12 July 2009

Overpopulation

The other day I got an automated priming phone call from an unidentified group that asked me one simple but skewed question:

"Do you consider yourself pro-life?"

Now, how can there be but one right answer to that? Thinking of cats, kids, flowers, birds, etc., of course I chose the loaded response.

Which evidently placed me on the list to receive a real-human-being followup call from Alta Vista Research located right here in Dubuque, Iowa. One peculiarity of this heavily Catholic city is that the phrase Planned Parenthood carries threatening overtones, at least to those individuals whose religion and privilege (I'm making assumptions here) has blinded them to quality of life issues. Ever since a Planned Parenthood clinic moved into town last year, there have been spurts of protest.

Myself, I can't understand the idea of reproduction without limit. To me, this is elevating quantity over quality to the great detriment of those of us who are already living. Not only women's rights are at stake (not to minimize their vital importance, being one myself). Can't these so-called Pro-Life people recognize what human overpopulation is doing to harm the natural environment?

Habitat is diminishing, species are at risk, suburbia is crushing woodlands and waterways everywhere, and vehicles are proliferating, to name a few negative effects. Plus, human activity and over-consumption are directly linked to climate change. Why would any thinking person wish to deny others reproductive choice when there are so many stories and facts in the news about the impact of earth's overgrown human population?

I believe that planned parenthood, birth control, and sometimes even abortion are essential -- not only for women's well-being and self-determination, but also to maintain a healthy, liveable planet for all of us, both humans other living creatures.

The young woman on the other end of the phone line sounded nice, albeit naive, so I told her my views straight off, before she even started on her canned survey. I figured it was best to be upfront.She read me a disclaimer about her organization's supposedly unbiased stance, but I noticed she had difficulty pronouncing the word ethical. Hmmm, bad sign.

The first survey question was something like, "What descriptive words do you think of when you hear the phrase Planned Parenthood?" My response included "blind, short-sighted," and a reiteration of my ideas above. It was followed by a non-comprehending pause on the line before the young woman blithely proceeded to her next question.

Aware that I was facing a pseudo-survey whose true intent was to scrape the dregs of public opinion in order to further harass workers and clients at the local Planned Parenthood clinic, I asked, "Did you write down what I just said?" The naive but honest young woman admitted, "Mmm, No."

Because she couldn't hear me amidst her muffling desires to support one-sided results for the "survey", I declined to answer the rest of the questions. In my own mind, this phone call solidified my determination to lean more strongly the other way, towards pro-choice.

It's not enough to believe in an idea. Your actions must support it. Especially when forces of ignorance seek to oppress the freedom and knowledge of everyone else in the community, too. You must fight to preserve choice. The well-being of the Earth depends upon it.

    While some of these projections may look gloomy, remember: we can change the future. We can create a new vision, a new dream for the planet. It is in our power to humanely slow and stop population growth and solve the many problems that growth is creating. (source)

18 June 2009

Bar recipe / Alienation links

With two hungry boys to feed this week, I did some baking. Below is a recipe that I customized from a version found in a family friend's "Canardly" cookbook. I was amazed to find that both my kids ate walnuts. Wheat bran gives a good texture to the crust and is a good way of sneaking in extra fiber. The eggs and nuts make this a delicious high protein snack.

    Mundt Bars
    Crust:
    1/2 c. wheat bran or wheat germ
    1 c. flour
    1/2 c. margarine, melted
    1/2 c. brown sugar
    Topping:
    3 eggs
    1 c. brown sugar
    1 t. vanilla
    2 T. flour, heaping
    1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
    1 c. milk chocolate chips

    Mix first four ingredients; pat into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. In the meantime, beat eggs into 1 c. brown sugar; add vanilla, flour, and chopped nuts. Pour topping mixture over crust and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Return to oven. Bake 15 minutes more or until edges are lightly browned and pull away from sides of pan. Allow to cool 15 minutes before cutting. Makes 2 dozen delicious bars. Store in refrigerator.





Parental alienation
Below are links I accumulated a few months ago but never before posted:

1 In 4 Kids In Divorce Becomes Parental Pawn

One Out Of Four Children Involved In A Divorce Undergoes Parental Alienation Syndrome. Also appears here.

