Community

post thumbnail

Gross National Happiness

… in which America is trying to catch up to Bhutan.  Good luck with that.

Click to continue reading “Gross National Happiness”

10Mar2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Celebrate International Women’s Day Today

Today is International Women’s Day.  If you are a human being, then you arrived on this Earth through a woman’s body.  Therefore, it is important to respect women and their roles in society, providing them with the full complement of human rights.  You can read more about this holiday on the Bloggers Unite event page.

[caption id="attachment_1758" align="alignnone" width="136" caption="International Women"]International Women's Day[/caption]

Click to continue reading “Celebrate International Women’s Day Today”

8Mar2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

News: “Indigenous People Fight for Rights”

The following article discusses a report that collates data gathered from indigenous people, in which they talk about the effects of climate change, oppression, and other threats to their survival.  Although it is not the first time that indigenous people have written about themselves, it may be the most comprehensive gathering they have done of their own statistical data.  I hope this information will help them gain more rights and respect, but given the historical record, I’m not very optimistic.  But who knows?  Maybe this time it will shame the fatted politicians of various nations into behaving like decent human beings.

Click to continue reading “News: “Indigenous People Fight for Rights””

21Feb2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Think Differently, Act Differently

I was impressed by this new interview which discusses “Youth in a Suspect Society.”  It poses the idea that the social contract is breaking down as society treats young people worse and prepares them less to take charge of the future, which adults create but youth inherit.  We can change that, if we choose to do so.  This piece also highlights how technology can dominate our lives, which can cause problems.

I object to one premise, however, that we have no control over the amount of technology in our lives.  We DO have control: it’s called an off switch.  Use it. I also highly recommend considering what impact a device will have before adopting it in your household.  That’s an Amish rule, and I’ve found it very useful, although I draw my line in a different place than they draw theirs.

4Feb2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

New: “Youth in a Suspect Society”

A society that distrusts and mistreats its youth is destroying its future.  This is a clear problem with clear practical consequences.  But let’s set aside the moral observation that it’s wrong to crush young people, and go for plain personal reasons why this is bad.  If you mistreat people, they tend to hate you.  Unless you die early, someday you will be old and weak, and the young people of today will be the adults of tomorrow — and you will be in their power.  If they hate you, then your “golden years” are liable to be a misery. So treat young people gently, with respect, that they may learn this is the proper way to behave and will treat you that way when you no longer have the power to force them to do your will.

Click to continue reading “New: “Youth in a Suspect Society””

28Jan2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Mainstream Holidays

Here is a roundup of the holiday posts about mainstream holidays in 2009.

Click to continue reading “Mainstream Holidays”

15Jan2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

News: “Rethinking Education”

This article makes an excellent point about education.  You get out of it what you put into it — where “you” equals “society.”  A nation full of poorly educated people does not fare well in competition with other nations having well educated people.  One would think that so-called “patriotic” Americans would want to stuff this country with as many smart, educated citizens as possible.  But instead, schools are falling farther and farther behind as money is sucked into other uses such as wars and megacorp bailouts.  The stupid, it is a rising tidal wave.

Click to continue reading “News: “Rethinking Education””

3Jan2010 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Three Questions: “Reclaiming Public Values in the Age of Casino Capitalism”

The following article takes a detailed look at what is wrong with the economy, the society, politics, and America as a whole.  All these things interconnect.  In order to solve the problems we face, we need to understand that.

Click to continue reading “Three Questions: “Reclaiming Public Values in the Age of Casino Capitalism””

28Dec2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Celebrating New Year

New Year’s Eve is coming up.  Plan ahead to make December 31 a fun and memorable occasion.

Have a Safe New Year

Sometimes people get carried away with festivities, and that can cause problems.  You can prevent most mishaps and misunderstandings by making prior arrangements.

  • Serve something other than alcohol as a celebratory beverage.  You can have a “dry” party with no alcohol whatsoever, but even if you serve the traditional champagne, make sure you offer nonalcoholic options too.  If you and your guests enjoy mixing drinks, try Italian sodas instead of liquor!  Flavored coffees can also be fun.
  • If you serve alcohol, make sure that nobody drives while drunk.  Make sure everyone has a designated driver (or other travel arrangements) and collect car keys from everyone who will be drinking alcohol before they have their first drink.
  • The safest New Year’s Eve parties are those that begin before dark and last overnight, so that your guests will be leaving the next morning.  This avoids the hours during which other idiots are most likely to drive drunk.
  • Depending on the kind of friends and party you have, a discreet dish of condoms in the bathroom or guest rooms may be a valuable safety precaution.
  • Keep an eye on the weather.  Winter storms can be nasty.  Have extra crash space and bedding available in case folks have to spend the night unexpectedly.

Have a Green New Year

Parties can be a little hard on the environment.  Some cities have special celebrations.  Here are some things you can do to avoid mashing cute li’l 2010 under your giant carbon footprint.

  • Encourage your guests to carpool.  This saves gasoline and cuts down on emissions.
  • Choose reusable party supplies if you have enough plates, silverware, etc. to go around.  If you don’t have enough, supplement those with biodegradable party supplies.
  • Decorations can also be reusable from one year to another, especially if you reserve the year number for consumables (i.e. write it on the cake).  Wooden plates enameled in gold or silver foil are popular, and can be used for any festive occasion.  Garlands of gold or silver stars can be coiled up and saved for reuse.  And don’t forget the nifty new LED holiday lights, now on sale after Christmas!  They use much less power than the old holiday lights.
  • Instead of plastic confetti, go outside and throw birdseed (weather permitting).  Indoors, paper confetti is acceptable; it can be vacuumed up and composted.
  • Serve wholesome food, preferably organic and locally grown.  If you’re serving alcohol, try to obtain it from a local brewer.  Don’t overstuff your guests, though — that makes it hard to stay awake.  Offer a light supper followed by snack trays with dried or fresh fruits, nuts, cheeses, sandwich meats, bread, and a few sweets such as cookies or fudge.
  • After midnight, invite your guests to talk about what they want to do in the new year.  It doesn’t have to be as formal as resolutions, which people usually break; informal goals or ideals have a better success rate.  You go first, and make yours something Earth-friendly; this sets a good example.

What are some of your plans for New Year’s Eve?

27Dec2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
post thumbnail

Three Questions: The Global Village

We live on a finite planet, but often we don’t act that way.  We have the power to affect the world as a whole, but our social focus is much smaller — a country, a state, a religious or ethnic group.  The following article takes a look at this issue.

Click to continue reading “Three Questions: The Global Village”

17Dec2009 | Elizabeth Barrette | Comments Off | Continued
Older Entries