Discontent

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For some time now I have been aware that the various forms of media breed discontent.  All one need do is tune in to a favorite television show or pick up a magazine and suddenly you need something that you weren't aware even existed an hour before.  I'm definitely not immune to this phenomenon.  Even when I dive into a mass media publication that is "green," I find myself wondering if my shampoo gives me clean, shiny, bouncy hair and maybe I need to buy a new product.  Or I realize the product I'm using or the color/style I'm wearing is so last year.

The same goes for the internet.  Being a philomath, I want to know/learn/read everything.  I'll be on the internet, reading an article, find another article/blog/website, and I'm down the rabbit hole, chasing down that latest bit of information that I just have to know.  The problem is that knowledge is a bottomless pit.  Like material consumption, unlimited access to knowledge leaves one wanting and dissatisfied.  

As I did with television and magazines, I need to cut back and discover what is essential to me.  And I want to keep that focus to prevent the pervasive creep of "just one more" out of my life.  I've come to the realization that I lack a sense of completion, such as when I finish a book or magazine or when I empty out my "in" box.  The net is a black hole that sucks me in and ultimately leaves me empty.  It is an amazing tool but it is almost infinite; I never "finish" anything when I'm using it.  So I'm going to evaluate both my time on the internet and the places that I frequent to regain a sense of accomplishment in my daily life.

Quote for the Day

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What do I think of Western civilization? I think it would be a very good idea.

~Mahatma Gandhi

Veganism and the Environment

Yet Another infographic from me:

Farm Friday

Meet our interns:  Charles, Ariana, and Babs.  They arrived this past Saturday and will be working and learning on our farm for the next two weeks.  Charles and Babs are both Conservation Studies majors at George Mason University.  All three are very impressive with their passion for conservation and sustainable living issues. 

The Church, Patriotism, and Universal Healthcare

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I'm an introvert and definitely not a leader, so I have a hard time "changing the world" in the traditional, extroverted way.  The best thing I can do is to bring a little awareness of social injustice to people who aren't informed or really haven't given a lot of thought to certain topics.  Then the extroverts and leaders can address the serious problems that plague our world.  Not just our country, but our world - which extends far beyond our man-made political borders.

For several years now, July has been a frustrating time for me as a church-goer (have I mentioned this before?).  The weekend before Independence Day, American churches decorate their sanctuaries and lawns with American flags.  At some point during the service, there is an emphasis on American exceptionalism and how we were founded as a "Christian nation."  One friend, who also feels this way, told me he tried a local Mennonite church one year, thinking that surely a traditional peace church would avoid all this patriotic fervor; he was wrong.  So I stopped going to church the weekend before that holiday.

In the buckle of the Bible belt, most people are extremely conservative, both religiously and politically.  The latest political hot button issue for them is the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).  Over and over again, I hear how it is "socialism," how it is "not biblical."  (No one has actually explained to me what "not biblical" actually means; I think it's a catch phrase they use whenever there is something they disagree with.)

Yet, if we were truly a "Christian nation," it seems to me we would want universal healthcare.  Not necessarily Obamacare, but some type of system that would ensure that ALL Americans, especially the least of these, had access to health care.  What can be wrong with that?  I mean, having public schools certainly smacks of what some call "socialism" (and it doesn't sound the least bit biblical).  Despite the flaws in the public school system, I doubt that many Americans would advocate for eliminating it. 

And speaking of being biblical, anyone who has read the Bible knows Jesus healed the sick.  In fact, it was a major part of his ministry.  Notice Jesus' lack of judgment when it came to healthcare:  he never asked them if they deserved it or if they were slackers.  Jesus simply saw their pain and fixed it.  In John 14:12, Jesus said we would not only do the some things he was doing, but that we would "do even greater things than these."  Perhaps what he meant was that we would find a way to care for all sick people, not just a few individuals.  So, if we want to be "biblical," it seems a Christian nation would spend a lot of time and energy (and money) seeking ways to provide healthcare to everyone, not just to those whose employers provide it or to those who are eligible for social programs like Medicare.

For individuals who have difficulty understanding what it is like to be a member of the working poor, watch this video clip based on Barbara Ehrenreich's book Nickel and Dimed:  On (Not) Getting By in America.  Keep in mind the book came out in 2001, before, this latest recession.  (And a shout out to my blogger friend Deanna of The Well-Groomed Hippie who brought the video to my attention.)

Now tell me that Christians should oppose some type of universal healthcare.

Wellness Wednesday

Even when you are trying to avoid aspartame, it can sneak up on you.  Several months ago, I purchased some fruit-flavored yogurt thinking it was pretty healthy (minus the flavoring).  But upon getting it home, I started reading the label and discovered it contained aspartame.  Into the trash it went.  Here's a chart showing other places we need to be careful - some are obvious, some are not:

Books v. E-Readers

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I found this infographic over at The Everyday Minimalist.  She was curious about the environmental impact of books in print versus books available on e-readers, taking into consideration the impact of the e-reader itself.  She found her answer on Slate.  Turns out, although an individual e-reader's carbon footprint is much larger than a single book's, once you have read about 20 electronic books, the e-reader wins, hands down.  (The math gets more complicated when you buy used books that are passed on, but in the long run e-readers are still better).

The only other way to reduce the carbon footprint of reading is to use your local library.  I think an even better solution is to use your local library to check out e-books.  Good for the environment, good for your pocketbook.

Although it's much better for the environment to read electronic books, I still like the feel of paper books in my hands.  But I am trying to make the switch.