Really good site on Parental Alienation. Go back to this one.

Do's and Don'ts for Parents in Divorce

MMPI-2 Validity Scales and Suspected Parental Alienation Syndrome

Parents Who Have Successfully Fought Parent Alienation Syndrome
    Parental alienation syndrome criteria:
  1. Personally involved in, or involving others in, malicious acts against the other parent
  2. Engages in excessive litigation for the purpose of limiting the other parent's access to their children
  3. Attempts to obstruct regular visitation with the other parent
  4. Obstructs the other parent's participation in the children's school life and extracurricular activities by lack of notification or untimely notification
  5. Lying to the children
  6. Lying to others (including, but not limited to, child welfare and child abuse workers, school personnel, medical and psychological professionals)
  7. Violations of law (court orders, enforceable agreed orders regarding access, etc.)
  8. False allegations of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse (falsehood determined by collateral information from child protective service agencies, physicians, psychologists, or other reputable sources)
  9. -- [source]

Backstory: What I blogged previously on this topic.

04 June 2009

10 Tips for Financially Struggling College Students

While college can be a wonderful experience, it can also bring financial challenges. It's vital to get a handle on money issues before they impact your academic success. If you are a struggling college student, use these ten smart money tips to reduce your financial stress:

  • Don't get caught up in the credit card trap. When funds are limited, the temptation to use a credit card may be overwhelming. But don't allow yourself to be taken in by tantalizing ads or seemingly low interest rates. Using a credit card is like gambling with your future. Hidden fees and steeply rising interest rates may leave you owing much more than what you borrowed. Although in the current economy, you can't depend on a high-paying job after college, credit cards are certain to leave you buried in debt. Pay with cash, not credit, and skip the future heartache.

  • Be cautious about student loans. In the same way that you should avoid credit card debt, be wary of borrowing the maximum amount of student loans for which you are eligible. Why? Simply because the money you borrow now must be paid back in the future. Making monthly student loan payments will impact your post-college life for years. Plus, there's no guarantee that your college education will lead to a well-paying career. So, even if you are eligible, if you can survive without a student loan, don't borrow it.

  • Take a cold hard look at your monthly budget. Figure out what you spend your money on. Certain bills, like rent, cell phones, or car insurance, are considered "fixed expenses," which means you pay a regular amount every month. Slim down your fixed expenses by moving to a cheaper place, taking steps to lower phone or utility bills, or cutting out subscriptions. Doing what you can to reduce your fixed expenses will give your budget breathing room.

  • Don't try to keep up with people who are better off. College brings the opportunity to meet other students of diverse backgrounds. But if you hang out with people who are big spenders – due to their sloppy money habits or thanks to their family's wealth – you may feel pressured to spend money at the same rate they do. For a person of modest resources, this can lead to financial disaster. Especially when you're with fast-spending friends, be aware of your own financial limits. Don't pretend you can afford to spend what you can't.

  • Learn to cook. Too many restaurant meals will drain away your cash. But many useful things can be learned from books, including how to cook from scratch. Figure out how to eat at home, instead of paying somebody else to cook for you. Grocery stores contain a wealth of options. Developing your own cooking skills will save you money.

  • Look for free or cheap entertainment. Sure, it's a blast going out with friends every night, but it's also an easy way to dribble away cash. Constant partying also takes a toll on your studies. Save evenings out for a special treat, and look for free or cheap recreation on campus or within the community. For instance, your student activities office may sponsor special events, your college library may carry a marvelous collection of movie DVDs, or your city may hold terrific (and free) weekend festivals. Take advantage of opportunities for fun but cheap entertainment.

  • Learn about other community resources. Knowing about the city in which your college is located will help you in other ways, too. Community resources you might enjoy or need to use may include parks and natural areas, a medical clinic, or even a food bank. Get familiar with what is offered so you can tap into these things when the time is right.

