Showing posts with label Ravings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ravings. Show all posts
I'm so angry right now I could scream. Thanks to Family Watchdog, a site that I subscribed to over a year ago, we were just notified that a sexual offender just moved into STUDENT FAMILY HOUSING last week! This address is just up the hill only a few buildings away. I mean, come on. What the hell were they thinking letting an offender moving into family housing, where 90% of the apartments have families with children, and then not notify anyone! We had a right to know about it. No, we don't have a right to harass the man. But damn it, no one was told and they (housing officials) certainly had time enough to send out an email notifying us. >:( Everyone has a right to live and let live, and we all have a right to a roof over our heads. But he sure as hell shouldn't be in an area with such a high concentration of children.
Remember
I still remember when I first found out what was happening. We didn't have TV so I didn't sit glued to the screen like so many did. I don't remember exactly what I was doing when Carey called me to ask if I knew what was going on and told me to turn on the radio. I listened for several minutes in horrific silence before curling up in a ball in the corner and crying for who knows how long. My first thought was for everyone lost in a senseless tragedy and then I wondered what would happen to the rest of us. Were we going to war? Would our country be torn apart? At that time, I was pregnant with our first child although I did not as yet know. It's amazing that so much time has passed; the world has turned several times and while we have not forgotten, we have certainly gotten on with our lives. The little one that was nestled beneath my heart when this happened is five now and currently on the trip of his young life. I look at him every day (all of my children, really) and thank the powers that be that he was safe and sound and that I was blessed with life instead of the death that so many people faced in the tragedy. I also feel blessed that I was gifted with a beautiful daughter on the eve of my activation and leaving for my training in Fort Bliss before going on to Iraq. The whole war is senseless and I pray every day that no more families will have to face the loss of their loved ones. On that note, I discovered quite by accident The Walk of the Fallen and I just cried.
It is a labyrinth, built in Washington State and dedicated to the Fallen and their families by a woman who not so much wanted to forget as she wanted the inner peace that building the labyrinth brought. This is where the names of the fallen are recorded; thousands of them, in fact. On the opening day of the labyrinth in 2003, 400 luminaries were lit, one for each dead service member at that time. Now there are 4,700 dead, and their names are kept in a book. As I read her intro I was amazed how closely her thoughts mirror my own:
"In May of that 2003, my mind was a storm: the war we’d just entered was ostensibly “won, ” yet every cell of my body questioned what that term actually meant. Philosophically, as an American, I was concerned when I heard the language of freedom used in relation to so much death. Historically, as former member of the Armed Forces, I saw reruns of past attempts to graft our unique brand of democracy onto other cultures without a full understanding of, and respect for, those very cultures we were striving to help. Spiritually, as a Pagan, I felt a sense of grief and anger, which often eroded my volatile, yet reasoned responses to the events unfolding before America’s eyes."
I too was upset about the killing of so many innocents in the name of freedom and the absolute fury that we as a country dared to call those people fighting for their own countries freedom "insurgents". We have no right to be there, to tell them how to set up their country. We're too proud for our own good and would certainly have been angered if we'd received this "help" when we ourselves were in the same position not too long ago in the grand scheme of things.
No Impact Man
Wow. In this age of consumerism where driving a mile is the norm, credit card debt is at an all time high, and buying cheap (quantity vs. quality) is the way to go, Colin Beavan stands to the fore with a fresh new perspective. I read an article this morning posted on one of my groups and I didn't know what to say. I'm definitely rooting for them. This is such an awesome, huge, undertaking. On the other hand; how? Is this really that possible live without everything that has come to be held so dear?
