A New State of Mind

I hate excercise.

I've had no success with exercise until recently.

Now I have a totally new mindset. I don't actually exercise - I look for alternatives to my car. I've been taking the bus to work 2-3 days/week. I ride my bike for short trips around town.
I've started a new work schedule - 7-3:30. This should make getting to work on my bike easier. I also wear a pedometer.

I took the bus today. I was in the middle of something at work and didn't leave until 4:45. I was so tired from the weekend (Ebertfest). I wanted to go straight home, but I had to go by Strawberry Fields. It's about a 15 minute walk from work. I didn't really need anything for myself, but we're out of wet cat food. We have dry, but I didn't want the stare-down from Sweetpea. She'll sit on her table and stare at me until I get her wet food, even when she has dry food in her bowl.
And I wasn't going to take the bus home and drive back.

Thanks to Sweetpea I got my 10,000 steps today and then some!

"There should be no such thing as an illegal person on this planet"

The above is a quote from Raquel Rubio Goldsmith, a crusader for border reforms and more humane treatment of the undocumented.
I found the quote in the book I just finished reading today: "The Devil's Highway".
I started crying today as I finished the book. It is a heartbreaking account of 26 men and boys that tried to cross the Mexican border into the Arizona desert. Only 12 people survived the trip.
In the last several months, I've become aware of a group called Humane Borders.
"Humane Borders, motivated by faith, offers humanitarian assistance to those in need through more than 70 emergency water stations on and near the U.S.-Mexican border. " Humane Borders was mentioned several times in "The Devil's Highway". The part of the book that really got me crying is this:
"In Arizona, critics are more direct. Toxic materials appear in jugs that look like drinking water. Humane Borders water stations are vandalized, the 300 gallon tanks broken open so they run dry." What causes such hate?

Human trafficking over the border is heartbreaking and a big business. Lots of people die after paying for assistance to get over the border. These people cook to death in the desert, abandoned by the guides they paid; in trunks of cars; in backs of trucks; in train cars; and strapped to the engine blocks of cars.

We need a more humane immigration policy.

It's Time to Cut The Cable

I see letters to the editor from people complaining that with rises in gas and utilities they can't really handle the increase in cable, too. Guess what folks, cable is not basic need. It's time to cut the cable and save some money. Read a book, take a walk, volunteer, play with your kids.

Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan (Part 1)

Note: some of the images are disturbing:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C0YFaLN_LFs&feature=related

Church of Stop Shopping and the Story of Stuff

Consumerism is out of control!
I replaced my 30 year old fridge last year. When I went to buy a new one, I told the sales person I need to replace my 30 year old fridge. He informed me that fridges built today do not last that long. This is unacceptable!

The Story of Stuff is a "20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns". The problem I encountered with the fridge is called Planned Obsolescence, and it is addressed in the Story of Stuff. Perceived Obsolescence is created by advertisers. It is also addressed in the Story. My tv is almost 20 years old, when it dies I will not be getting a new one.

Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping are spreading the anti-consumerism message. Last Christmas, a documentary was made about Rev Billy - "What Would Jesus Buy?" I highly recommend it. Below is the trailer:

Stop Military Rape

This must stop!

Winter Soldier Testimony dealing with military rape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epECbwvQshM&feature=related

http://stopmilitaryrape.org/

An Inconvenient Truth: We Are Eating Our Planet to Death

I've been a vegetarian for a long time. My goal is veganism, but it is hard to do - some days are easier than others. A vegan diet is best for our over-burdened planet.

Because of global warming, choosing a plant-food based diet is now a moral issue.

Here are two articles that explain:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/dec/truth.htm

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/dec/globalwarming.htm :
"Global warming poses one of the most serious threats to the global environment ever faced in human history. Yet by focusing entirely on carbon dioxide emissions, major environmental organizations have failed to account for published data showing that other gases are the main culprits behind the global warming we see today. As a result, they are neglecting what might be the most effective strategy for reducing global warming in our lifetimes: advocating a vegetarian diet."