  • Buy used books. This old reliable method has helped many struggling college students save money. Web sites such as Half.com or Amazon.com make this easier now than ever before. But you have to research the book requirements for your classes, allowing time for shipping if you buy them online. Books are identified through their ISBN numbers. When you meet people who are taking the classes you need, ask them to save their books for you. Sometimes there's very little difference between editions and even a prior edition will get you through a semester, for a lot less money.

  • Get a part time job. Work, but don't let it interfere with your studies. If you get financial aid, you may be eligible for a work study position. These jobs pay little but are usually on campus and offer flexible scheduling. Stay alert for any opportunity to get hands-on occupational experience in your field. Paid internships are like gold nuggets and may lead to a permanent job.

  • Finally, to stay money smart, use your financial resources responsibly. Figure out your income and fixed expenses, and always be aware of your budget. If you receive financial aid, divide the amount of your award by the months you need to stretch it (after subtracting college tuition). This may be an eye opener, motivating you to work harder to spend less. Whether your money comes from family, financial aid or a job, reduce your money stress by handling your financial resources wisely. Struggling students who follow this advice will spend less time worrying and more time striving toward academic success.

* More of my frugality articles *



UPDATE:
I submitted the above article to the Festival of Frugality blog carnival. I'm not quite sure how a blog carnival works but I gather it's a way of remote-posting on a particular topic and hopefully gaining like-minded readers. I wanna surf this carnival's frugality links here and here.

I also wanna surf through this frugal homemaking category at DMOZ. I like the looks of The Smarter Wallet, and I also plan to read more of the Make It From Scratch blog as well as Frugal Village.

01 June 2009

Green LEDs & Cats

The great thing about living green is that it also tends to be the more frugal choice. Activities like cooking at home to reduce packaging, composting, or reducing energy usage are all earth friendly as well as wallet friendly. Since I relish the thought of lower electric bills, as my ordinary lightbulbs burn out, I've changed them for the twisty compact fluorescent type.

So I'm excited about an interesting story published by The New York Times about the rapid advance of LED lighting technology. It seems that LEDs will eventually overtake compact fluorescent bulbs as the greenest lighting choice: Green Promise Seen in Switch to LED Lighting.

    "Studies suggest that a complete conversion to the lights could decrease carbon dioxide emissions from electric power use for lighting by up to 50 percent in just over 20 years."
Plus, while compact fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, LEDs contain nothing toxic. Their main drawback presently is the expense, which will hopefully decrease as technology advances. However, I did recently found a pretty good LED desk lamp at Menards for about $10. I don't see any way to change the lightbulbs, but they are supposed to last about 30 years. Think that's long enough...?

The Pet Poop Problem

It's common to see dog walkers discreetly carrying little bags of dog-doo. But is it better to use ordinary plastic shopping bags, biodegradable bags, or paper boxes for this task? And what is the greenest way to dispose of the poo? Some people flush it, others put it in the trash, still others create their own mini-sewage system for pet waste. What's the best option?

A while back, the Green Living Site posted an interesting article about the greenest ways to deal with pet waste: Dog poop - smelly, unsightly and damaging. The followup comments from readers are well worth reading. Here are more cautions about the environmental impact of pets.

And what about cat litter? As a multi-cat owner, that's a topic closer to my heart. I use clay litter because it's cheaper, but is it really best for the earth? A recent article from Petside.com's green section gives a good overview of the cat-owner's dilemma: Cat Litter: An Environmental Problem?

It turns out that clay litter, although it appears natural, has its own problems. Why Switch from Clay Litter to Eco-friendly Litter? Bentonite, used to create "non clumping" cat litter, is strip mined. Wanna see pictures of a cat litter factory in Wyoming?

For a good explanation of litter options, see Kitty litter: A Green Conundrum. And here's more general advice about Environmentally friendly felines. As far as my own practices, I plan to keep using the non-clumping type of natural clay litter because it's cheapest. And I don't have a dog (yet) so luckily don't have those worries. But I hope that everyone reading this will think twice about how green living applies to life with a pet.

27 May 2009

Memorial Day mini-vacation

I had a very nice mini-vacation during Memorial Day weekend. I wrote three reviews at TripAdvisor.com about places we visited. We drove a big ~400 mile triangle through the tri-state area.