For anyone that knows me, I've been on this path myself lately although I have never even dreamed of going so hard core. For a packrat, my new path is really scary and really hard. I finally found it within myself to admit that I had a needless attachment to 50% of my stuff. On a daily basis now I see pretty things going out the front door to a new home. Too much clothing, too many toys, and all that crap. I have a need, a thirst if you will, inside to provide a calmer and more natural lifestyle to my family. I have been attracted to the idea of sustainability for some time although I have felt limited as to my choices. After learning about Colin and his family, no more. If they have the energy, the want (and the need) to do this in an apartment in the middle of New York City, who am I to say it's impossible in a small townhouse with a postage stamp lawn? Here is the original article in the New York Times "The Year Without Toilet Paper" and here is Colin Beavan's blog, No Impact Man.
Reading the article, I was reminded of a quiz that I took some time ago, My Ecological Footprint.
Here are my original results:
Food: 3.2 acres
Mobility: 0 acres
Shelter: 2.7 acres
Goods: 2.5 acres
Total Footprint: 8 acres
In comparison, the average ecological footprint in my country is 24 acres per person. Worldwide, there exists 4.5 biologically productive acres per person. I am among the 80% of the world population with an Ecological Footprint smaller than 10 acres. If everyone lived like me, we would need 1.9 planets.
Since then, I have changed my lifestyle quite a bit (in this time of rising gas prices, it's a must) and here are my new results:
Food: 2.7 acres
Mobility: 0 acres
Shelter: 1.7 acres
Goods: 1.2 acres
Total Footprint: 6 acres
Well, not as much as I was hoping for, but still a difference. So now, if everyone lived like me, we would need only 1.3 planets. I am doing a lot, but there is a lot more that I know we can be doing but to do so, it would take a lot of work. (And cooperation on Carey's part.)
My family is already riding our bikes and/or walking most places. I'm thankful that Moscow is laid out in such a way that it promotes biking and walking. It's only a 10-15 minute ride to any of the grocers that we frequent, and it's about the same for our Church. I have been averaging 4+ miles a week walking or biking, although that's about to take a sharp increase. I got a look at gas prices the other day and I'm now cutting off all needless excursions in the car. We still need a car. There are just some things that can not be done with four small children and no car (namely going to the doctors office that's in another town over 11 miles away.). Then again, I suppose that it is doable, since there's a great bike trail connecting us with Pullman. I would just have to really plan well for it and expect it to be all that's done that day. In fact, if I thought we could get away with it, I'd ditch one of the cars all together. But Carey put his foot down on that one. I was very proud of Carey the other day. He rode over seven miles on his bike, as well as walked a lot. I think, by the end of this summer if we aren't in great shape there's something wrong with us.
I also have several other items on my list of sustainability:
For anyone that knows me, I've been on this path myself lately although I have never even dreamed of going so hard core. For a packrat, my new path is really scary and really hard. I finally found it within myself to admit that I had a needless attachment to 50% of my stuff. On a daily basis now I see pretty things going out the front door to a new home. Too much clothing, too many toys, and all that crap. I have a need, a thirst if you will, inside to provide a calmer and more natural lifestyle to my family. I have been attracted to the idea of sustainability for some time although I have felt limited as to my choices. After learning about Colin and his family, no more. If they have the energy, the want (and the need) to do this in an apartment in the middle of New York City, who am I to say it's impossible in a small townhouse with a postage stamp lawn? Here is the original article in the New York Times "The Year Without Toilet Paper" and here is Colin Beavan's blog, No Impact Man.
Reading the article, I was reminded of a quiz that I took some time ago, My Ecological Footprint.
Here are my original results:
Food: 3.2 acres
Mobility: 0 acres
Shelter: 2.7 acres
Goods: 2.5 acres
Total Footprint: 8 acres
In comparison, the average ecological footprint in my country is 24 acres per person. Worldwide, there exists 4.5 biologically productive acres per person. I am among the 80% of the world population with an Ecological Footprint smaller than 10 acres. If everyone lived like me, we would need 1.9 planets.
