half mast

Seeing the flag at half mast, I can respect the pain the families and friends of those students killed at Virginia Tech must feel. I can also wonder about the pain in the heart of the young man who could only see his way out of his own pain by killing the others before taking his own life.

I wonder, too, how the familes and friends of our military sons and daughters and friends must feel seeing the flag bowed for the students but not bowed daily for those who come back from Iraq in body bags. Or, perhaps sometimes worse, coming back alive but with permanent head injuries. Or coming back with the poison of depleted uranium lodged in their bodies, waiting to strike their children yet to be born.

And, to acknowledge the widening ripple of violence, I wonder how the families and friends of those who die because they have no health insurance to pay for their medical needs must feel? Especially when those who have the power to initiate change - don't, because they say private coverage works.

The ripple continues to grow in circumference, and now the flag needs to honor the deaths of those in other countries due to starvation, disease, violence, all of which to one degree or another have our fingerprints on them.

No, not that we are each of us personally responsible for the deadly decisions of others, but as members of the (recently) wealthiest, most powerful nation on this planet, we aren't exactly innocent, either.

Maybe the flag should be at permanent half mast.
Mourning our friends and family members who have died needlessly.
Mourning our own hearts that can't see past "patriotism" and "capitalism."

What's up with El Paso?

I don't look for monsters under the bed, in the closet, or behind the drapes. I don't think I'm paranoid. But you've also heard that just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you…

Reading my local newspaper, I see Smucker acquires Eagle brands. Not that I would know the difference between one owner and another, but I noticed that 45 local workers will lose their jobs, though some will supposedly be able to transfer to Orrville, OH. Smucker will continue Eagle brand operations in Seneca MO and El Paso TX.

The last paragraph was troubling to me. I quote: "Smucker's size provides bargaining power with food retailers such as Wal-Mart and Kroger,who have grown in recent years, Steinke said."

I understand that in this way: a large company becomes larger. That has consequences.

Turning the page, I read Hoover will cut 750 jobs, owners say. Now get this. 650 union positions will be lost. Hong Kong based Techtronics Industries Co.Ltd. acquired Hoover from Whirlpool. And get this, too: the manufacturing work will be consolidated into operations in El Paso, TX, and Juarez, Mexico.

There's so much I don't know about all this, and I suspect the big boys like it that way. I have no quarrel with the Chinese, but why do they own a company here? What's the economics of that? And what about El Paso? What's the economics of THAT, too?

Somehow, without understanding the details, I suspect this does not bode well for the little guys, but will definitely enhance the incomes and lifestyles of the power and greed monsters.

Assuming there's a sucker punch in this story that will affect us in time, the only thing I know is to avoid buying their products. Smucker is easy. Jelly, sweetened condensed milk and all that aren't real foods anyway. We're already out of control in terms of healthy choices, so this choice could become a blessing. But Hoover? Well, we've got to clean our floors, right? On the other hand, we don't have to emulate Martha Stewart, do we? Perhaps the day will come when we'll have to do what the majority of people on this planet have to do. Live on bare floors. That's OK. I've never read in the obits that anybody died because of bare floors.

things are heating up

The Crunch

Global warming. The arguments I hear close to home are echoed outward.

Arguments about whether we are causing it or if it's a natural phenomenon. Does it matter? How are we going to protect our children and grandchildren? How are we going to protect life on earth?

Or don't we care? We shrug our shoulders so often about so many things. As "The Crunch" points out, most of the things we shrug our shoulders about have time to work themselves out. Slavery, poverty, economic tyranny - these things will eventually be confronted by revolution or maybe by just growing up as human beings. I'm guessing it'll be revolution, though.

But apparently our global warming situation is like cancer. Once it has presented itself, you either face it head on and endure the cure, or die. All the talk about lifestyle, whether diet, exercise, pollution, stress, or genetic mutation doesn't change the fact that it's do or die time.

And what can I do? I've already adopted many of the lifestyle changes. As I can, I make more changes. My next step will be involvement at the community level. I live in a middle class suburb that prohibits clotheslines in our yards, and gardens must be within a relatively modest size. All this is to protect "property values." It's easy enough to get around the garden limitations. Just develop several small garden plots, each within the size limitations. That's actually a good way to garden anyway, and is aesthetically pleasing. But clotheslines? That'll be a tougher nut to crack. Since nobody wants to take the time to hang their clothes out anyway, they're not going to be inclined to change the neighborhood association regulations.

Well, just musing a bit. When I'm gone and when my grandchildren are struggling with a changing climate, I want them to know I was thinking of them and doing what I could. This being Good Friday, I think of the traditional thinking that Jesus died on the cross for us. I wonder what kind of lifestyle dying I can do for my children and grandchildren.

Or will they recognize the "dying" to self, turn me into an icon that is prayed to weekly, and go about doing their own climate destruction? What kind of thanks will that be? Does that let me off the hook? Simply, no.