There is a scene in the classic movie, Coming to America where Eddie Murphy, the wealthy prince of Zamunda sings at the top of his lungs in the middle of a darkened street in new York city. Never mind the fact that his sleeping neighbors are yelling obscenities at him in the hopes of shutting him up. This is a man who after working to win the affections of the woman he loves, is able to see it pay off as evidenced by the elusive first kiss she has bestowed on him earlier that very evening.
Oh to sing "to be loved" down any New York City street these days may not get you even the sideways glance from a seasoned New Yorker, but one has to admit that being acknowledged for your effort is a rare and wonderful thing. This year I did not go all out on big presents for friends and loved ones. I spent more time thinking about the people who affect my life every day with their labor and toil. There is a cheesy commercial out right now of a neighborhood woman buying a handful of scratch offs from her usual newsstand only to turn around and gift the cards to the stand owner who she knows on first name basis. How nice is that?
I know Christmas is notorious for the warm fuzzies that it emits into our breathing air and on some level it highlights how nasty people are to each other the rest of the months of the year, but there is some merit in that kindness, however misplaced or exploited. Imagine my surprise when I received a card and peppermint pattie from one of my office mates! And this from a woman I barely talk to. Something about receiving just because of who you are and what you do on an unconscious level feels better than anything else. It’s validation for who you are—a person just trying to get by like everyone else. Who would have thought just a simple acknowledgement could yields such great results?
So this Christmas, I got something for my security guard, my office aid and the mailman, because everyone likes to know they matter. I know when you receive from that unexpected someone this year that nod of approval will inevitably result in a smile. You may not feel like royalty falling in love in New York, but it will warm you up better than a tall glass of spiked eggnog, and I am all for that.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
November 5th
I am beyond words. Yesterday, I watched as a country I had lost faith in made a tremendous leap of faith and for once, supported the better man. It is so hard in this world to keep on believing that good exists, that working hard makes a difference. In a society where people are eager to make the quick buck and work as little as possible, I am proud to say that America has made a step in the right direction, a step towards progress and has demonstrated, that maybe there are more of us out there than I thought, who do want to work for the greater good.
This election goes beyond partisan politics and class division and even race. As a black woman I am proud I live in a place where the overwhelming majority does really believe more in people than they do in color. However, at this juncture, I am more impressed that despite the months of bickering, mudslinging and hate speech, America is a place that I am proud to call home. I say that not to imply I do not like my country, because Lord knows, for where I am in my life, I cannot imagine trying to prosper anywhere else. But for once, I am not the only one questioning "why does it have to be so hard?"
Days before the election I sat sulking over my own issues: Credit card debt, non paying tenants, more jobs and ambitions than time to see them grow. But last night, shortly after 11 pm, a weight was lifted. My problems are still there, but now I know that they really are surmountable, and most importantly I live in a place that recognizes my struggle and will utlitmately reward my efforts. Today, November 5th I am proud to be an American, a citizen of the United States of America, where education and common sense, once again reign supreme.
We have a lot of work to do, but at least we can agree that it can be done and working together, the burden is not nearly as hard to bear.
This election goes beyond partisan politics and class division and even race. As a black woman I am proud I live in a place where the overwhelming majority does really believe more in people than they do in color. However, at this juncture, I am more impressed that despite the months of bickering, mudslinging and hate speech, America is a place that I am proud to call home. I say that not to imply I do not like my country, because Lord knows, for where I am in my life, I cannot imagine trying to prosper anywhere else. But for once, I am not the only one questioning "why does it have to be so hard?"
Days before the election I sat sulking over my own issues: Credit card debt, non paying tenants, more jobs and ambitions than time to see them grow. But last night, shortly after 11 pm, a weight was lifted. My problems are still there, but now I know that they really are surmountable, and most importantly I live in a place that recognizes my struggle and will utlitmately reward my efforts. Today, November 5th I am proud to be an American, a citizen of the United States of America, where education and common sense, once again reign supreme.
We have a lot of work to do, but at least we can agree that it can be done and working together, the burden is not nearly as hard to bear.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Ole' Folk Speak
"When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before." –Jacob August Riis
I finally understand the frustrations of old people who hear young people say, “ I’m tired.” You know how the conversation goes,
“You’re tired? What you got to be tired for? You ain’t do nothing yet. You too young to be tired.” This may be followed by a chuckle, or a suck of the teeth.
As a child I thought that kind of attitude was ridiculous. What does fatigue have to do with age? Young people get tired too right? Everyone has to sleep, to rest. But now I see that the older you get, the more work you have to put in to survive, to keep growing. Life is work. Life is struggle. If you haven’t lived any, you don’t have the right to fatigue because you don’t know the meaning of work.
I work hard. Feels like a struggle. People say I’m driven, determined, tenacious. My father says, I just like keeping busy and doing things the hard way. And while I put up a strong front and most would assume I “have it together”, it is hard work to work oneself, drive oneself, push oneself and not get discouraged especially because it is so early in the game. Where I am now in my life is nonstop, nose to the ground, laying the track type work. This is growing pains time. And although, by lifelong standards, at 25 this is just the beginning, I can definitely better appreciate the sentiments of a more seasoned generation. Come on ~m, you too young to be tired, there’s too much living still yet to do.
I finally understand the frustrations of old people who hear young people say, “ I’m tired.” You know how the conversation goes,
“You’re tired? What you got to be tired for? You ain’t do nothing yet. You too young to be tired.” This may be followed by a chuckle, or a suck of the teeth.
As a child I thought that kind of attitude was ridiculous. What does fatigue have to do with age? Young people get tired too right? Everyone has to sleep, to rest. But now I see that the older you get, the more work you have to put in to survive, to keep growing. Life is work. Life is struggle. If you haven’t lived any, you don’t have the right to fatigue because you don’t know the meaning of work.