Since then, I have changed my lifestyle quite a bit (in this time of rising gas prices, it's a must) and here are my new results:
Food: 2.7 acres
Mobility: 0 acres
Shelter: 1.7 acres
Goods: 1.2 acres
Total Footprint: 6 acres
Well, not as much as I was hoping for, but still a difference. So now, if everyone lived like me, we would need only 1.3 planets. I am doing a lot, but there is a lot more that I know we can be doing but to do so, it would take a lot of work. (And cooperation on Carey's part.)
My family is already riding our bikes and/or walking most places. I'm thankful that Moscow is laid out in such a way that it promotes biking and walking. It's only a 10-15 minute ride to any of the grocers that we frequent, and it's about the same for our Church. I have been averaging 4+ miles a week walking or biking, although that's about to take a sharp increase. I got a look at gas prices the other day and I'm now cutting off all needless excursions in the car. We still need a car. There are just some things that can not be done with four small children and no car (namely going to the doctors office that's in another town over 11 miles away.). Then again, I suppose that it is doable, since there's a great bike trail connecting us with Pullman. I would just have to really plan well for it and expect it to be all that's done that day. In fact, if I thought we could get away with it, I'd ditch one of the cars all together. But Carey put his foot down on that one. I was very proud of Carey the other day. He rode over seven miles on his bike, as well as walked a lot. I think, by the end of this summer if we aren't in great shape there's something wrong with us.
I also have several other items on my list of sustainability:
- Make my own laundry soap.
- Make my own brown sugar.
- Grind my own herbs and spices in a mortar and pestle. (The kids love helping with that one)
- Dry as much laundry outside as possible
- Make my own bread. Again, something else the kids love to help with.
- A small vegg container garden.
- Using the least amount of paper possible.
- Make our own peanut butter. Yes, this is possible, and in fact we did so the other night. Stay tuned for pics about that.
- Recycled stuffing for toys (Dryer Lint!)
- I use our own cloth shopping bags.
- Kitty is in cloth diapers. This includes cloth wipes as well.
- Eat less meat.
- Wash clothing in cold water. (And no, you don't need that special cold water detergant either.) The only exception to this is Kitty's diapers.
- Use the least amount of energy when cooking. This includes cooking on a lower setting (low medium for us) as well as using lids.
- LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS (We're already living on less than $500 a month and I aim to get this even lower!)
GOALS
- Getting rid of all needless items (moving is a great time for this)
- Buying little to no prepackaged foods. (Bulk, baby)
- No more paper towels (I'll have to set aside a good supply of rags)
- Get back into making my own soaps and salves
- Making a lot of clothing for the kids (sewing and knitting)
- No more paper napkins. I'll have to start hitting the clearance and remnant bins to make some out of cloth.
- No more wrapping paper. Again, I'll have to hit the remnants and make reusable cloth bags in several assorted sizes.
- Eating as much locally grown food as possible. This won't work for everything. I still like my herbs and spices, and some exotic fruits won't grow in Moscow no matter how much I plead with them.
- Doing away with all disposable diapers. (This one will be very hard. Not for Kitty, but for the boys that think it's cool to pee over the side of their bed. I have no option but to put them in diapers during the night and they're big enough that it's quite easy for them to pull it off.)
- Make my own cheeses and yogurt.
- Little to no plastic where it's not needed. For instance, a computer is needed whereas a plastic bowl is not. I have already replaced most cooking utensils with wood and metal. Now, I'm working on eating utensils. I can't, however, ditch plastic cups just yet. The kids break the glass ones too easily, and the metal ones are expensive right now.
- What I'd really love to do is do my own compost, but that would be rather difficult. I would have to get a barrel specifically made for very small areas. And even then, the University might prevent me from doing this.
Lead In Baby Bibs?!
