Haiti
Back in the 1970's, one of my grandmothers spent a couple of months each year on church mission trips to Haiti--helping build schools, teach classes, etc. She always seemed so happy about the results of her trips, but also agonized about the poverty she witnessed and was constantly amazed by how generous and upbeat the people were in spite of their living conditions and politics of their country. I suppose a lot of it had to do with not knowing what you are missing out on. So this morning's news about the earthquake in Haiti hit a little closer to home than it otherwise might have.
I wonder about what happened to all those people my grandmother tried to help 40 years ago.... I never knew them beyond a few phrases in a letter and one or two photographs. I may have to turn part of our decluttering and organizing efforts towards re-discovering those letters and photos she sent me. I'm pretty sure that I kept most, if not all, of them, but I have no idea where they are at the moment.
Additional random musing: Why does it seem that people who have the least are far more willing to share what they have than those of us who have so much more? Or do we seem to notice it more because that sharing is proportionally so much more?
Little Trouble in Big China
I saw that Google is pulling back from its Chinese operations. They were sharply criticized a couple years ago for cooperating with the Chinese government's program of censorship--mainly because it contradicted their policies of free information flow, lack of censorship, and generally being "not evil". Most people seem to believe that censorship is evil, except when the subject is one they personally find abhorrent. Each person's threshold of abhorrence is radically different. Sure, there are major points most people will agree upon, but even then, those threshholds are subject to variability and interpretation.
My opinion is that if you want to see it, there is nothing that can prevent you from seeking it out and (probably) finding it. If you don't want to see it, don't go looking for it. The real issue is our collectively self-righteous presumption that other people shouldn't be going to look for it either and attempting to impose that opinion upon them. Sure, there are all sorts of psychological and religious views that approve of this mentality. Personally, I find some of the psychological arguments very compelling. The religious ones? Not so much, because I think that's between you and the deity(or deities) of your faith or a poorly-reasoned belief that ignorance of the existence a sin or denying access to it means you cannot commit it.
It all becomes a slippery slope in a hurry. In the case of China, the government is playing the role of religious zealots by suppressing access to thoughts and views not aligned with itself in the hopes that people will keep believing in and supporting the regime out of ignorance of any other viewpoint or possibilities.
I'm sorry that Google compromised its principles in the first place, but I suppose they hoped to Make A Difference. Only now have they belatedly realized that compromising your principles in order to Make A Difference is not making a difference at all....
Just random and not-quite fully-formed thoughts....
Dandruff Fu
With the winter weather, we are running the heat (just like everyone else who can is doing). The heat is drying out the kitties, and Ignatius has become a large ambulatory wad of tabby dandruff. Petting him results in a slightly disgusting little cloud of dessicated skin flakes. Bleh.
Brushing him does not seem to help much, but he seems to like it. Time to invest in some tinned food to help replenish his fluids and add a little oil to help his skin. The cats still have plenty of water every day, so it isn't completely a dehydration issue. Also, the torties don't seem to be suffering as much from this problem--although Josie is sporting a couple more flakes than normal.
Poor flaky kitties!
I wonder about what happened to all those people my grandmother tried to help 40 years ago.... I never knew them beyond a few phrases in a letter and one or two photographs. I may have to turn part of our decluttering and organizing efforts towards re-discovering those letters and photos she sent me. I'm pretty sure that I kept most, if not all, of them, but I have no idea where they are at the moment.
Additional random musing: Why does it seem that people who have the least are far more willing to share what they have than those of us who have so much more? Or do we seem to notice it more because that sharing is proportionally so much more?
Little Trouble in Big China
I saw that Google is pulling back from its Chinese operations. They were sharply criticized a couple years ago for cooperating with the Chinese government's program of censorship--mainly because it contradicted their policies of free information flow, lack of censorship, and generally being "not evil". Most people seem to believe that censorship is evil, except when the subject is one they personally find abhorrent. Each person's threshold of abhorrence is radically different. Sure, there are major points most people will agree upon, but even then, those threshholds are subject to variability and interpretation.
My opinion is that if you want to see it, there is nothing that can prevent you from seeking it out and (probably) finding it. If you don't want to see it, don't go looking for it. The real issue is our collectively self-righteous presumption that other people shouldn't be going to look for it either and attempting to impose that opinion upon them. Sure, there are all sorts of psychological and religious views that approve of this mentality. Personally, I find some of the psychological arguments very compelling. The religious ones? Not so much, because I think that's between you and the deity(or deities) of your faith or a poorly-reasoned belief that ignorance of the existence a sin or denying access to it means you cannot commit it.
It all becomes a slippery slope in a hurry. In the case of China, the government is playing the role of religious zealots by suppressing access to thoughts and views not aligned with itself in the hopes that people will keep believing in and supporting the regime out of ignorance of any other viewpoint or possibilities.
I'm sorry that Google compromised its principles in the first place, but I suppose they hoped to Make A Difference. Only now have they belatedly realized that compromising your principles in order to Make A Difference is not making a difference at all....
Just random and not-quite fully-formed thoughts....
Dandruff Fu
With the winter weather, we are running the heat (just like everyone else who can is doing). The heat is drying out the kitties, and Ignatius has become a large ambulatory wad of tabby dandruff. Petting him results in a slightly disgusting little cloud of dessicated skin flakes. Bleh.
Brushing him does not seem to help much, but he seems to like it. Time to invest in some tinned food to help replenish his fluids and add a little oil to help his skin. The cats still have plenty of water every day, so it isn't completely a dehydration issue. Also, the torties don't seem to be suffering as much from this problem--although Josie is sporting a couple more flakes than normal.
Poor flaky kitties!