I work hard. Feels like a struggle. People say I’m driven, determined, tenacious. My father says, I just like keeping busy and doing things the hard way. And while I put up a strong front and most would assume I “have it together”, it is hard work to work oneself, drive oneself, push oneself and not get discouraged especially because it is so early in the game. Where I am now in my life is nonstop, nose to the ground, laying the track type work. This is growing pains time. And although, by lifelong standards, at 25 this is just the beginning, I can definitely better appreciate the sentiments of a more seasoned generation. Come on ~m, you too young to be tired, there’s too much living still yet to do.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Independently Unemployed
So I quit my job. Right before Independence Day I decided enough was enough and I made my exit. I received tremendous support for my decision by those close to me. Friends and family told of how proud they were of me and how courageous I was and how not many people would do what I did, despite the deteriorating circumstances. While I appreciated the support, it disturbs me that such a simple thing could be so well praised yet so rarely executed by others. So I thought to myself, why not let people know just how easy it is to get out of an unpleasant situation. Here’s my primer on how to quit your job.
A job is a curious thing. Most of us who spent the time to go to school and learn a specific discipline are expecting to make a living at a respectable career. This means that your job is meant to be the place where you grow and develop your skills. It is desirable to stay with one company over the course of several years, working your way up in different positions, growing your skill set while exploring your employer and thereby developing a trustworthy bond that will be rewarded by more upward mobility and financial opportunity. What most of us find instead is a job.
Job
-noun
1. a piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation for an agreed price: She gave him the job of mowing the lawn.
Occupation
-noun
1. A person’s usual or principal work or business, esp as a means of earning a living; vocation: Her occupation was dentistry.
Work
-noun
1. Exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.
Toil
-noun
1. hard and continuous work; exhausting labor or effort.
2. a laborious task.
3. archaic. Battle; strife; struggle
-verb (used with object)
4 to engage in hard and continuous work; labor arduously: to toil in the fields.
5. to move or travel with difficulty, weariness, or pain
All definitions are according to dictionary.com, a fairly reputable source in regard to what it provides. What you will notice is that a job is your primary occupation ie your principal work ie the thing that you struggle with and brings you the most pain for the majority of your time. (Oh no!!) Who would want one of those? O wait, there is the compensation to consider. That’s right the number one reason people toil is to get money. But clearly at some point, the compensation no longer covers the cost of the pain and then people quit. At least, one would hope that one would quit, as that would be the logical response to stop the pain.
Unfortunately most people ignore that perfectly normal threshold for discomfort and toil on. The job is done with the expectation that there is no other option or worse yet, that it will all yield great returns in the end because your boss, in all their glorious, wealthy magnanimity will “make good” on your investment of labor. Sounds like a master slave relationship to me. In fact, according to Ezra Pound this is the very definition of slavery. “A Slave is one who waits for someone to come and free him.” For more on the slave mentality in the U.S., check out this article by Butler Shaffer, “ The Slave Mentality”. http://www.lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer82.html
Career
-noun
1. an occupation or profession, esp one requiring special training followed as one’s lifework: He sought a career as a lawyer.
2. a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking: His career as a soldier ended with the armistice.
Again, most of us are looking for a career but settle for a job. Fair enough, the majority of the workforce has been horribly misled into signing a deal with a force that we affectionately refer to as “ the man”. We want to devote our lives to a mission we find worthy and instead end up slaving away for someone else’s best interests in order to improve the elusive bottom line.
The problem with careers lies in that “special training” term which in real life is nothing more than real world experience. Unfortunately, the only way to get real world experience is to get a job (something to toil at for a while) to “get your feet wet” and then by the grace of God in a year or two you will have a resume someone will want to look at. This still means you start at the bottom of a hopeful career path, so essentially you will continue to toil, but now with the hope of it becoming/somehow transforming into something you can be proud to call your life’s work (a career). It is then that you will have something on which you can actually have a visible impact, to the extent that you can claim it as rightfully yours.
POP QUIZ
Q. What do you call the arrangement by which a laborer voluntarily toils for a contractor in exchange for the opportunity for a better life?
A. Indentured servitude.
If you missed this question, I suggest you do some self-study before you continue reading.
Getting a job means selling yourself to the highest bidder in exchange for a path to a decent livelihood, or true professional credence. This is great when you are relatively complacent and do not mind being the office wench or the slave for the man. But what happens, when you open your eyes and realize, “hey this sucks and I am not getting any closer to my goal” or “I am better than this.”
I do not think these realizations are so alarming. Most people hate their jobs and are disgruntled, underpaid, over worked, underappreciated, micromanaged and uber annoyed by their co-workers. The average workplace is terrific fodder for standup comics, cartoonists and bloggers everywhere. For example:
http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=1327
Life’s too short to spend 1/3 of it doing something you can’t stand.
So what holds people to this toil and labor? What keeps them from leaving that personal/professional dungeon of potential? Money. It’s always money isn’t it? Not money itself, but the things that money provides- sustenance and survival. It’s a very human instinct to want to survive. A basic instinct. But in the case of employment, I think our tendency to grin and bear it requires some attention. It’s not natural to live in pain. Why not buck that queasy feeling in your stomach and get your life back? Change your environment. Make it work for you not the other way round. And if you can’t make it work for you, then leave.
Motivational speakers tell you all you need is faith/a dream/a burning desire and your wealth/recognition/fame will naturally follow. I think a more realistic scenario is that in the absence of a job, you will force yourself to survive by any means necessary. And this leads to my next key term: entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneur
-noun
1. a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
2.an employer of productive labor; contractor
[Origin: 1875-80;
Now, everyone loves an entrepreneur. The government will give you money to start a business, tax breaks to keep it running, and all your friends and family will be proud to call you their own. Of course, the government loves it because it’s the original stimulus package. New products and services means new jobs are created and money spent. It’s a great economical move. In regard to tax breaks, a small business takes on a lot of financial losses, which the government is willing to subsidize for a time. Now as for your friends and family—their love for your newfound go get ‘em spirit is a little more challenging to explain.