This is just one more reason to really really dislike Walmart! My husband and I formed our personal boycott in late November when we found they were still using child labor. We were still shopping their ocassionally that just pushed us over the edge. GRRRR
Today, I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Eco Childsplay. They talk about a ton of great stuff such as toys, clothing, food, etc. that's all pertaining to to keeping our Home clean. All natural, eco safe stuff. I was aghast when I arrived today and learned that WalMart was recalling vinyl backed cloth baby bibs sold under Baby Connections. Jennifer does great expounding on this, so check out her blog for more info and some great links. I'm too angry to type any more!
Strawberry Quick
A yummy bread recipe? An exotic drink perhaps? Or a painful sexual experience? Nope. Guess again. There is a new form of meth out that looks and tastes just like candy. Any guesses as to what it's name is? This really angers as well as scares me. And no, it's no joke. I looked at several different sites dealing with urban legends, including Snopes, and it's marked true in all of them. Want to learn more?
USA Today (even has a little video)
Snopes
USA Today (even has a little video)
Snopes
Save Our Wolves
God, I am so tired of hearing about this. Why can't these beautiful creatures be left alone! We all have a right to live together and it just sickens me to hear people talk about annihilating them. Especially our own beloved governor. Bleh. Hear the sarcasm?
Wolves are a huge part of the American heritage and we have an obligation to preserve them for future generations. Wolves are also a big part of our family and they can be found in several areas around our home, including beautiful windchimes, our computer desktop, pictures, and even a silver one that lives on the family altar.
We love wolves, and are prepared to do as much as we are able to save them, including a small donation and signing petitions. If you want to help too, here is a list of things you can do:
- Take Action! Sign the petition before it's too late. The deadline is May 9 and we're only a little over half way there. 200,000 signatures are needed.
- Learn more about recovery efforts.
- Give a contribution to The Defenders of Wildlife
- Subscribe to Defenders Wildlife eNews
Want to teach your little one's more about wolves? Check out Forest Cottage.
One More Reason to Dislike WalMart
Argh! I'm so tired of the big corporations dodging their taxes! In the end, the ones who can least afford it are paying a larger percentage of their money than the bigger companies.
Ever wonder why you pay so much in taxes? One big reason is because multi-billion dollar corporations (such as Wal-Mart) dodge paying the taxes they owe. In fact, according to new research by Citizens for Tax Justice, Wal-Mart avoided paying $2.3 billion in state income taxes, between 1999 and 2005.
It's outrageous that Wal-Mart, the #1 Fortune 500 company and with $11.3 billion in profits is not only dodging its taxes, but also shifting billions of its health care costs onto taxpayers. Our tax dollars should be helping to fund better schools, more police on the streets, and better health care, not subsidize Wal-Mart's irresponsible behavior. Take a closer look at the numbers here.
Things you can do:
Ever wonder why you pay so much in taxes? One big reason is because multi-billion dollar corporations (such as Wal-Mart) dodge paying the taxes they owe. In fact, according to new research by Citizens for Tax Justice, Wal-Mart avoided paying $2.3 billion in state income taxes, between 1999 and 2005.
It's outrageous that Wal-Mart, the #1 Fortune 500 company and with $11.3 billion in profits is not only dodging its taxes, but also shifting billions of its health care costs onto taxpayers. Our tax dollars should be helping to fund better schools, more police on the streets, and better health care, not subsidize Wal-Mart's irresponsible behavior. Take a closer look at the numbers here.
Things you can do:
- Print out a flyer to help educate more people.
- Send an email to your state legislator to help clost the tax loop holes allowing Wal Mart to do this.
Stop The Clash
I stumbled upon this today and it really got me to thinking.
You can find out more at Avaaz ~ The World in Action.
Lead In Lunchboxes?
Yep, you heard me right. I dropped in on one of my favorite sites and found this. I only remember to hit it about once a month, which is why I'm just now actually getting around to finding out about. Eco Childs Play is actually a wonderful blog about reviews on natural toys and I've found out about some really cool stuff. However, they also post other interesting info, etc. This just really pissed me off that it's even an issue. You can read Eco's posts here.
