Homestead mailing list

["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

On 9/20/07, Marie McHarry <mmcharry AT gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 9/20/07, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:
>
> > Certainly one might blame the beer, but alas, during after-dinner
> > talk we old friends actually sunk to the level of shouting at each
> > other as we exchanged and argued over what we think we know about
> > peak oil, overpopulation, sustainability, inflation, dollar erosion,
> > and of course politics. Somehow we missed sex and religion.


Gene, this paragraph made me smile. I know your experience didn't make you
feel good, but it was so human and well written, as always. Thanks for
sharing. This is why I hang around this list; I have hardly anything to
contribute, but I'm always open to learning and I get to read personal
stories like this.

I don't think the problem is too much information. I think it ia no
> response from our government to the horrible problems we face. The
> more information that people get and process, the more angry they get.
> One thing about the copyeditors is that they're informed. And know
> about fact checking.


Taking this thought a step further, most of us (or let's say many of us)
believe it's the government itself that is causing many of today's problems.
The blankety-blank Bush administration. That is a maddening thought that can
drive anyone to drink or to argument.

Listened to an author of a newly released book about the Supreme Justices on
Fresh Air w/ Terry Gross on NPR last night. I was saddened to learn why Jus.
Sandra Day O'Connor gave up her seat. She got to the point that she could
not stand Pres. Bush or the Bush administration. This was followed by her
husband getting Alzheimer's. She decided he needed her care so she gave up
her seat to take care of him, but the most sorrowful part is that by the
time Jus. Roberts was confirmed, Jus. Rehnquist died and Jus. Alito were
confirmed, her husband had deteriorated to the point that she could not help
him. And without her our Supreme Court leans more often to the right side of
conservatism than it did with her.

Terry Gross asked the author (whose name escapes me, sorry) if Jus. O'Connor
actually she could not stand the Bush admin and he said (paraphrasing),
"You're going to have to trust me on this, I spoke with her and have
sources." He sounded convincing though it's not the same as an absolute
fact.

I go in and out of phases where I want to digest the news (my menu is
usually NPR, PBS, The Nation (mag), and Democracy Now (tv & radio program),
and when I want to not read or hear anything for days on end. I've noticed
that I'm a happier person being ill-informed, but it's an addiction and I
come back for more--even when it makes me grumpy to think about the state of
things.

We recently watched the documentary, Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, as a
family and talk about depressing. We talked with our 12 year-old son about
it before and during the movie, but thankfully the movie had a slightly
upbeat ending when they got to talking about alternatives to oil. It didn't
leave you with a warm & fuzzy feeling, but that there was a glimmer of hope
if we begin doing something now.

Lisa