People admire those who do what they 1) don’t know how to do or 2) are too afraid to try themselves. That’s why there are so many people now telling me “ You have so much courage” and “good for you. I wish I could quit my job.” In reality, anyone can quit a job. It is very easy to do. Most people are employed under an “at will” arrangement, meaning they can leave at any time and their boss can fire them at any time, and that is with or without that pesky two week notice. You can quit your job right now. Let’s do it together. Get up from your desk and walk out. Do not look back. Do not feel bad. Don’t even tell anyone where you are going. They’ll find someone to replace you . . . probably a hungry college student who doesn’t realize 40k a year only gets you a few more packs of ramen a month. The reason why more people don’t up and ditch their day gig is that if you leave your job today you will be forced to work for yourself and find a means to survive that will involve more work than you have heretofore ever had to do for any other employer. That’s why more people don’t quit and start a business—they are afraid they aren’t resilient enough to put in the work, even at the risk of their very own survival. I know it sounds self defeatist, but let’s examine this claim.
By definition an entrepreneur takes on risk and has initiative. That’s textbook definition people. If you cannot find these two qualities within yourself, DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB. Because if you go out on a limb but are too timid or too lack luster to get things moving for yourself, the fear of even missing a meal will bring tears to your eyes and devastate any dreams you may have had for professional independence.
Being an entrepreneur means you get up in the morning, figure out what needs to be done and then you do it. You are the secretary, the legal department, member services rep, transportation liaison, accountant, accounts payable, accounts receivable, director of PR, director of marketing, assistant to the president and the CEO. You field all questions (the ones you ask), find all answers (by way of your research) and have to pay all the bills (by way of funding you secure). You do all the work, and despite wearing all the hats, you get paid absolute last. If you do it well, and work hard, that paycheck at the end of the road is well worth it. Somewhere down the line if you can keep it up you can hire people who will work for your mission as well, and then you can begin to gradually you’re your workload and subsequently your stress level, even spending some of those hard earned rewards. Nothing is more gratifying than spending money that you know you truly earned. If you are not a self-motivated person with initiative (which can happen when you are used to being micromanaged, mismanaged and under developed by the man), you just end up frustrated and broke and more than ready to get another job. Trust me, I’ve seen it. Only the strong survive.
I’ll give the man some credit, if you are getting a job for the experience, or for some of the benefits (health insurance, tuition reimbursement, superb mentorship) or to supplement income to fund your business, that’s great. But never give someone else more of yourself than you give your self. That’s just not fair to you or the life you seek to create. And that’s the bottom line.
A job is a curious thing. Most of us who spent the time to go to school and learn a specific discipline are expecting to make a living at a respectable career. This means that your job is meant to be the place where you grow and develop your skills. It is desirable to stay with one company over the course of several years, working your way up in different positions, growing your skill set while exploring your employer and thereby developing a trustworthy bond that will be rewarded by more upward mobility and financial opportunity. What most of us find instead is a job.
Job
-noun
1. a piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation for an agreed price: She gave him the job of mowing the lawn.
Occupation
-noun
1. A person’s usual or principal work or business, esp as a means of earning a living; vocation: Her occupation was dentistry.
Work
-noun
1. Exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.
Toil
-noun
1. hard and continuous work; exhausting labor or effort.
2. a laborious task.
3. archaic. Battle; strife; struggle
-verb (used with object)
4 to engage in hard and continuous work; labor arduously: to toil in the fields.
5. to move or travel with difficulty, weariness, or pain
All definitions are according to dictionary.com, a fairly reputable source in regard to what it provides. What you will notice is that a job is your primary occupation ie your principal work ie the thing that you struggle with and brings you the most pain for the majority of your time. (Oh no!!) Who would want one of those? O wait, there is the compensation to consider. That’s right the number one reason people toil is to get money. But clearly at some point, the compensation no longer covers the cost of the pain and then people quit. At least, one would hope that one would quit, as that would be the logical response to stop the pain.
Unfortunately most people ignore that perfectly normal threshold for discomfort and toil on. The job is done with the expectation that there is no other option or worse yet, that it will all yield great returns in the end because your boss, in all their glorious, wealthy magnanimity will “make good” on your investment of labor. Sounds like a master slave relationship to me. In fact, according to Ezra Pound this is the very definition of slavery. “A Slave is one who waits for someone to come and free him.” For more on the slave mentality in the U.S., check out this article by Butler Shaffer, “ The Slave Mentality”. http://www.lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer82.html
Career
-noun
1. an occupation or profession, esp one requiring special training followed as one’s lifework: He sought a career as a lawyer.
2. a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking: His career as a soldier ended with the armistice.
Again, most of us are looking for a career but settle for a job. Fair enough, the majority of the workforce has been horribly misled into signing a deal with a force that we affectionately refer to as “ the man”. We want to devote our lives to a mission we find worthy and instead end up slaving away for someone else’s best interests in order to improve the elusive bottom line.
The problem with careers lies in that “special training” term which in real life is nothing more than real world experience. Unfortunately, the only way to get real world experience is to get a job (something to toil at for a while) to “get your feet wet” and then by the grace of God in a year or two you will have a resume someone will want to look at. This still means you start at the bottom of a hopeful career path, so essentially you will continue to toil, but now with the hope of it becoming/somehow transforming into something you can be proud to call your life’s work (a career). It is then that you will have something on which you can actually have a visible impact, to the extent that you can claim it as rightfully yours.
POP QUIZ
Q. What do you call the arrangement by which a laborer voluntarily toils for a contractor in exchange for the opportunity for a better life?
A. Indentured servitude.
If you missed this question, I suggest you do some self-study before you continue reading.
Getting a job means selling yourself to the highest bidder in exchange for a path to a decent livelihood, or true professional credence. This is great when you are relatively complacent and do not mind being the office wench or the slave for the man. But what happens, when you open your eyes and realize, “hey this sucks and I am not getting any closer to my goal” or “I am better than this.”
I do not think these realizations are so alarming. Most people hate their jobs and are disgruntled, underpaid, over worked, underappreciated, micromanaged and uber annoyed by their co-workers. The average workplace is terrific fodder for standup comics, cartoonists and bloggers everywhere. For example:
http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=1327
Life’s too short to spend 1/3 of it doing something you can’t stand.