Along that note, I don't want to take the chance that any of our lunchboxes have even a minute level of lead so they're all gone. Besides, I'm also too lazy to get a kit to check the levels. I shouldn't have to in the first play. I'm so tired of our government taking "acceptable" risks to our health. However, what to use for a lunch box instead? Well, the above link lists several options. Also, you can knit one. Huh? Yep, you can. Young Francis Swiecki designed an awesome felted lunch bag that was published in the Winter 06 Knitty. So, brown bag it!
Carey had actually voiced an interest in having a bag with the same pirate chart as James' little bag, so I guess that's what I'll be making next.
Along that note, I don't want to take the chance that any of our lunchboxes have even a minute level of lead so they're all gone. Besides, I'm also too lazy to get a kit to check the levels. I shouldn't have to in the first play. I'm so tired of our government taking "acceptable" risks to our health. However, what to use for a lunch box instead? Well, the above link lists several options. Also, you can knit one. Huh? Yep, you can. Young Francis Swiecki designed an awesome felted lunch bag that was published in the Winter 06 Knitty. So, brown bag it!
Carey had actually voiced an interest in having a bag with the same pirate chart as James' little bag, so I guess that's what I'll be making next.
Registered Offenders In Your Area
My grandmother sent me this link today. I was appalled to find out how many offenders live within just a mile of my home and Carey was shocked to learn he actually knew two of them. This list color codes each offender as to what offense and provides addresses as well as a picture. You can even sign up for alerts. This is a wonderful resource and I'm so thankful my grandmother told me about it.
Family Watch Dog
I have heard arguments against providing an offenders address and I have thought long and hard about it. The offender does have his right of privacy. Just because this address has been provided does not give us the right to harass them. However, I believe it is best that the address is provided. We, as parents, have the right to know who an offender is and where he is living for the safety and well being of our children.
Family Watch Dog
I have heard arguments against providing an offenders address and I have thought long and hard about it. The offender does have his right of privacy. Just because this address has been provided does not give us the right to harass them. However, I believe it is best that the address is provided. We, as parents, have the right to know who an offender is and where he is living for the safety and well being of our children.
Moms For Modesty
Moms for Modesty Mission Statement
- As a Mom for Modesty I believe in common-sense modesty for girls and young women.
- I believe in refraining from sexualizing our girls and young women.
- I believe that it is unwise and unfair to taunt boys and young men by permitting my daughter(s) to dress in an immodest manner.
- I believe that true beauty comes from within and I strive to teach my daughter(s) this truth.
- I will loyally shop at retailers that provide girls' and young womens clothing that is modest, affordable and stylish.
I found this not long ago and I totally agree with it. I'm not alone! (little dance of joy) While I don't expect my adorable daughter to dress like a Quaker, I also abhor clothing with sexual and/or company slogans on them. I refuse to buy anything of this nature, however, I do want cute clothing for her. Short of making it myself, it's hard to find afordable clothing that's appropriate without big names plastered on it somewhere or little slogans. I refuse to give free advertising to the clothing companies. Recently, a friend of mine actually read about thongs being made for girls with little sexual slogans on them and I was just aghast. I have nothing against thongs in the proper time and place. But they have absolutely nothing to do with little girls. My friend spoke of how a large outcry got the thongs removed from sale, but an even larger one got them reinstated. What is our world coming to when we have people worrying that an 8 yo has a panty line? A child that young has no reason to be wearing clothing of any type that tight. They grow up fast enough without the need for sexually explicit clothing and they're losing their innocence of childhood way to soon. I felt the need to reaffirm my commitment to this and I also updated the link on the sidebar. The only other thing that has me so upset when it comes to our beautiful little girls are beauty pageants but on't even get me started on that one.
Argh!
