Why are sandbags only along 150 ft of shore instead of the 30 miles that are threatened? Why are there no responders in some areas where the crude oil has hit?
Why do the officials tell the local bp and others when they are coming to inspect instead of surprise visits? Why does the EPA say everything is fine and not demand the evacuation of coastal cities that have a bad air haze, when they demand oil drums to be immediately evacuated from a homeowners yard, at their cost? What makes BP special and the people along the gulf, not so special?
Why does her daughter have upper respiratory problems and a rash that goes away everytime she leaves the area?
Why are the BP officials saying Cut costs, instead of Spare no cost, because we caused the problem and we are going to solve it because we care about you?
Why are fish bumping into the sides of boats? Isn’t that fish poisoning in reverse?
Wake up folks! If something is not done and soon, the fresh water supply of southern Florida is threatened as well as their energy supply, since it uses water to cool its power plants.
Thank you so much Kindra for keeping your cool –so you can tell us what is going on with pinpoint accuracy.
Once you are on the board of a club or organization there are a few things you need to know. First choose your battles or crusades that you are willing to take up or champion. Ask yourself, in the face of opposition, are you proposing this as a nice thing that we as a club or organization aught to do or is there a request that we do this? Has a board member been unduly harsh in speaking with a member or continuing member, even though they may have spoken the truth? Is there any way you can smooth things over and keep that member a part of the club? In other words could you be a go between and keep that member a part of the club by you speaking with the individual, even though it is not your particular job or auspice? If so, by all means do it and if the board member gets offended, tough. If it gets the job done, do it.
Secondly, if you are going to propose a solution to a problem or potential problem don’t just bring it up a fresh at the board meeting. Take the time to call each board member individually to tell them that you are going to bring this question up and to get their thinking caps on. Chances are that they have an idea(s) of possible solutions. Jot these down letting them know you are still going to bring it up perhaps to discuss the implementation of their idea. As you continue calling and continue to write down the ideas, don’t make the mistake of telling what the others had said. This is not a gossip session. Good intentions do not count when you start talking about others. Just continue to let them know that you will bring them up for ideas of implementation at the board meeting.
Listening and being attentive to the needs and feelings of others are imperative when you are dealing with a group of people who need to work together for a common goal or solution. Make sure that you contribute immensely to that goal or solution and are not a part of the problem.
When I was a teenager I heard people talk about the weather-especially grownups. I was interested in exchanging knowledge and this seemed to me pointless. When it was raining, like duh all could see it was raining and all experienced how hard or soft the rain fell. When the sun was shining, duh, the sun beat down mercilessly on us all. Pointless.
Of course, I was one of those who answered, How are you doing? truthfully. To me all those who scurried away from me after I told them what I was into, was another example of people who had no desire to obtain knowledge.
Back then relationships held little meaning. Weren’t we here to acquire knowledge and he who had the most would come away with the spoils, isn’t that right? Problem is when we all get educated and go to college, we are all on the same playing field. Kinda hard to tell who is better, just on the basis of knowledge.
Take two people who greet each other. One likes birds, the other likes plants and gardens. One likes parrots, the other likes to bike. One loves dogs, but the other loves cats. Yet there is something within these two people that attracts each other. Maybe they are both raising a family, maybe they belong to the same garden club, or maybe they sense a caring person in the other.
So what do they do? After greeting each other they seek to find something to continue the conversation. What they stumble upon is the weather. The sun and wind or clouds and rain this they both experience. This they can talk about. The rain or lack of it would affect one’s garden while it might affect the amount of biking the other could do. They have settled upon common ground and it feels good.
Whether they continue the conversation or not doesn’t matter, but what does is that they have found something they can talk about to build upon. Who knows in the future they may actually develop a relationship which may turn into a friendship. But it has to start somewhere and yes relationships and caring is where it’s at.
The younger generation has developed a disturbing greeting of “Hey”. The other person replies with “Hey” and they go on their merry way. Perhaps it is their way of getting real–of saying why should I say “How are you?” if I don’t really mean it or don’t want to hear it? But how do you build a relationship on “Hey”. At least some of us will answer “What?” and wait for the other to either tell us something or ask a question. There is some meaning in that. But just to chase one down with a “Hey” is really pointless toward building relationships and that begins another story…
When I looked up from my spring cleanup this morning, I saw two girls side-by-side walking up the hill to the bus stop. They were either in middle school or maybe even freshmen in high school. It was apparent that their minds were on guys with the sleek way they kept their long hair and their clothes. Their thoughts were probably about whether the guys would accept them as cool girlfriends.
Yes, they are in their prime – their whole life is in front of them. But will they make the right choices? Since I don’t know them personally, I can’t answer that question. This I do know that without clear-cut goals they may be headed for failure. So why do I even suggest this?
What is there to do in the city? Movies, clubs, malls….you get the drift. In the past there were 4-H and Christian clubs even in the city or schools where young adults could learn to sew, knit, crochet, bake cakes and cookies, and even go on outings in the country. Most city youths, today, think these activities to be uncool. I have even heard it said that “I don’t do manual labor”–which included shoveling the snow or working in the dirt in a garden.
In the past I recommended taking kids to the country to learn how to farm or even tend a vegetable garden. I still think this is great. But what percentage of the city kids will actually do this or be willing to go to learn to work in the country? Instead, bring the country into the city.
My good friend Pat introduced me to a spotless gardening method. It’s called aquaponics where you grow plants in a barrel or trough. I suppose you could get as fancy as you wanted to make it even look chic. The basic premise is that there are 3 water containers that feed one into the other creating a huge circle. One barrel holds the fish. Ever hear of fish emulsions? Well, these fish provide that and it gets siphoned into the 2nd or nutrient barrel. Lastly the nutrient barrel feeds into the gravel barrel which also holds a series of upright pvc pipes where the plants grow. These plants are fed with the fish emulsions and the gravel serves to purify the water. This purified water siphons back into the first fish tank. This is why it’s called a spotless system, there is no soil involved.
Once this catches on, imagine that all those unclaimed city lots may just disappear. Where gray encrusted packed-down soil existed, it may just turn into green and more green. So… where do goals come in?
Once a child or youth has some responsibilities, it puts them in a more responsible mindset and they start thinking clearly. Either they realize that there is more to life than just movies, clubs, and malls, or they get deeper into their aquaponics hobby and an entire new world opens up that they didn’t know existed.