Highlighting our trip was the spectacular Devil's Lake state park near Baraboo, Wisconsin. The hiking was marvelous and the scenery was awesome. Here's a view from an overlook on the South Bluff trail which circles high above the natural glacier-created lake:


The woods were full of wild geranium, and I got a couple of good macro closeups with my new camera, a Canon Powershot A2000IS. [All of the photos in this post open up to high resolution (up to 800K in size), which I don't recommend clicking on if you are using dialup]:

The first night, we stayed at a marvelous little resort, Willowood Inn, where both the accommodations and the birds were delightful. In the Wisconsin wilderness, coyotes howled in the middle of the night. The owners have made this a lovely place to stay:

We spent a second overnight in Rockford, Illinois, enjoying a delicious dinner in an upscale Japanese restaurant and shopping in a big-city grocery store. En route home, we stopped in Elizabeth Illinois, where costumed reenactors were hosting a children's event at the Apple River Fort. Here's a view through the fort's kitchen window:


We saw plenty of fragrant Sweet William or wild phlox, which is in full bloom along the roadsides that have been planted with natural prairie. I photographed this bunch along the path from the museum to the fort:



Afterwards, we stopped at Elizabeth's Long Hollow lookout tower, which unhappily is closed for repair:


But here's an example of the panorama to be seen from that location:


By Monday we'd completed the circuit back to Dubuque, where I spent time appreciating the cats and doing power laundry. It was a wonderful trip, and I'm glad to be home.

11 May 2009

Love Sonnet

"Love is probably the best antidepressant there is because one of the most common sources of depression is feeling unloved." -- [source]

    SONNET 29 by William Shakespeare

    When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
    I all alone beweep my outcast state
    And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
    And look upon myself and curse my fate,
    Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
    Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
    Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
    With what I most enjoy contented least;
    Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
    Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
    Like to the lark at break of day arising
    From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
    For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
    That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Modern English translation of the last two lines:
"For when I remember your sweet love, I feel so wealthy that I'd refuse to change places even with kings." [source]




And speaking of wealth, here are a couple of links pertaining to my recurring subject of frugality:

04 May 2009

Backyard veggie gardening

I spent a lot of energy this past weekend turning over dirt in the backyard so I could grow a few veggies. And I'm not alone. According to the Consumer Reports Health Blog:

    Gardening can put green back in your wallet. If you’re looking for more ways to stay healthy and save money, look no further than your own backyard. Growing a simple vegetable garden can save hundreds of dollars in food costs—and more Americans are catching on. According to a recent National Gardening Association (NGA) study, 43 million U.S. households plan to grow their own garden this year, up 19 percent from last year. And gardening is appealing to an increasingly broad group—21 percent are new to gardening. Over half (54 percent) of gardeners say their main reason for growing their own food is to save money on food bills, and 34 percent say the current recession is motivating them to garden.

Since our neighborhood is an old one (my house was built in 1870), digging in the backyard can be like playing archaeologist. A few years ago, in the process of transplanting a small spruce tree, I dug down about 18 inches when I found an entire horseshoe! Although this weekend's sod-turning was less thrilling, I did find a bunch of broken dishes and rusty nails (the grimy pile in the photo).

I'm quite proud of the pole-bean support that my teenage and I built out of pieces of fencing and 2x4s. Extending two small beds, I planted yellow summer squash, cosmos, Kentucky Wonder pole beans, and red snapdragons. Earthworms were plentiful -- always a good sign -- and I squashed quite a few of what my Mom used to call "cutworms," which may be Junebugs in various stages of larval development. The diverse backyard bird population ate brunch afterwards.
Hope everything comes up!

Tonight I went out and covered the freshly turned dirt with wildlife netting, to prevent our potential bean seedlings from getting eaten off by the same hungry squirrels that decimated my newly transplanted strawberries (the strawberries are growing back now, thank goodness). Thanks to my Mom, I've also started a small plot of raspberries. From now on,the birds can have the wild blackberry brambles that I'd been picking from occasionally (got enough last year to top a couple of cheesecakes). Cultivated raspberries are bigger, or so I hope!