I swear, if the people at Health & Welfare doesn't pull their heads out of their asses, there are going to be serious consequences. Of course, this would involve me yelling & screaming and generally acting like a mad woman in public, so maybe not. Once again, our food stamps have been messed up. This happens every single time. A couple of times, it's been our fault because we didn't get the information submitted on time. But the rest of the time, it's because of incompetence in the office.
Calling us and badgering us for paperwork they wind up already having, losing said paperwork because they weren't filed properly (this has happened three times now) and them insisting that they never receive it, and it goes on and on. In fact one woman called me, and was insisting that we had never turned anything in when knew that we had. She was being very rude about this and while were talking she suddenly went very quiet and then informed that she had found what she needed and that it had been in the folder all along but she hadn't bothered to look before calling. WTF?
So not only did this woman upset me the rest of the day, she made me late to an appointment which of course threw the whole day off which pissed me off even more. >:( This time, it is supposedly not the local offices fault. She said they got everything done on time (even with the extra info we needed this time) and it was sent to the reviewer on December 21. Guess what? It hasn't been reviewed yet. Just what are these peoples problem? I understand that they are understaffed at times, but their general incompetence does not help any. In fact, one time I called wanting to know why it was three days late and knowing darn well that everything had been turned in on time, only to be informed that they had been too busy getting late submissions through. Huh? I'm being told that although I was on time, early in fact, I had to wait for the deadbeats to get their stuff first. Where is the logic in that?
We depend on this to survive. Carey is only able to work 20 hours a week, and at $6.50 an hour, that doesn't go very far. In fact, if our rent wasn't taken out automatically by the University from Carey's loans & grants, we couldn't even afford to pay that. We would not have this if we didn't absolutely need it and I'm tired of getting treated as if we're deadbeats ourselves and not trying to make a better life for our family. When I called about it today, I was told to go to a foodbank. All fine and dandy, Carey has already done that. But you can only draw so much a month from them, and I have no idea how long it's going to take for our stamps to be released. How do you explain to babies that they have to go to bed hungry because they can't have all they want to eat in an effort to make it last longer?
Calling us and badgering us for paperwork they wind up already having, losing said paperwork because they weren't filed properly (this has happened three times now) and them insisting that they never receive it, and it goes on and on. In fact one woman called me, and was insisting that we had never turned anything in when knew that we had. She was being very rude about this and while were talking she suddenly went very quiet and then informed that she had found what she needed and that it had been in the folder all along but she hadn't bothered to look before calling. WTF?
So not only did this woman upset me the rest of the day, she made me late to an appointment which of course threw the whole day off which pissed me off even more. >:( This time, it is supposedly not the local offices fault. She said they got everything done on time (even with the extra info we needed this time) and it was sent to the reviewer on December 21. Guess what? It hasn't been reviewed yet. Just what are these peoples problem? I understand that they are understaffed at times, but their general incompetence does not help any. In fact, one time I called wanting to know why it was three days late and knowing darn well that everything had been turned in on time, only to be informed that they had been too busy getting late submissions through. Huh? I'm being told that although I was on time, early in fact, I had to wait for the deadbeats to get their stuff first. Where is the logic in that?
We depend on this to survive. Carey is only able to work 20 hours a week, and at $6.50 an hour, that doesn't go very far. In fact, if our rent wasn't taken out automatically by the University from Carey's loans & grants, we couldn't even afford to pay that. We would not have this if we didn't absolutely need it and I'm tired of getting treated as if we're deadbeats ourselves and not trying to make a better life for our family. When I called about it today, I was told to go to a foodbank. All fine and dandy, Carey has already done that. But you can only draw so much a month from them, and I have no idea how long it's going to take for our stamps to be released. How do you explain to babies that they have to go to bed hungry because they can't have all they want to eat in an effort to make it last longer?
A Pagan Lion King
Today, on one of my forums, I found a link to this article: Walt Disney's "Lion King".
The author of this, Joseph Chambers, has tied up several of the movies scenes with Pagan aspects. I admit, now that I sit down and think about, The LionKing is a very pagan movie!