So what holds people to this toil and labor? What keeps them from leaving that personal/professional dungeon of potential? Money. It’s always money isn’t it? Not money itself, but the things that money provides- sustenance and survival. It’s a very human instinct to want to survive. A basic instinct. But in the case of employment, I think our tendency to grin and bear it requires some attention. It’s not natural to live in pain. Why not buck that queasy feeling in your stomach and get your life back? Change your environment. Make it work for you not the other way round. And if you can’t make it work for you, then leave.
Motivational speakers tell you all you need is faith/a dream/a burning desire and your wealth/recognition/fame will naturally follow. I think a more realistic scenario is that in the absence of a job, you will force yourself to survive by any means necessary. And this leads to my next key term: entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneur
-noun
1. a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
2.an employer of productive labor; contractor
[Origin: 1875-80;
Now, everyone loves an entrepreneur. The government will give you money to start a business, tax breaks to keep it running, and all your friends and family will be proud to call you their own. Of course, the government loves it because it’s the original stimulus package. New products and services means new jobs are created and money spent. It’s a great economical move. In regard to tax breaks, a small business takes on a lot of financial losses, which the government is willing to subsidize for a time. Now as for your friends and family—their love for your newfound go get ‘em spirit is a little more challenging to explain.
People admire those who do what they 1) don’t know how to do or 2) are too afraid to try themselves. That’s why there are so many people now telling me “ You have so much courage” and “good for you. I wish I could quit my job.” In reality, anyone can quit a job. It is very easy to do. Most people are employed under an “at will” arrangement, meaning they can leave at any time and their boss can fire them at any time, and that is with or without that pesky two week notice. You can quit your job right now. Let’s do it together. Get up from your desk and walk out. Do not look back. Do not feel bad. Don’t even tell anyone where you are going. They’ll find someone to replace you . . . probably a hungry college student who doesn’t realize 40k a year only gets you a few more packs of ramen a month. The reason why more people don’t up and ditch their day gig is that if you leave your job today you will be forced to work for yourself and find a means to survive that will involve more work than you have heretofore ever had to do for any other employer. That’s why more people don’t quit and start a business—they are afraid they aren’t resilient enough to put in the work, even at the risk of their very own survival. I know it sounds self defeatist, but let’s examine this claim.
By definition an entrepreneur takes on risk and has initiative. That’s textbook definition people. If you cannot find these two qualities within yourself, DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB. Because if you go out on a limb but are too timid or too lack luster to get things moving for yourself, the fear of even missing a meal will bring tears to your eyes and devastate any dreams you may have had for professional independence.
Being an entrepreneur means you get up in the morning, figure out what needs to be done and then you do it. You are the secretary, the legal department, member services rep, transportation liaison, accountant, accounts payable, accounts receivable, director of PR, director of marketing, assistant to the president and the CEO. You field all questions (the ones you ask), find all answers (by way of your research) and have to pay all the bills (by way of funding you secure). You do all the work, and despite wearing all the hats, you get paid absolute last. If you do it well, and work hard, that paycheck at the end of the road is well worth it. Somewhere down the line if you can keep it up you can hire people who will work for your mission as well, and then you can begin to gradually you’re your workload and subsequently your stress level, even spending some of those hard earned rewards. Nothing is more gratifying than spending money that you know you truly earned. If you are not a self-motivated person with initiative (which can happen when you are used to being micromanaged, mismanaged and under developed by the man), you just end up frustrated and broke and more than ready to get another job. Trust me, I’ve seen it. Only the strong survive.
I’ll give the man some credit, if you are getting a job for the experience, or for some of the benefits (health insurance, tuition reimbursement, superb mentorship) or to supplement income to fund your business, that’s great. But never give someone else more of yourself than you give your self. That’s just not fair to you or the life you seek to create. And that’s the bottom line.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Green is so Hott Right Now
For Oprah’s Earth Day episode this year, she invited Sophia Uliano, author of “Gorgeously Green” to share her philosophy with a studio audience. Sophia says organic farming helps the planet, so we should buy organic. According to Sophia, women are especially influential because they can communicate to their grocer that they want to see more organic on the shelves, and in the manner of supply and demand the store will comply. Its like housewives can save the planet. Really? At first, I thought this lady was being somewhat facetious, but check out her site. She's sincere.
Gorgeously Green
While I agree that individuals can help the planet, I am a little appalled at the kitschy gimmick of housewives going green. Didn’t we just set the feminist movement back forty years with this logo? The subservient, coquettish, pearl wearing, Hoover pushing housewife is going to save the planet? She kind of resembles a Tinkerbelle pinup, no? That’s expecting a lot from an archetype historically not encouraged to gain higher education or gainful financial independence by way of a career. But now by just buying groceries and cooking dinner on a regular basis, she is going to save the planet. That’s right, ladies, just keep cooking!!
Well, why not? Julia Roberts, who also appeared on the segment, (a typical American housewife) says she didn’t begin to care about the earth and going organic until she had three kids i.e. she birthed someone for whom she felt the earth was worth saving. As if to say that most of us don’t have people in our lives already that we would modify our lifestyle for in order that they may live better and longer. . interesting concept.
If anything, I would think that in the U.S., birth rates would be going down because of the economic “slowdown”. It is downright irresponsible to be procreating knowing that there are no available funds let alone natural resources to substantially support the next generation.
In reality, something akin to the opposite is occurring. The Washington Post published an article in December declaring the fertility rate in the United States had jumped 2 percent between 2005 and 2006. This means that on average, 2.1 babies are born to each woman. The rate indicates that the present generation is able to replace itself—great news for sociologists, not so great for ecologists. Fertility Rates
The same housewife that is doing all that green shopping is doing so to support 2.1 kids. That doesn’t deserve an award. Honestly, it’ her responsibility to help the planet if she wants to sustain the fruit of her loins.
