Save the Planet!!!

Lawns may be nice, but they don't absorb a lot of carbon dioxide. Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. If you have children, plant one tree for every year they are alive and measure their growth each year. Plant them in a pubic park so that everyone can enjoy them. Tired of sitting in the sun to watch your children's sporting events? Ask if you can plant trees on the sidelines of municipal fields. Donate a tree to your local civic association, school, or church. Plant roses in your front yard. Plant a garden in your back yard and save money on vegetables. If you live in a housing development, petition the Association to allow you to plant trees in public areas. Even better, build benches under them to promote community living. The Arbor Day Foundation will send you 10 trees for a $10 donation.

Something to Live For

Last night on 60 Minutes John Edwards and his wife were interviewed about their decision to stay in the Presidential race despite Elizabeth's ongoing battle with cancer. The questions were difficult. It almost seemed like the interviewer was trying to convince them to drop out of the race, but they handled each question beautifully - the way any Presidential candidate should. Last night's interview showed that John Edwards can be diplomatic and Presidential, which was no doubt part of the goal, and I applaud Elizabeth for choosing to deal with her disease based on what she feels is best for herself, her family, and her country.

Make no mistake, this is not a post about John Edwards. This is about the choice one woman has made to continue to battle an awful disease by choosing to live her life. It's true that a political campaign is hard on the body and mind, but after the interview I saw last night, I have no doubt that Elizabeth can handle it. I also have no doubt that it was HER decision that kept John in the race. She believes in her husband and she believes that his Presidency would be what's best for America. While that remains to be seen, she has done what all cancer patients are told to do - find something to live for. I hope that her very public battle will serve as inspiration for anyone living with terminal disease such as cancer. I wish her good luck and good health.

Prostitution for the Pill

The price of birth control pills doubled, and sometimes tripled overnight. For women in college, with children, or already working 2 jobs to cover costs, this is quite a shock. So my suggestion is that they make the men they are having sex with pay for birth control. It's only fair. why should women have to cover 100% of the cost when they're only having 50% of the fun. Usually less, but that's besides the point.

Really, women should be charging for sex every time they get into bed. They're bearing the financial burden of any outcome, anyway. There are millions of dollars of unpaid child support floating around out there. How many men who plead with their inconveniently pregnant girlfriends to have an abortion actually pay for half of it? Often if a man chooses to walk away from his responsibilities there are only repercussions if the mother of his children can find him AND afford a lawyer. Happily married women should charge their husbands and donate the money to shelters for abused women. Since money is what truly rules this country, the only way for women to ever be equal is to make men financially responsible for their reproductive rights.

3,233 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
24,187 US Soldeirs wounded in Iraq

Drugs... And Not the Good Kind

Some doctors are prescribing Adderall, a drug most typically used to treat ADHD, to treat obese and overweight children, not that it's been approved for that use. One of the side effects of Adderall is weight loss, but it can also stunt children's growth. My question is: why is it legal for doctors to prescribe drugs for conditions they weren't designed to treat? Why isn't the FDA paying more attention to regulating legal drugs? More importantly, why are doctors handing out drugs like candy? Is it possible that the reason Americans are so complacent is because they're sedated? How many people are on anti-depressants and other mind-controlling substances like Adderall? I'm not saying that some people don't need these drugs. If you're bi-polar, take the medication, but if your depression is being caused by major life changes and some serious bad luck, put down the pills and get some counseling first.

A Bright Idea

Whether you believe in Global Warming or not, you can still reduce your impact on the environment by following this tip from An Inconvenient Truth. Replacing just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb makes a difference in your electric bill as well as the amount of carbon dioxide your home emits. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. It might be a little more expensive in the short run, CFLs cost about $3.25 each, but you'll quickly make up the cost on your electric bill. They use 60% less energy than a regular bulb and need to be replaced less often. You can purchase CFLs online from the Energy Federation, and they are available at some local and chain hardware stores. If every family in the U.S. changed JUST ONE bulb, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds! Imagine what we could do if we switched the bulbs in ALL of our lamps.

If you work in a place where you are comfortable doing so, talk to your boss about replacing the bulbs there, as well. Many people are interested in doing little things to help the environment but they feel overwhelmed or insignificant. Others just can't be bothered to find out what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint. Take the initiative and let them know. Your grandchildren will thank you for it.

3,220 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
24,042 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Burning Bushes in South America

For the past two weeks I have been watching the news from South America, so imagine my surprise when I read the CNN headline, "Bush trip may have started healing Latin American rift". I think they forgot to mention something, like the HUGE protests in EVERY city he visited. Mayan Priests in Guatemala felt the need to purify a sacred site he visited to rid it of bad spirits. In Uruguay there were anti-imperialist rallies. The Brazilians called our President an assassin, claiming that he was simply a representative for the multinational companies that want to control bio fuels. Mexicans protested Bush's visit, his immigration policies, and his war with Iraq. So the question becomes: what does a lame duck President do when his country doesn't need him and other countries don't want him? And why isn't he being impeached?

Let's not forget the damage he's caused in THIS country:
3,199 US soldiers killed in Iraq
24,042 US soldiers wounded in Iraq and returning to substandard housing and medical care

Way to Support Our Troops, Mr. President!
To help soldiers far away keep in touch with their families, please click on this link.

Politicians Need to Shmooze

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been asking Washington politicians to act more like those in his own state, namely to put aside partisan politics and shmooze. He simply means that politicians socialize more with each other, regardless of party, and I agree. It is difficult to look at someone as your enemy when you know them on a personal level. It is even more difficult when you know that their goals are much more similar to yours than party lines would suggest.

I've been saying for quite some time the Republicans and Democrats are really no different from each other. At this point politics are all about corporate interests. Third parties will be our salvation, assuming that campaign reform is ever an option in Washington. Until then, we'll just have to pressure our politicians to try and get along. My preschoolers do a better job than they do.

3,188 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq
23,785 US soldiers have been wounded in Iraq