Going Green - But I Read it in the New York Times!

Another post recycled from 2008 - this one touched on two of my (many) pet peeves: Veterans, and society accepting that the news media reports logically rather than choosing how they report information in order to positively impact their ratings. 

We have access to so much information these days, yet so many of us believe everything we are told is the complete truth.

_______________________________________   

A few weeks ago, the New York Times published a lengthy, front page article that generally portrayed returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as psychotic killers who should never be trusted with small children.

The story focused on "research" done by the newspaper that found 121 cases of returning veterans who had killed (murder, manslaughter and in some cases DUI).

The New York Times found 121 cases in which veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan committed a killing in this country, or were charged with one, after their return from war. In many of those cases, combat trauma and the stress of deployment — along with alcohol abuse, family discord and other attendant problems — appear to have set the stage for a tragedy that was part destruction, part self-destruction.

The article angered me. I wasn't surprised that military veterans commit murder, but that it NEVER crossed the "brilliant" literary minds of the New York Times to give statistical data to back up this "quiet phenomenon" as they describe it. You'll understand why in just a minute.

Nowhere in the article is it mentioned that these 121 killings came from a population of veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan of about 700,000. 121 acts of murder, out of 700,000 veterans spread over six years, yields a rate of 2.88 murders per 100,000 veterans, per year.

Interestingly enough, the Department of Justice publishes statistics on homicide offenders (general population). The US offender rate for homicide in the 18 - 24 year old range is 26.5/100,000. For 25 - 34 year olds, it is 13.5/100,000.

Do you see a problem here? Yes, that's right, your chances of being killed by a returning Iraq/Afghanistan war veteran are at least FOUR TIMES LOWER than your chances of being killed by someone who never served.

This story does nothing more than attempt to exploit the acts of troops who have committed crimes since they returned to the state and suggest that being a part of the military made these people do what they did. It is an insult to all the troops who serve honorably and act with honor and dignity when they return home - it is an insult to me.

They should stick to crossword puzzles.

Going Green - Plus-Sized Model?

This post originally appeared in May of 2008. As I strive to - once again - reach a healthy weight (this time with the help of bariatric surgery), this topic remains very relevant. 

I continue to struggle with what healthy looks like, and and feels like. I still cannot look at my reflection without my head filling with negative self-talk - things I would never even think about saying to anyone else.

This post is a reminder that the labels "society" places on each of us are often made from a very subjective place.

_______________________________________   

Have you ever watched America's Next Top Model? 

I've peeked in on this show on occasion - my thirteen year old step-daughter watches it incessantly when she visits - but it's not a show I'd ever seek out. The other day I thought I'd watch an episode to see which cheeseburger needing beautiful young girls were in the finals for cycle 10. I was surprised to learn that the token "plus-size" (or as they like to call it in the industry, "full-figure") model was in the final three. That surprise turned to horror when I saw these photos of one of the final three contestants and discovered that she was the "plus-size" model!



What? You've got to be kidding me! This beautiful, healthy looking, 20 year old girl (Whitney Thompson) wears a size 8/10 on a bloated PMS bad day - and we are going to call her a "plus-size" model? Since when did a healthy weight become "plus-size"? You can't even buy a size 10 in a plus-size store - they start at size 16.

Much of what I've read on Whitney's win talks about how great this is for young girls - to see that even a "plus-size" girl can win America's Next Top Model. I say bullshit! This does little more than distort the perception of "normal".

Do you know what's even worse? For years, men have taken the brunt of the blame for encouraging the stereotype of super thin as attractive, sexy, and beautiful and I don't believe it for a minute. It's not the men that encourage this stereotype, it's the women. I've read quite a bit on Whitney's win, and it's the women who say, "She sure put on a few pounds after they selected her," and "She looked better when she was thinner."

Looked better? She looks fabulous! Maybe as women we should stop being so critical of each other, and of ourselves, and recognize the beauty each one of us exudes.

And maybe ... just maybe ... that attitude will trickle down and begin to alter the way our society defines beauty.

Going Green

I've been trying (rather unsuccessfully) to get this blog back to a somewhat active lifestyle. It's been a little lazy and I can see it's putting on a little fat. If I'm getting more active, this blog needs to as well!

