the liberals on many big votes, there's certainly no guarantee that that will happen this time. It's just as likely—actually even more so—that we'll end up with someone who will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
I know that's a great thing to some. But honestly, I don't get that. I do get not believing in abortion. I totally get that. I do not, however, get letting some over-privileged folks in Washington decide whether or not a 16-year old girl who's pregnant with her own brother (with, not by… though by works here, too) has to have that baby. Or whether a woman who's been raped has to have the resulting baby. Or whether a middle-school girl who's looking for a little unconditional love should have to have her baby. Or whether a woman who already has more kids than she and her husband can emotionally, physically, or financially handle has to have her baby.
And see, the thing is, it doesn't work to say that some women are allowed to have an abortion and others are not. It doesn't work to say that the 16-year old who's been raped by her father can abort, but the tipsy college girl can't. It doesn't work to say that the responsible family-woman who took precautions but got in trouble anyway and just cannot afford another mouth to feed can, but the 20-something who didn't bother with protection can't.
It's legal or it's not. It doesn't work to say "sometimes" and then attach a bunch of strings. It doesn't work to say it depends. Because to say it depends, well, who decides? More over-privileged, mostly white, mostly male judges? That would never work. Not to mention the logistics. These are decisions that have to be made much more quickly than the court system can handle.
No one has to agree with me. I never expect that the whole world will see things my way (oh what a different world it would be if they did!). All I want is for people to think about things. I see so many who make knee-jerk decisions on really huge, complicated issues. And given the whole never leaving school thing (in other words, given that I'm generally surrounded by a wealth of really, really young people), I see so many who have never actually decided for themselves. Instead, they believe whatever it is that their parents believe. That frustrates me to no end. They're in school, the whole point is to think and to learn. And yet, there they all are, spouting off things they've heard their parents say without thinking about them at all.
So anyway, none of that was my point. My point is, the woman just announced her retirement a few days ago, and Congress is already doing it's thing. They're already puffing up their chests and arguing via talk shows. There's no nominee yet. There's no hint of a nominee yet. But they're already putting on the holier than thou act and saying how it's going to be.
The Republicans want to rush it. I have enough issues with life-time appointments. If we're going to have them, they certainly should not be filled via a rushed process. Take your time and get the right person in there. No rushing. The Court will be just fine if it comes back one woman less come fall.
Democrats are saying that the nominee must answer all of their questions.
Republicans are saying that certain questions may not be asked.
The Republicans are back to talking about the nuclear option. I guess the compromise reached a couple of months ago (a compromise that was not a victory for this country, regardless of what the Dems were saying) means nothing.
And of course, let's not forget that this is the 4th of July weekend. A weekend of war movies and fireworks. A weekend to remember how we all came to be in this country, why this country was founded in the first place.
Freedom for all, right? Well, not really. Our founders didn't want to follow the rules of England anymore, but they didn't really want all people to be free. Just the rich white folks. And even then, "freedom" was only as defined by those same rich white folks. We tend to forget that little factoid.
African Americans were slaves (and don't fool yourself into thinking that African Americans in the North were living the good life). Women had zero rights. And actually, women were given rights as citizens after the slaves were freed, owning property, and voting.
So back to the Supreme Court. Conservative that she is, Sandra Day is actually often the swing vote that ends up giving us many of the rights we have today. Her vote, for example, has kept Roe v. Wade from being overturned. Though the current administration would certainly deserve another conservative appointee who ends up voting with the liberals on many big votes, there's certainly no guarantee that that will happen this time. It's just as likely—actually even more so—that we'll end up with someone who will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
I know that's a great thing to some. But honestly, I don't get that. I do get not believing in abortion. I totally get that. I do not, however, get letting some over-privileged folks in Washington decide whether or not a 16-year old girl who's pregnant with her own brother (with, not by… though by works here, too) has to have that baby. Or whether a woman who's been raped has to have the resulting baby. Or whether a middle-school girl who's looking for a little unconditional love should have to have her baby. Or whether a woman who already has more kids than she and her husband can emotionally, physically, or financially handle has to have her baby.
And see, the thing is, it doesn't work to say that some women are allowed to have an abortion and others are not. It doesn't work to say that the 16-year old who's been raped by her father can abort, but the tipsy college girl can't. It doesn't work to say that the responsible family-woman who took precautions but got in trouble anyway and just cannot afford another mouth to feed can, but the 20-something who didn't bother with protection can't.