According to the article, "We have a lot of population momentum in this country because we have so many young people who themselves are going to soon be having 2.1 children," said Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington research organization. "We're going to be growing for quite some time at a fairly fast pace." But the U.S. is still in the lead when it comes to destroying natural resources and overall consumption. "The world is now consuming resources faster than the Earth can sustain over the longer term," said Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute. "Forests are shrinking. Fisheries are collapsing. Water tables are falling. Large parts of the world's grasslands are deteriorating. The U.S. is already disproportionately responsible for that because of our very high consumption levels."
Julia Roberts is in agreement. "You realize we do have a responsibility of our impact in every way to our kids, the way we talk to them and the example that we offer them and the things to teach them," she says. "There's such a wealth of knowledge now that we can educate ourselves with, and it's our responsibility." Well, duh. But why did it take a cartoon character, Oprah, and a wave of trendy organic products (Organic White cheddar Cheeto's anyone?) for people to buy into that concept? Al Gore has been preaching this stuff for decades already. That’s why they gave him a Nobel Prize.
Supporting organic agriculture makes sure the food we harvest for today’s consumption doesn’t destroy the resources we need in order to eat tomorrow. It’s essentially farming and harvesting in a manner that doesn't kill the planet. Organic=Earth TLC
There are people who devote their entire lives to the study of making sure the Earth is protected and lives long after us. Those people really care about the planet in a global way, i.e. outside the realm of themselves and the small bundle of people they may have personally birthed. This is bigger than the housewife and her subdivision. Vandana Shiva, ecofeminist and alterglobalist didn’t earn that title by asking her grocer for more organic alternatives in the snack food aisle. See more
I completely understand decreasing your carbon footprint, and doing your small part to make a big change, heck that’s why I’m an Obama supporter ☺, but if you really want to have the right to say you are making some sort of contribution in this world, you kind of have to own that role and hold yourself accountable. It will not suffice to be a weekend dabbler.
Americans think they are so self important but in fact any one person is nothing more than a tear drop dissolving in the ocean . . . even if you were looking for it, you couldn’t find it. So go ahead, go green, pay your grocer so you can have a cloth grocery bag to put your Skippy in, but be realistic about your contribution. We all get exactly what we ask for in this country. People started getting more genetically modified foods because the industry had to meet the demand for it. And honestly, most people are still okay with eating the enlarged breast meat that comprises McDonalds chicken nuggets. There doesn’t seem to be any complaints. But then all of a sudden, someone in fad land decides going green is supposed to be cool and now we are all asking our grocery to go green. Can no on in this place think for them self at all? Do we live in a world of Paris Hilton wannabes and simple-minded lemmings whose only motivation is to give the appearance of social consciousness- or in the example of Paris, mental consciousness?
Even Paris Hilton has a guy who does her environmental thinking for her. His name is Adrian Grenier. "He's helping her pick out a home that she can easily convert into an environmentally friendly living space," the source tells E! Online's "Planet Gossip" co-host Tina Dirmann. "Adrian has really been teaching Paris a lot about what people can do to help the environment and to just live their lives in a more 'green-friendly' way because it's a cause he's very involved in, and, so far, Paris is listening."
Adrian told her, "You're the most photographed woman in the world. Think what you could do if you used that attention to bring light to a cause.'" the source added. Paris Hilton going green
The people who really care are finally able to drum up enough buzz that the Hollywood glitterati puppets that stand in as role models for the majority of young America will be led to go green, if for no other reason than to be in style. The irony of course is that the generation being raised on this glamour pop fanaticism is the very same generation that most needs to conserve those resources for their own sustenance, and by extension that of their projected progeny. Granted the ends justify the means. I repeat: The ends justify the means. But is it really sufficient to educate people just enough so that they obey you, but not enough for them to tap into their own reasoning and make educated decisions? Is that how we want to treat our fellow earth dwellers--like a bunch of mindless drones who can be manipulated by whatever fad strikes the fancy of the general populous? The answer is yes. That is if we want them to help us save the planet anyway. "Because I said so" never seemed to make as much sense as it does right now. Time is wasting, and who wants to explain to Paris Hilton how deforestation works? So let me just say this: Green is so hott right now (yes with two "T"s) and I’m gonna put that on a baby T.
Gorgeously Green
While I agree that individuals can help the planet, I am a little appalled at the kitschy gimmick of housewives going green. Didn’t we just set the feminist movement back forty years with this logo? The subservient, coquettish, pearl wearing, Hoover pushing housewife is going to save the planet? She kind of resembles a Tinkerbelle pinup, no? That’s expecting a lot from an archetype historically not encouraged to gain higher education or gainful financial independence by way of a career. But now by just buying groceries and cooking dinner on a regular basis, she is going to save the planet. That’s right, ladies, just keep cooking!!
Well, why not? Julia Roberts, who also appeared on the segment, (a typical American housewife) says she didn’t begin to care about the earth and going organic until she had three kids i.e. she birthed someone for whom she felt the earth was worth saving. As if to say that most of us don’t have people in our lives already that we would modify our lifestyle for in order that they may live better and longer. . interesting concept.
If anything, I would think that in the U.S., birth rates would be going down because of the economic “slowdown”. It is downright irresponsible to be procreating knowing that there are no available funds let alone natural resources to substantially support the next generation.
In reality, something akin to the opposite is occurring. The Washington Post published an article in December declaring the fertility rate in the United States had jumped 2 percent between 2005 and 2006. This means that on average, 2.1 babies are born to each woman. The rate indicates that the present generation is able to replace itself—great news for sociologists, not so great for ecologists. Fertility Rates
The same housewife that is doing all that green shopping is doing so to support 2.1 kids. That doesn’t deserve an award. Honestly, it’ her responsibility to help the planet if she wants to sustain the fruit of her loins.