I find myself bitching, whining, and moaning - more and more - about how irritating I find social media (primarily tumblr and Facebook) these days. I crave original content, and blogging always offered substantially more of that than any other platform.

Then Tracie's Going Green And Recycling Old Posts post (Wording anyone? AWKWARD) showed up in my reader ...

PERFECT!

I've got some oldies but goodies hanging around that might still be interesting, or at least entertaining. What is required ... errrrr ... suggested ... y'all know how I am about rules ...?

Spruce up an old post and “recycle” it! Then, come back Monday and add your link to the list.

How can you make an old post better? It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1.  Add a pinnable image

2. Clean it up with a nice edit

3. Check your word count

Then, link up and be sure to visit others to get those posts the attention they deserve.

Hopefully this will be the kick in the ass this sedentary blog needs to get back into bikini shape!!

It Isn't Easy Being Green

~*~*~

Growing up in Seattle, I've always had tree hugger roots. Get it? Tree hugger ROOTS? I can hear the collective groan as y'all read this.

Anyway, that part of the country has always been a little more aware of the environment and our impact on it. Maybe it's the fact that Washington has it's very own rain forest, or maybe it has something to do with all of the rain causing mold on brain. Either way, the three R's - Reuse, Reduce, Recycle - were drilled into my head from an early age.

As is sometimes the case, this desire to be ecologically responsibility has ebbed and flowed over the years - mostly ebbing the past six years. There was quite a bit of mocking and ridiculing that went on when husband and I were together, and responsible consumerism was one of those things that was often mocked and ridiculed. Rather than stick to my values, I gave in to the pressure of wanting to be loved and accepted.

Over the past 6 weeks, I have been living the life that matters to me. Often times I don't even realize what is happening until I just feel good about some goofy thing and then start over-analyzing reflecting on why I'm feeling that way. It is usually the result of doing something that is important to me without having to be concerned about being mocked. Living the "Reuse, Reduce, Recycle" lifestyle in one of those things.

The other day I stumbled upon an article over at The Alternative Consumer discussing 5 easy ways to be a better consumer in 2010. Now I'll be the first to admit that some of the "Go Green" websites are WAY over the top, but this one seems to be pretty mainstream for the most part, offering sensible ideas and products to help us all be more aware and responsible consumers. Their top 5 (with my sensible adaptations)?

1. Smarter buying habits, as in, Do I really need this? This one is easier for some of us than it is for others. If you don't have a lot of disposable income many times you are asking yourself, "Which of these things do I need most?" But if you're in a position where you are trying to decide whether you should buy the new DROID because you are eligible for your "New-Every-Two" upgrade, or if you should keep your original LG Chocolate that, although not cool looking, does absolutely everything you need it to, opt to wait on the upgrade until your phone no longer works (Can you tell I had that conversation with myself recently?). It's true! You really can text without the use of a QWERTY keyboard!

2. Buy local and seasonal foods – Local Harvest has a great website that allows you to find local Farmer's Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. When you buy local and seasonal you not only get better quality, but you help reduce the use of fossil fuels to transport consumables from across the country - or the world.

3. Fashion – I've learned that I get just as much use from clothing I purchase at thrift and consignment stores as I do from that brand spankin' new "Made in Indonesia" shirt hanging on the rack in WalMart. Yes, I do have to commit to taking the time to sort through a lot of trash to find a treasure, but the hunt is part of the reward.

4. Reuse, Recycle – It will cost you a few minutes, but finding a place to donate that old cell phone or that CRT monitor not only helps someone in need, but it keeps heavy metal laden electronics out of the landfills. I have become a HUGE fan of my local FreeCycle groups. FreeCycle allows me free access to items I might need that someone else has no use for, and allows me to give items I no longer need or use a new life rather than a permanent home in a landfill.

5. Product Lifecycle – This one is difficult for me, but I'm working on it. I find that my recycle bin is 80% plastic product packaging. The experts claim you should evaluate how a product is made, where it comes from and what makes up its component parts, and purchase the "greener" versions. I'm working on it.

*NOTE* You can find the entire article [HERE]

Do tell! Do you think the whole "save the planet" movement is idiotic? Do you try to do little things to lessen your impact on the environment? Or are you one of those organic clothes wearing, cloth diaper using, free range chicken eating people?

~*~*~