However, this movie does not teach children to love Satan, it does not teach them astrology (being told to look to the stars has nothing to do with this, however, astronomy does), ESP, and on and on. When someone sets out to write an informed article on a subject, be sure that your information is reliable and know what you are talking about!
Lucifer is the Angel of Light, but no where has he ever been identified, in any Pagan religion, as the Sun God!
"Even the relationship of the king and his evil brother draws attention to the pagan suggestion that Jesus and Satan were brothers."
I may not have read every book about the history of Christian or Pagan thought or visited every religious website on the internet, but I have never, not once, heard that claim. And when Mufasa talks about the great Circle of Life, I suppose in an obscure way you could connect this to reincarnation although that is never what I got from that scene. Then again, I just enjoy listening to James Earl Jones' voice, so perhaps I missed something. :D
A few scenes that Chambers picks apart in his article:
Cecil Alexander says it quite well in his beautiful hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.—
God has expressed Himself in all of His Creation, and in the appreciation of the created, living world, we will come to appreciate the Creator Himself. God made all of us and by worshipping life, your are worshipping God and respecting Him/Her on that level.
When I watched the very scenes that Chambers picks apart in his article, those were the ones that most often brought tears to my eyes. Those ideas and images resonated within me so deeply and moved me because I believe.
Are Christians like this man going to be threatened by that? Yes. This film gives a hint of something else, something that is very beautiful and very sacred and it had the exact effect on me that Chambers is afraid of. For once, Disney, despite all their corporate foibles, created a wonderful film that may or may not speak to some kid (young or old) out there and point them to other paths.
Wikipedia
IMDB
The author of this, Joseph Chambers, has tied up several of the movies scenes with Pagan aspects. I admit, now that I sit down and think about, The LionKing is a very pagan movie!
However, this movie does not teach children to love Satan, it does not teach them astrology (being told to look to the stars has nothing to do with this, however, astronomy does), ESP, and on and on. When someone sets out to write an informed article on a subject, be sure that your information is reliable and know what you are talking about!
Lucifer is the Angel of Light, but no where has he ever been identified, in any Pagan religion, as the Sun God!
"Even the relationship of the king and his evil brother draws attention to the pagan suggestion that Jesus and Satan were brothers."
I may not have read every book about the history of Christian or Pagan thought or visited every religious website on the internet, but I have never, not once, heard that claim. And when Mufasa talks about the great Circle of Life, I suppose in an obscure way you could connect this to reincarnation although that is never what I got from that scene. Then again, I just enjoy listening to James Earl Jones' voice, so perhaps I missed something. :D
A few scenes that Chambers picks apart in his article:
- The blessing of the young Simba at Pride Rock: This can be seen as a pagan ritual at an altar.
- Mufasa telling young Simba to look to the stars and he will never be alone. When you sit and look at the stars, and dream of all that have come before you and stared at those same stars and think of all that have yet to be, then no, you will never be alone. We are all connected as one, all striving to the Higher Being.
Cecil Alexander says it quite well in his beautiful hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.—
God has expressed Himself in all of His Creation, and in the appreciation of the created, living world, we will come to appreciate the Creator Himself. God made all of us and by worshipping life, your are worshipping God and respecting Him/Her on that level.
When I watched the very scenes that Chambers picks apart in his article, those were the ones that most often brought tears to my eyes. Those ideas and images resonated within me so deeply and moved me because I believe.
Are Christians like this man going to be threatened by that? Yes. This film gives a hint of something else, something that is very beautiful and very sacred and it had the exact effect on me that Chambers is afraid of. For once, Disney, despite all their corporate foibles, created a wonderful film that may or may not speak to some kid (young or old) out there and point them to other paths.
