Showing posts with label progressive thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label progressive thinking. Show all posts
Wednesday
Tuesday
sustainable living
which is not really the right wording- but i didn't want to scare folks. based on what i know of world events- the fact that there are current food shortages and droughts ravaging the planet and the fact that the corporatocracy of this country and elsewhere is basically doing bupkus to even address the issue of global climate change- i am not terribly optimistic that the 6+ billion folks on this planet are all going to make it. here in the land of plenty, it is inconceivable to us that the drought and famine would ever touch us- but it's coming. there are parts of the south and southwest that have been in drought conditions for years- hell, georgia and tennessee are already battling over water rights. so, what can we do?...*
it isn't easy to do over night- and i began last year trying stuff out- but my plan is to grow as much food as i can at my home. the meat thing is for another post- but the short answer- when possible buy from local farmers. again, that will be another post. i have invested in heirloom seeds but hey, if you don't want to do that- go to your local nursery or garden center and pick up a few packets of the basics. i intend to save seeds from my plants from year to year- and since i haven't had time to devote to really looking into how- i will save that for another post too. i am lucky to have a backyard at my disposal at my mom's house and i tilled up a patch for a garden this year- and i will get into tilling versus no till methods-- yep. another post :)
there are many americans who live in urban settings or have homes that have a postage stamp yard- like me- so what do you do? well, i am of the opinion that any arable land should be given over to growing food or flowers. i am not a big fan of grass. last year i gave it a try in the front yard with one row of cucumbers- i dug up the flower bed by hand- which is why it was so small :) that, my friends, is very hard work. the cukes came along fine and would have fared better if i watered them at all. being lazy- i didn't want to have to lug 2 mop pails of water down 2 flights of stairs every day. no hose outside.
there are other alternatives to lugging water or ripping up your yard- container or porch gardening is one. community garden plots is another. my area has community garden plots and farmer's markets. square foot gardening can be utilized in small spaces too. really, all it takes is some dirt and a container- add some water and seeds- and give it some sun. it really is that simple. i made compost too- out of paper, yard waste, and veggie peels and whatnot. i didn't add any meat products because of the smell and because it takes a long time to break down. it came out great- and all i did was convert a rubber maid bin with a lid into an urban compost bin. the smell was not as strong as it could have been- had i added meat- and only really smelled funky when i stirred it around. i don't know if i had worms- but ants are ok too- and i had those. i started it in may last year and spread it on the flower beds in late october or so. the soil is great now. i grew veggies in pots and window boxes like there was no tomorrow. i actually overdid because i put too many seeds in the containers. it was trial and error but i learned by doing and got an idea of what plants looked like and how they grew in certain conditions and now, i feel more confident growing more things. i intend to can and freeze as many veggies as i can grow- and i have a bigger compost bin this year. i am planning on adding water catchment and storage this year- as this is going to be important as well. but-- you guessed it (another post.) :)
Thursday
Excerpts from Lee Iacocca's new book
Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.
Lee Iacocca says:
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car.
But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course"
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned "Titanic". I'll give you a sound bite: "Throw all the bums out!"
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up.
I hardly recognize this country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pompoms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the "America" my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough.
How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.
The Biggest "C" is Crisis!
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.
One A Hell of a Mess.
So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "The Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.
What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break.
Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope.
I believe in America.
In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the "Great Depression", "World War II", the "Korean War", the "Kennedy Assassination", the "Vietnam War", the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: "You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to "Action" for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let' s shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had "enough."
Make a "real contribution" by sending this to everyone you know and care about...our future is at stake!
Lee Iacocca says:
"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car.
But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course"
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned "Titanic". I'll give you a sound bite: "Throw all the bums out!"
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up.
I hardly recognize this country anymore. The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pompoms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the "America" my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough.
How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.
The Biggest "C" is Crisis!
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.
One A Hell of a Mess.
So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "The Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.
What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break.
Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope.
I believe in America.
In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the "Great Depression", "World War II", the "Korean War", the "Kennedy Assassination", the "Vietnam War", the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: "You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to "Action" for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let' s shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had "enough."
Make a "real contribution" by sending this to everyone you know and care about...our future is at stake!