It's legal or it's not. It doesn't work to say "sometimes" and then attach a bunch of strings. It doesn't work to say it depends. Because to say it depends, well, who decides? More over-privileged, mostly white, mostly male judges? That would never work. Not to mention the logistics. These are decisions that have to be made much more quickly than the court system can handle.
No one has to agree with me. I never expect that the whole world will see things my way (oh what a different world it would be if they did!). All I want is for people to think about things. I see so many who make knee-jerk decisions on really huge, complicated issues. And given the whole never leaving school thing (in other words, given that I'm generally surrounded by a wealth of really, really young people), I see so many who have never actually decided for themselves. Instead, they believe whatever it is that their parents believe. That frustrates me to no end. They're in school, the whole point is to think and to learn. And yet, there they all are, spouting off things they've heard their parents say without thinking about them at all.
So anyway, none of that was my point. My point is, the woman just announced her retirement a few days ago, and Congress is already doing it's thing. They're already puffing up their chests and arguing via talk shows. There's no nominee yet. There's no hint of a nominee yet. But they're already putting on the holier than thou act and saying how it's going to be.
The Republicans want to rush it. I have enough issues with life-time appointments. If we're going to have them, they certainly should not be filled via a rushed process. Take your time and get the right person in there. No rushing. The Court will be just fine if it comes back one woman less come fall.
Monday, July 4, 2005
How do they do that?!
Fireworks displays are amazing to me. How on earth do they do that? Smilie faces, flowers, waterfalls of light flowing through the night sky, and all of those colors. Not only how do they do that, but who does that?
Engineers? Mathematicians? Who? They have to be incredibly skilled. Besides the fact that it's all incredibly beautiful, it's also timed to perfection. The explosions are in perfect time to the music.
There are stories every year about idiots in their backyards who get hurt with their fireworks. Those backyard displays aren't complicated and they last for 5 or 10 minutes. The professional displays last for 30 minutes or more and are at least as complicated as your average ballet. When was the last time you heard about one of the pros getting hurt?
Another question, how long does it take to plan something like that? It's fascinating to me. How it signifies all that the 4th is supposed to signify is beyond me, but I'll take it!
Happy 4th!
Engineers? Mathematicians? Who? They have to be incredibly skilled. Besides the fact that it's all incredibly beautiful, it's also timed to perfection. The explosions are in perfect time to the music.
There are stories every year about idiots in their backyards who get hurt with their fireworks. Those backyard displays aren't complicated and they last for 5 or 10 minutes. The professional displays last for 30 minutes or more and are at least as complicated as your average ballet. When was the last time you heard about one of the pros getting hurt?
Another question, how long does it take to plan something like that? It's fascinating to me. How it signifies all that the 4th is supposed to signify is beyond me, but I'll take it!
Happy 4th!
Sunday, July 3, 2005
Keep on rockin' in a free world
Sometimes enough voices can change the world. Voices in the form of signatures on a petition or letters to politicians or ballots on election day or songs on stages around the world. I heard someone on TV the other day making fun of the Live8 concerts. This guy seemed to think it ridiculous that the point was not to raise money but was instead "just to raise awareness." He seemed to be completely missing the point. What would be the purpose of sending suitcases full of money to the Big 8 on the golf course in Scotland next week? What would that accomplish? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
There was a CNN poll up today asking if people think the Live8 concerts will help to eradicate poverty. Last time I checked, the answer was overwhelmingly no. I disagree with that.
People seem to be missing the awareness and education angle. Raising the awareness of people around the world to the situation in Africa today so that they can add their names to the petitions that will be sent is not a pointless waste of time. Imagine the piles and piles of paper with name after name after name. The names of people who are asking these 8 men to forgive the debt of a nation in trouble. The names of the constitutes of these 8 powerful men. How will those piles of names affect these 8 men? I don't know. We'll have to just wait and see on that one.
Although, the papers today did include a hint. Tony Blair is the chairman for this year's meeting. And more than one English official was quoted saying that this kind of attention, this kind of pressure, can and does make a difference. They went on to say that the pressure must continue. It cannot be a one-time thing. People must stay involved and continue to lobby their representatives to help do away with poverty.
I find it quite impossible to believe that a voice as big and united as that of the Live8 concerts will have no effect. Even if "all" it ever does is spread connectedness and goodwill through the citizens of the world, how is that nothing? How is that unimportant? Even if "all" it ever does is to educate thousands of people around the world, how is that nothing? Education is never a waste of time. Education is never pointless.