According to the article, "We have a lot of population momentum in this country because we have so many young people who themselves are going to soon be having 2.1 children," said Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington research organization. "We're going to be growing for quite some time at a fairly fast pace." But the U.S. is still in the lead when it comes to destroying natural resources and overall consumption. "The world is now consuming resources faster than the Earth can sustain over the longer term," said Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute. "Forests are shrinking. Fisheries are collapsing. Water tables are falling. Large parts of the world's grasslands are deteriorating. The U.S. is already disproportionately responsible for that because of our very high consumption levels."
Julia Roberts is in agreement. "You realize we do have a responsibility of our impact in every way to our kids, the way we talk to them and the example that we offer them and the things to teach them," she says. "There's such a wealth of knowledge now that we can educate ourselves with, and it's our responsibility." Well, duh. But why did it take a cartoon character, Oprah, and a wave of trendy organic products (Organic White cheddar Cheeto's anyone?) for people to buy into that concept? Al Gore has been preaching this stuff for decades already. That’s why they gave him a Nobel Prize.
Supporting organic agriculture makes sure the food we harvest for today’s consumption doesn’t destroy the resources we need in order to eat tomorrow. It’s essentially farming and harvesting in a manner that doesn't kill the planet. Organic=Earth TLC
There are people who devote their entire lives to the study of making sure the Earth is protected and lives long after us. Those people really care about the planet in a global way, i.e. outside the realm of themselves and the small bundle of people they may have personally birthed. This is bigger than the housewife and her subdivision. Vandana Shiva, ecofeminist and alterglobalist didn’t earn that title by asking her grocer for more organic alternatives in the snack food aisle. See more
I completely understand decreasing your carbon footprint, and doing your small part to make a big change, heck that’s why I’m an Obama supporter ☺, but if you really want to have the right to say you are making some sort of contribution in this world, you kind of have to own that role and hold yourself accountable. It will not suffice to be a weekend dabbler.
Americans think they are so self important but in fact any one person is nothing more than a tear drop dissolving in the ocean . . . even if you were looking for it, you couldn’t find it. So go ahead, go green, pay your grocer so you can have a cloth grocery bag to put your Skippy in, but be realistic about your contribution. We all get exactly what we ask for in this country. People started getting more genetically modified foods because the industry had to meet the demand for it. And honestly, most people are still okay with eating the enlarged breast meat that comprises McDonalds chicken nuggets. There doesn’t seem to be any complaints. But then all of a sudden, someone in fad land decides going green is supposed to be cool and now we are all asking our grocery to go green. Can no on in this place think for them self at all? Do we live in a world of Paris Hilton wannabes and simple-minded lemmings whose only motivation is to give the appearance of social consciousness- or in the example of Paris, mental consciousness?
Even Paris Hilton has a guy who does her environmental thinking for her. His name is Adrian Grenier. "He's helping her pick out a home that she can easily convert into an environmentally friendly living space," the source tells E! Online's "Planet Gossip" co-host Tina Dirmann. "Adrian has really been teaching Paris a lot about what people can do to help the environment and to just live their lives in a more 'green-friendly' way because it's a cause he's very involved in, and, so far, Paris is listening."
Adrian told her, "You're the most photographed woman in the world. Think what you could do if you used that attention to bring light to a cause.'" the source added. Paris Hilton going green
The people who really care are finally able to drum up enough buzz that the Hollywood glitterati puppets that stand in as role models for the majority of young America will be led to go green, if for no other reason than to be in style. The irony of course is that the generation being raised on this glamour pop fanaticism is the very same generation that most needs to conserve those resources for their own sustenance, and by extension that of their projected progeny. Granted the ends justify the means. I repeat: The ends justify the means. But is it really sufficient to educate people just enough so that they obey you, but not enough for them to tap into their own reasoning and make educated decisions? Is that how we want to treat our fellow earth dwellers--like a bunch of mindless drones who can be manipulated by whatever fad strikes the fancy of the general populous? The answer is yes. That is if we want them to help us save the planet anyway. "Because I said so" never seemed to make as much sense as it does right now. Time is wasting, and who wants to explain to Paris Hilton how deforestation works? So let me just say this: Green is so hott right now (yes with two "T"s) and I’m gonna put that on a baby T.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Let Them Eat Cake
"The American Dream is moving increasingly out of reach for many of us. Although the President finally announced this month that the economy isn’t working for most of us – thank you Mr. President – we’ve all been feeling it for the last seven years. The wages of working people have barely budged, while the cost of essentials of everything from higher education to health care to food and gas have skyrocketed."
--Andrea Batista Schlesinger
January 15, 2008
Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy
Where o where did my American Dream go? Did I kiss it goodbye when I decided to immerse myself in debt for the sake of a college education? I am beginning to wonder. Because when my would be home girl, Salliemae calls and wants to know where her money is and I tell her “You will get paid for my education as soon as I do,” I have to wonder if maybe, this country with golden paved streets is not somewhat flawed.
The majority of my college graduate friends, while highly educated, well traveled and moderately cultured, constitute the rapidly growing working poor. This is not the middle class. No, No. To achieve that level of status, especially in New York City requires much more than a 4-year degree and a job. Check out these stats from the Drum Major Institute:
* A middle class standard of living includes having health insurance, access to the Internet, good public schools for children, a retirement plan, annual vacations and air conditioning.
* A single person needs an income of $45,000-$90,000 to attain this middle class standard of living in New York City.
(http://www.drummajorinstitute.org/library/article.php?ID=6589)
Excuse me, but I have been out of school a good 4 years now (not quite entry level at this point) and have yet to achieve middle class standing in either my pay or the amenities available to me. Granted I have Internet access, a retirement plan of sorts, I even “vacation” if you can call those five days of paid leave a vacation. But the thing that really bothers me is the health insurance piece. Never mind that the first two years out of school I did not have health insurance, and subsequently did not go to the doctor. The thing that is really bothersome is that even now when I allow a chunk of my check to be set aside for these “benefits” I find myself smacked with a ridiculous deductible before the healthcare gods over at my insurance provider grace me with their 70% contribution to every doctor visit, prescription refill and lab test. And if I am making under 45k a year (and trust me I am), how the hell am I supposed to afford an annual physical, biannual dental check ups, and a pair of new frames? Excuse me, but I don’t have an extra few thousand to spare, and if I did I would probably give it to Sallie so she would stop calling me.