Monday
just a reminder
if you haven't done so already, check out the sirens chronicles. few aesthetic growing pains here and there- but the site is up and running- and fabulous! there is a daily featured post by various women bloggers- and the rest of us post whenever we feel like it underneath! :) the sirens forum is a place where discussions happen and ideas are shared- it is by invite only- but really it only means that you have to sign in. it is free and easy- and the site has space for each member of the group to blog or post media or start discussions. it is a really cool place. it is run through ning and is linked to the sirens because that's how word press operates. ning is one of those group sharing spots and it's neat in it's own right. at least check it out. the forum is separate from the siren's blog but you can comment either place. come see what we have done! it is a blog written by women- but not just for women.
Sunday
the sirens chronicles is officially open!
of course that hasn't stopped anyone from posting ahead of time :) check out the sirens chronicles and the forum. the chronicles was put together by dusty and sumo- and it features an all women cast of talented writers- that i am proud to be a part of. the forum is invite only- but it is free and all you have to do is sign up. that is where the sirens let down the rest of their hair :) there is a daily feature post and posting at the forum. come on by and check us out!
Saturday
morning cuppa
a good friend emailed this to me this morning- because it reminded her of hubby and me. i can only hope that i am the change that i want to see. i am capable of it.
"This is not the time to throw up our hands, nor to exhaust ourselves over-defining our problems. It is time to choose our lives. In so doing, we’ll have a rippling impact that will make all the difference."
American Dream Project
i would add- we should stop getting stuck in one mode. we all need to get a grip, grow up and move forward. we have debated ad nauseum the illegalities and evilness of bushco. we know that he and his admin are working on world domination and a centralized government with america at the helm. we don't have to keep ploughing the same row. what we need to be focusing on is not converting the masses- these folks are willfully ignorant. granny said that a friend of hers deliberately 'tunes out of political things.' we must accept this as the norm and move on. we need to concentrate our own energies on positive rather than negative. what is it that we CAN do in the face of insurmountable odds? can we singlehandedly take out bushco? no-and the dems won't for political reasons. we CAN take a handle on the environment and become more self sufficient. we CAN continue to think critically and independently in order to leave a legacy behind that is positive. we CAN squirrel away knowledge in order to leave it to future generations who may get the rewritten neo con version of history. is that capitulating? no- it is sowing the seeds of revolution and rebellion. it is sowing the seeds of democracy for future generations. we need to continue to fight but let's be realistic- we may have to go into guerilla mode.
my point is this- the thinkers among us know that bushco is as bad as many of the other repressive, controlling regimes out there and not as bad as others. the bottom line is- american democracy with the constitution as our foundation- no longer exists. we need to get over it and move forward. we are not going to be able to regain what we have lost. we have to work with what we have- until and unless we start electing REAL leaders. we have to let go of the destructive hatred and focus on what we need to do. progressive means moving forward- not spinning our wheels and rehashing everything eighteen times. it is up to us to be the leaders we want and stop relying on weaker minded politicians to do it for us. we don't have that luxury anymore.
"This is not the time to throw up our hands, nor to exhaust ourselves over-defining our problems. It is time to choose our lives. In so doing, we’ll have a rippling impact that will make all the difference."
American Dream Project
i would add- we should stop getting stuck in one mode. we all need to get a grip, grow up and move forward. we have debated ad nauseum the illegalities and evilness of bushco. we know that he and his admin are working on world domination and a centralized government with america at the helm. we don't have to keep ploughing the same row. what we need to be focusing on is not converting the masses- these folks are willfully ignorant. granny said that a friend of hers deliberately 'tunes out of political things.' we must accept this as the norm and move on. we need to concentrate our own energies on positive rather than negative. what is it that we CAN do in the face of insurmountable odds? can we singlehandedly take out bushco? no-and the dems won't for political reasons. we CAN take a handle on the environment and become more self sufficient. we CAN continue to think critically and independently in order to leave a legacy behind that is positive. we CAN squirrel away knowledge in order to leave it to future generations who may get the rewritten neo con version of history. is that capitulating? no- it is sowing the seeds of revolution and rebellion. it is sowing the seeds of democracy for future generations. we need to continue to fight but let's be realistic- we may have to go into guerilla mode.
my point is this- the thinkers among us know that bushco is as bad as many of the other repressive, controlling regimes out there and not as bad as others. the bottom line is- american democracy with the constitution as our foundation- no longer exists. we need to get over it and move forward. we are not going to be able to regain what we have lost. we have to work with what we have- until and unless we start electing REAL leaders. we have to let go of the destructive hatred and focus on what we need to do. progressive means moving forward- not spinning our wheels and rehashing everything eighteen times. it is up to us to be the leaders we want and stop relying on weaker minded politicians to do it for us. we don't have that luxury anymore.
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