Wikipedia
IMDB
A Wal Mart Free Life
Lately, I have been yearning for a simple life and have been slowly redoing our home life. The children were aghast when I got rid of 90% of their toys and my husband was quietly amused when several plastic tub turned into wicker baskets. :D I have been disappointed with Wal Mart for some time now and slowly pulling away from shopping there. A year ago, we were in there at least once a week. However, Carey saw a documentary about Wal Mart (see the links below) and their unethical practices. Grrrr............. What I learned left a bad aftertaste, so I started using more local stores. The items may be more expensive, and not only does it keep the money local but I love the feeling I have when I bring home a wooden toy lovingly made for the kids instead of a cheap plastic one, or the taste of organic grown food. It got to the point that I was complaining after every trip to Wal Mart and I think I was driving poor Carey up the wall. They didn't have what I wanted, the shelves were poorly stocked, they were poorly prepared (no snow boots in the middle of winter?), a small choice in items I did want or need and it goes on and on. But I was still in the mind set of "I can't afford to shop anywhere else". So although I disliked their practices, you could still find me in there at least twic a month buying diapers, or any other essentials I thought I needed at the time.
And then I received an invitation to sign a petition asking for Wal Mart to stop using child labor in Bangladesh (In fact, I was one of the first 2k people to sign it.) and that clinched it. I was absolutely appalled to learn that they were doing this. Child labor is wrong, and it's even more heinous when done for profit. If you wish to sign the petition, you can find it here. Enough is enough and are no longer going to be shopping there. It's only a small part in their multi-billion dollar industry, but I figure on average we spent over a thousand dollars a year there. My husband is a full time student, so we have a very tiny income. However, there are standards that one must uphold for the sake of well-being. The excuse of "it's less expensive at Wal Mart" is just that. You definitely get what you pay for. Sure you get more for your money, but they have no pride. Everything made there is cheap and won't last very long, prompting you to come back to replace it. I would much rather spend $40 on something that is beautiful, well made and will last vs. buying several cheap items for the same amount.
Not shopping at Wal Mart is forcing me to finally use local stores and I have found a huge plethora of stuff I didn't know was available in the smaller stores. I assumed I could only find it at Wal Mart and I was soooo wrong. We have not been in Wal Mart in almost two weeks and I have had a huge feeling of freedom. We definitely have to watch our money closer since it no longer goes quite as far, but this has also triggered a huge change of lifestyle, which is to the benefit of us all.
I'm not alone! Check out these links for more information.
Simplicity Soup
The Man Who Said No To Wal Mart
Boycott Wal Mart
The High Cost of Low Price - a documentary
And then I received an invitation to sign a petition asking for Wal Mart to stop using child labor in Bangladesh (In fact, I was one of the first 2k people to sign it.) and that clinched it. I was absolutely appalled to learn that they were doing this. Child labor is wrong, and it's even more heinous when done for profit. If you wish to sign the petition, you can find it here. Enough is enough and are no longer going to be shopping there. It's only a small part in their multi-billion dollar industry, but I figure on average we spent over a thousand dollars a year there. My husband is a full time student, so we have a very tiny income. However, there are standards that one must uphold for the sake of well-being. The excuse of "it's less expensive at Wal Mart" is just that. You definitely get what you pay for. Sure you get more for your money, but they have no pride. Everything made there is cheap and won't last very long, prompting you to come back to replace it. I would much rather spend $40 on something that is beautiful, well made and will last vs. buying several cheap items for the same amount.
Not shopping at Wal Mart is forcing me to finally use local stores and I have found a huge plethora of stuff I didn't know was available in the smaller stores. I assumed I could only find it at Wal Mart and I was soooo wrong. We have not been in Wal Mart in almost two weeks and I have had a huge feeling of freedom. We definitely have to watch our money closer since it no longer goes quite as far, but this has also triggered a huge change of lifestyle, which is to the benefit of us all.
I'm not alone! Check out these links for more information.
Simplicity Soup
The Man Who Said No To Wal Mart
Boycott Wal Mart
The High Cost of Low Price - a documentary
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