Also, let's be realistic. Just because they didn't sell tickets, just because they didn't air an 800 number for all of the viewers around the world to call and pledge some cash, that does not mean that this event is not raising any money. I'm sure they sold all kinds of gear at each of the concert sites. So far they have 2 songs from the London concert available for download at iTunes, with the proceeds going to Live8. That alone will raise a nice chunk of change. And I'm guessing there will be more; I’m guessing there will be more downloads or CDs in stores; I'm guessing there will at least be a DVD of clips. Come on, Pink Floyd was reunited on stage for the first time since 1981, Madonna rocked the house, Stevie Wonder was amazing (as was Adam Levine, of course, when he joined Stevie on stage... as he was when he took the stage with his own band), and let's not forget Greenday's version of We Are the Champions. Whether you support the cause or not, who doesn't want copies of all of the above?!
Some ask why they should send their money to Africa, why the G8 should make any efforts on behalf of Africa. Not our country, not our problem, they say. The problem with that argument is that we're all together in this. This is the 21st Century, we are a global community. As such, we are all interconnected and interdependent. To quote Will Smith (yes, really), this whole effort is a Declaration of Interdependence.
So many people are so convinced that what they do or say doesn't matter. How can a society as selfish and self-centered as ours be so convinced that what they do and say doesn't matter? I say if you're going to be selfish, then stick with it: of course you matter! Of course you can make a difference!
As I said before, this is not a dress rehearsal. There are no do-overs. If you want to make a difference—in any way, for any cause—then today is the day. It doesn't have to be a big gesture. It can be small and very cheap, free even. Talk to someone you wouldn't normally talk to; smile at someone you wouldn't normally notice; discuss something important from the news over the water cooler, and I'm not talking about the latest episode of Desperate Housewives; write a check to an organization that supports your favorite cause; write a letter to an editor; find a petition online and sign it. It's not hard. It doesn't have to be global or even national. It just has to happen. You just have to do it.
As fantastic as the big gestures are, the little gestures can be just as huge. Making someone feel as though they matter, taking a stand for what you believe, sharing what you know with others, and learning what they know that you don't. All of these things are important. All of these things matter. All of these things together (all of us together) can and will make a difference. You just have to take that step and do it. You're not too busy. You're not too stupid. You're not too jaded. We can all smile. We can all talk. We can all listen. And that's really all it takes.
There was a CNN poll up today asking if people think the Live8 concerts will help to eradicate poverty. Last time I checked, the answer was overwhelmingly no. I disagree with that.
People seem to be missing the awareness and education angle. Raising the awareness of people around the world to the situation in Africa today so that they can add their names to the petitions that will be sent is not a pointless waste of time. Imagine the piles and piles of paper with name after name after name. The names of people who are asking these 8 men to forgive the debt of a nation in trouble. The names of the constitutes of these 8 powerful men. How will those piles of names affect these 8 men? I don't know. We'll have to just wait and see on that one.
Although, the papers today did include a hint. Tony Blair is the chairman for this year's meeting. And more than one English official was quoted saying that this kind of attention, this kind of pressure, can and does make a difference. They went on to say that the pressure must continue. It cannot be a one-time thing. People must stay involved and continue to lobby their representatives to help do away with poverty.
I find it quite impossible to believe that a voice as big and united as that of the Live8 concerts will have no effect. Even if "all" it ever does is spread connectedness and goodwill through the citizens of the world, how is that nothing? How is that unimportant? Even if "all" it ever does is to educate thousands of people around the world, how is that nothing? Education is never a waste of time. Education is never pointless.
Also, let's be realistic. Just because they didn't sell tickets, just because they didn't air an 800 number for all of the viewers around the world to call and pledge some cash, that does not mean that this event is not raising any money. I'm sure they sold all kinds of gear at each of the concert sites. So far they have 2 songs from the London concert available for download at iTunes, with the proceeds going to Live8. That alone will raise a nice chunk of change. And I'm guessing there will be more; I’m guessing there will be more downloads or CDs in stores; I'm guessing there will at least be a DVD of clips. Come on, Pink Floyd was reunited on stage for the first time since 1981, Madonna rocked the house, Stevie Wonder was amazing (as was Adam Levine, of course, when he joined Stevie on stage... as he was when he took the stage with his own band), and let's not forget Greenday's version of We Are the Champions. Whether you support the cause or not, who doesn't want copies of all of the above?!