This brings me to my next point: Universal healthcare. Why don’t we have it? Check out this clip from Michael Moore’s “Sicko”. Watch the British couples reaction to the idea of paying for their hospital stay. http://au.youtube.com/wathc?v=V2sFT7T0mCsy
In a country where you can get a free k-12 education, request food stamps and live in a heated building on the taxpayer’s dime, why can you not also get medical care?
Moore provides his viewers with a glimpse of how the other half lives. And as slanted as his perspective is, I must say, yes the grass is looking very much greener in France, England and Cuba. That’s right, I said Cuba. Need to go to the emergency room? Take a cab; the hospital will pay for it. Avoiding the emergency room because you have to actually do something today? Forty-five minutes and a doctor will see you. But how can these doctors afford to treat patients who have no insurance? Well, for one, it’s a government-subsidized service. Prescriptions are a flat rate and doctor’s get rewarded when their patients become healthier. (Gasp)
Granted, in some of these places, a college education is free so doctors don’t have loans to repay in the ballpark of $250,000. They’re not taking bids from drug companies or turning away the uninsured, just to make the bills. NO, in this make believe wonderland of a country that I speak of, doctor’s work for the health and well being of their fellow man. What a concept. During filming, one London doctor informed Moore’s camera crew that he is eligible for bonuses if he can get more of his patients to quit smoking or get their blood pressure down.
Socialism is looking mighty good right now. When I look at all my twenty/thirty something degree holding friends who cannot find a job to pay rent, are skirting creditor calls and hoping that the last can of chickpeas will feed them for two weeks, I have to wonder if we, as Americans are dong something wrong. Should we not be more demanding of our government? Why are so many forced to take on second jobs in the hopes that if we were to fall ill, there would be funds available to insure we were cared for. Imagine a retirement where your largest expense was airfare instead of eldercare.
Bottom line, Americans work too hard for too little. And this is supposed to be the land of opportunity. Believe me, I like my USA, and its public schools and free speech and blah blah blah. But, the icing on the cake, wait let me rephrase, the cake to all this icing would be if very literally, more American citizens could afford to live here.
--Andrea Batista Schlesinger
January 15, 2008
Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy
Where o where did my American Dream go? Did I kiss it goodbye when I decided to immerse myself in debt for the sake of a college education? I am beginning to wonder. Because when my would be home girl, Salliemae calls and wants to know where her money is and I tell her “You will get paid for my education as soon as I do,” I have to wonder if maybe, this country with golden paved streets is not somewhat flawed.
The majority of my college graduate friends, while highly educated, well traveled and moderately cultured, constitute the rapidly growing working poor. This is not the middle class. No, No. To achieve that level of status, especially in New York City requires much more than a 4-year degree and a job. Check out these stats from the Drum Major Institute:
* A middle class standard of living includes having health insurance, access to the Internet, good public schools for children, a retirement plan, annual vacations and air conditioning.
* A single person needs an income of $45,000-$90,000 to attain this middle class standard of living in New York City.
(http://www.drummajorinstitute.org/library/article.php?ID=6589)
Excuse me, but I have been out of school a good 4 years now (not quite entry level at this point) and have yet to achieve middle class standing in either my pay or the amenities available to me. Granted I have Internet access, a retirement plan of sorts, I even “vacation” if you can call those five days of paid leave a vacation. But the thing that really bothers me is the health insurance piece. Never mind that the first two years out of school I did not have health insurance, and subsequently did not go to the doctor. The thing that is really bothersome is that even now when I allow a chunk of my check to be set aside for these “benefits” I find myself smacked with a ridiculous deductible before the healthcare gods over at my insurance provider grace me with their 70% contribution to every doctor visit, prescription refill and lab test. And if I am making under 45k a year (and trust me I am), how the hell am I supposed to afford an annual physical, biannual dental check ups, and a pair of new frames? Excuse me, but I don’t have an extra few thousand to spare, and if I did I would probably give it to Sallie so she would stop calling me.
This brings me to my next point: Universal healthcare. Why don’t we have it? Check out this clip from Michael Moore’s “Sicko”. Watch the British couples reaction to the idea of paying for their hospital stay. http://au.youtube.com/wathc?v=V2sFT7T0mCsy
In a country where you can get a free k-12 education, request food stamps and live in a heated building on the taxpayer’s dime, why can you not also get medical care?
Moore provides his viewers with a glimpse of how the other half lives. And as slanted as his perspective is, I must say, yes the grass is looking very much greener in France, England and Cuba. That’s right, I said Cuba. Need to go to the emergency room? Take a cab; the hospital will pay for it. Avoiding the emergency room because you have to actually do something today? Forty-five minutes and a doctor will see you. But how can these doctors afford to treat patients who have no insurance? Well, for one, it’s a government-subsidized service. Prescriptions are a flat rate and doctor’s get rewarded when their patients become healthier. (Gasp)
Granted, in some of these places, a college education is free so doctors don’t have loans to repay in the ballpark of $250,000. They’re not taking bids from drug companies or turning away the uninsured, just to make the bills. NO, in this make believe wonderland of a country that I speak of, doctor’s work for the health and well being of their fellow man. What a concept. During filming, one London doctor informed Moore’s camera crew that he is eligible for bonuses if he can get more of his patients to quit smoking or get their blood pressure down.
Socialism is looking mighty good right now. When I look at all my twenty/thirty something degree holding friends who cannot find a job to pay rent, are skirting creditor calls and hoping that the last can of chickpeas will feed them for two weeks, I have to wonder if we, as Americans are dong something wrong. Should we not be more demanding of our government? Why are so many forced to take on second jobs in the hopes that if we were to fall ill, there would be funds available to insure we were cared for. Imagine a retirement where your largest expense was airfare instead of eldercare.
Bottom line, Americans work too hard for too little. And this is supposed to be the land of opportunity. Believe me, I like my USA, and its public schools and free speech and blah blah blah. But, the icing on the cake, wait let me rephrase, the cake to all this icing would be if very literally, more American citizens could afford to live here.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Baby, au naturale
So, I love where I live. In fact I got a pretty sweet set up going on. One roommate is a massage therapist addicted to late night baking, and the other only lives there temporarily as she travels to and from Jamaica for her fashion business. No one is ever home when anyone else is. There is always good food in the fridge and on the off chance we are all home at the same time, there is always lots of baking, cooking and good music to be had.
Granted the stress and panic I felt as a member of the household can in no way compare to the stress that a pregnant woman or a soon to be newborn, may feel, but good grief, the only time I have seen anything like this is on T.V., and it's never really real. Not like, homegirl's "water" broke and now there is "matter" on the bathroom floor, real. I, in actuality, missed a good part of the festivities because I spent about 14 hours out of the house that day. When I came home, I hid in my room until I absolutely had to come out, only to find that oh, look . . . baby.
Newborns, I will say, look a lot more animal like than human like. I mean, this child was shriveled, non pigmented and squinty and yet . . . it was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. There was no drama fanfare or father of the child pacing going on. Instead, there was silence and then there was child. Life came out of nowhere. It was amazing. And now, after the fact, I am not upset in the least. It is kind of difficult to be upset with a baby. It's not his fault he was born into the middle of my world uninvited. And now, it's his world too right?
But enough of the sentimental hooplah. Ten million things could have gone wrong with that child being born in the next bedroom. But it didn't. He could have been born stillborn, but he wasn't. Could have had one of those crazy newborn diseases yo see on Grey's Anatomy or ER requiring he be immediately rushed to the ICU. But none of that happened. Life happened without any crisis requiring immediate attention. So does that mean television is lying to us?(Gasp) Why do the accepted norms of modern society lead us to believe we need more to sustain ourselves than can be found in the average man's medicine cabinet? As it turns out, life is way easier than most folks would like us to believe. And why not? In this do it yourself age, why not . . . do it yourself. Nine times out of ten it will probably be o.k. I ain't going that route (when the time comes of course), but if the next woman feels so compelled, let go and let live, my friend, let live.
Now, you may ask yourself, what could possibly go wrong in a haven such is this? What about this cookie havin' haven could turn someone off? Well, I'm going to tell you my friends.
Two days ago my supposed Jamaican entrepreneur of a roommate had a baby. Never mind the fact that no one knew she was pregnant when we moved in, or the fact that she is not supposed to live here full time, but this girl straight decided she did not want to have her child in a hospital. No, no, hospitals are full for sick people and disease. The way to go is obviously a home birth. That's right I said it. Call the doula and boil some water 'cause this girl is having a baby.
Granted the stress and panic I felt as a member of the household can in no way compare to the stress that a pregnant woman or a soon to be newborn, may feel, but good grief, the only time I have seen anything like this is on T.V., and it's never really real. Not like, homegirl's "water" broke and now there is "matter" on the bathroom floor, real. I, in actuality, missed a good part of the festivities because I spent about 14 hours out of the house that day. When I came home, I hid in my room until I absolutely had to come out, only to find that oh, look . . . baby.
Newborns, I will say, look a lot more animal like than human like. I mean, this child was shriveled, non pigmented and squinty and yet . . . it was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. There was no drama fanfare or father of the child pacing going on. Instead, there was silence and then there was child. Life came out of nowhere. It was amazing. And now, after the fact, I am not upset in the least. It is kind of difficult to be upset with a baby. It's not his fault he was born into the middle of my world uninvited. And now, it's his world too right?
But enough of the sentimental hooplah. Ten million things could have gone wrong with that child being born in the next bedroom. But it didn't. He could have been born stillborn, but he wasn't. Could have had one of those crazy newborn diseases yo see on Grey's Anatomy or ER requiring he be immediately rushed to the ICU. But none of that happened. Life happened without any crisis requiring immediate attention. So does that mean television is lying to us?(Gasp) Why do the accepted norms of modern society lead us to believe we need more to sustain ourselves than can be found in the average man's medicine cabinet? As it turns out, life is way easier than most folks would like us to believe. And why not? In this do it yourself age, why not . . . do it yourself. Nine times out of ten it will probably be o.k. I ain't going that route (when the time comes of course), but if the next woman feels so compelled, let go and let live, my friend, let live.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Barack Obama, man of the people
So here I am up late trying to get my life in order and of course a staple on that list is checking the good ole' email. Through my own network of friends and family I came across this video which is being circulated by the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
Let me preface this by saying I do not consider myself a political person by any stretch of the imagination. I am not afraid to say I did not vote in the last presidential election or even in my last local election. The whole electoral college thing has me feeling a bit cynical about this country's political process. But, at the end of the day, in America (The United States of) money talks and if you can get people to raise enough money on your behalf, the machine known as the U.S.A. just might let you call some shots. That being said . . .
The song itself is quite amazing and somewhat reminiscent of a spoken word piece set to music, which given Obama's cadence and rhythm is essentially true. And of course the video as an artistic work is very thoughtful. Shooting in black and white and utilizing shots of each supporter against the white backdrop speak to the level of bare humanity the Obama campaign presumably seeks to reach. The style of the video appeals to a variety of ages and walks of life, not falling prey to any particular demographic in terms of tax bracket, former political affiliation or set political issue.
The question then becomes, is the message sincere? In a world where even the news is scripted and spoonfed to us, how can we, as objective viewers, truly see anything objectively? Is there a manner in which I can watch this video without thinking "damn, that is a great campaign idea" or "Nice way to skirt the real issues and appeal to an emotional response." The idea that the video itself does exactly what it aims to achieve, makes me slightly suspicious of it, and generates the opposite of the desired response. Instead of being sure that my vote counts I want to know:
Does this man really mean what he says or is he just really good at playing the game?
More food for thought on Obama:
Is he destined for assassination? Pearl Jr. writes about the fear held by many Black women.
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