Some ask why they should send their money to Africa, why the G8 should make any efforts on behalf of Africa. Not our country, not our problem, they say. The problem with that argument is that we're all together in this. This is the 21st Century, we are a global community. As such, we are all interconnected and interdependent. To quote Will Smith (yes, really), this whole effort is a Declaration of Interdependence.
So many people are so convinced that what they do or say doesn't matter. How can a society as selfish and self-centered as ours be so convinced that what they do and say doesn't matter? I say if you're going to be selfish, then stick with it: of course you matter! Of course you can make a difference!
As I said before, this is not a dress rehearsal. There are no do-overs. If you want to make a difference—in any way, for any cause—then today is the day. It doesn't have to be a big gesture. It can be small and very cheap, free even. Talk to someone you wouldn't normally talk to; smile at someone you wouldn't normally notice; discuss something important from the news over the water cooler, and I'm not talking about the latest episode of Desperate Housewives; write a check to an organization that supports your favorite cause; write a letter to an editor; find a petition online and sign it. It's not hard. It doesn't have to be global or even national. It just has to happen. You just have to do it.
As fantastic as the big gestures are, the little gestures can be just as huge. Making someone feel as though they matter, taking a stand for what you believe, sharing what you know with others, and learning what they know that you don't. All of these things are important. All of these things matter. All of these things together (all of us together) can and will make a difference. You just have to take that step and do it. You're not too busy. You're not too stupid. You're not too jaded. We can all smile. We can all talk. We can all listen. And that's really all it takes.
Saturday, July 2, 2005
How much is enough
Everyone who knows me knows I'm big-time prochoice. I totally believe in a woman's right to choose. My gym is owned by someone who gives lots of money to anti-choice organizations. Not the owner of the franchise where I am a member, but the guy who owns the who shebang. I like this gym, I'm comfortable there, and when I actually go on a regular basis, it does work for me. I can't even get myself to walk through the door of another gym. I'm too self-conscious, too aware of myself to do that. So what do I do? Give up my gym for my beliefs? Or keep my gym and support my beliefs in other ways?
It seems the whole world is owned by about 10 white men. And those 10 white men are against everything I believe in. So what do I do? Stop buying newspapers and magazines? Stop buying crackers and cereal? Or do I buy what I want to buy, and then support my beliefs in other ways?
Money is power. We all know that. And when enough people withhold their money, the world can change. So if enough of us withhold our money from the 10 men who rule the world, maybe they will make some changes in who and what they support.
On the flip side, giving money can also change the world. So maybe if we go to the gym we want to go to and buy the crackers we want eat, and then make sure to give our money to the causes about which we care the most, well, then maybe we can still change the world. Besides, as I mentioned before, pretty much everything is owned by the 10 white men. What on earth would I eat and wear and where would I work out and what would I read if I stopped buying any of their products or services?
I know some think I'm a hypocrit for continuing to go to the gym that I go to. I guess that's their issue to deal with. Not mine. I've made my peace with it. I give my money to those I believe in and I join the phonebanks when I can and I sign the petitions and I never miss an opportunity to vote and I write to my representatives and I do what I can to support the things I believe in.
For me, that is enough.
It seems the whole world is owned by about 10 white men. And those 10 white men are against everything I believe in. So what do I do? Stop buying newspapers and magazines? Stop buying crackers and cereal? Or do I buy what I want to buy, and then support my beliefs in other ways?
Money is power. We all know that. And when enough people withhold their money, the world can change. So if enough of us withhold our money from the 10 men who rule the world, maybe they will make some changes in who and what they support.
On the flip side, giving money can also change the world. So maybe if we go to the gym we want to go to and buy the crackers we want eat, and then make sure to give our money to the causes about which we care the most, well, then maybe we can still change the world. Besides, as I mentioned before, pretty much everything is owned by the 10 white men. What on earth would I eat and wear and where would I work out and what would I read if I stopped buying any of their products or services?
I know some think I'm a hypocrit for continuing to go to the gym that I go to. I guess that's their issue to deal with. Not mine. I've made my peace with it. I give my money to those I believe in and I join the phonebanks when I can and I sign the petitions and I never miss an opportunity to vote and I write to my representatives and I do what I can to support the things I believe in.
For me, that is enough.
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