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Sun, 11 May 2008 15:35:00 +0200  When searching the internet for news and article material on life and society I come across some pages that I find interesting, and enjoyable to read. These family and social oriented websites are relegated to my Social Fix Resources or Blogs Grampa Likes listings (in the sidebar of this page).One such family oriented blog is The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly guide to Earth-Friendly living. This site has information on how to save time, save money, and save the planet (all while saving your sanity!). A blog, it's worth checking out if you are looking for green news and tips on the environment, food, home, health, money, and other family topics. Some typical articles: Are There Drugs In Your Drinking Water? Is It Green Or Green-Washed? Are There Carbon Footprints All Over Your House? Breathe Easier and Improve Your Indoor Air Quality It’s winter and my house is sealed up tighter than a drum to keep the warm air in and the cold air out. That’s good green parenting, right…or is it? By keeping my family safe and snug inside my modern American home, I may be exposing them to high levels of indoor air pollution. After all, most people spend 80-90% of their time indoors. And while the numbers vary from country to country and state to state, The California Air Resources Board estimates that average indoor air pollutant levels in that state are 25-62% greater than outside levels. These numbers can add up to serious health problems for you and your kids. . . Help Kids Make Friends With The Earth There are few places that are as frightening to me as the children's toy aisle in my local "big box" store. Each shelf seems to overflow with toys that are constructed of cheap plastic, lead paint, and other toxins that have yet to be identified. And each toy glitters, rumbles, or sparkles in an attempt to entice children to beg for the latest princess, super-hero, or large purple dinosaur. . . You can read these articles and more at the The Green Parent. Sun, 04 May 2008 15:22:00 +0200  Why have we been buying big comfy cars with too many options? Causing all those environmental woes? Consumers want these rich cars for the same reason they want big new houses and kool short-term fads. Corporate marketing and branding! Commercials often sensationalize a car model by showing it driven at extremely high speeds on highways, mountain roads, city streets and even in parking lots. They are sending the wrong message. Speed can look exciting but speed is costly and speed kills. But those exciting commercials apparently sell cars. Automobile commercials are amongst the noisiest on TV and can interfere with the family conversation if they are not muted. But the invasive clamor attracts attention and the results are increased sales. Advertisements often exaggerate the product and underestimate the cost to lure and snare buyers. The marketing pressures to sell more expensive autos will not let up even though they may become more fuel efficient. Other perky features will be promoted and become standard in newer models to keep prices rising over the coming years. Cars have played a major role in our current social makeup and are owned by most families. That they are important and useful is undisputable, however too much of the overall product is undesirable for society as a whole. They are a major polluter of our cities and the world, exacerbated by their larger than needed size and power. Around 1960 I was out to purchase my first new car. Having a long drive on weekends, I had set my mind on a particular smaller car to economize. There were only a few sub-compacts available and they were not that small. In a dealer's showroom I was intent on completing a deal but I was continually steered to other larger models. It took awhile until I realized that he would not sell me the smaller car! The salesman and I both became irritated and I left. Slow Forward 48 years >> A while ago I walked through a new car show in the local mall. All were higher priced and mostly larger in size, even as interest in pollution and the environment was spreading. On TV during the previous oil crisis a spokesperson from the Automobile Association was defending why they aren't marketing more smaller cars. "People couldn't just sell their cars and buy smaller ones." The TV commercial which immediately followed the newsbyte was for a flashy full size SUV. Consumers buy these cars because the manufacturers want them to. But this necessary means of transportation needs a review of its design, effects, marketing, and use. The average person does not need that luxuious model when spending only a few hours a week in the car. Nor does the car require fast speed and polluting power to drive at the speed limit. The car needs to take a less negative and a healthier place in our society. What the heck! Are corporations major shareholders in government?? "We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive." - Albert Einstein Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:52:00 +0200  A lot of the problems consumers have with recycling is the lack of readily available detailed information. This is particular with the various types of plastic. "Where do I recycle these containers, fasteners, cellophane, packing, bags etc?" Information is out there but often you may need to spend some time trying to find it. Many will avoid this inconvenience and recycle the item improperly or simply chuck it into the garbage. This is not how it should be. Considering that all the junk we take into our possession has arrived because of information that is constantly blasted at us, it's not a level playing field. We should be receiving a steady stream of pertinent, persuasive how-to information about recycling. And the marketing of products that have a negative affect on our lives and the world should be reduced and controlled. I just assembled a cabinet purchased at Ikea and was happy to see that the little plastic bags containing hardware had recycling numbers printed on them. It's absolutely necessary that all used consumer plastics have a destination and that we are kept totally informed on disposing of them wisely. Detailed lists should be available and distributed locally. Some useful information on recycling plastic: Consumers can find out which plastics are accepted in their local area and how to recycle, prepare and transfer them by contacting their local recycling hauler (usually the local city or county solid waste or public works department, or a private company). Generally, paper labels do not need to be removed from plastic bottles or containers, but lids should be thrown away because they typically are made from a type of plastic that is not recyclable. Plastic bottles and containers must be rinsed, squashed, and placed in recycle bins for collection. Plastic grocery bags are often accepted by stores in recycling containers placed near the entranceways. Plastic Identification Codes
Read more on Plastic Recycling at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:03:00 +0200  It's Sunday morning and a good week lies ahead.One sure thing about this week is that after Saturday night it will be gone forever. But I will be glad I was there. So for starters I will very quickly review last week. Just once, to determine what I should have done, what I should not have done. If there is anything I should correct, and I can correct, and I want to correct, I will. If there isn't I will forget it now and forever. For the week that lies ahead: My first concern is to enjoy each day free of stress and worry. Work will not consume me - there are more important things. I will detail my job duties and my daily life responsibilities. My needs will be simple and pleasant with nothing artificial. Periodically I'll review non-material assets: family, friends, and me. Nature belongs to me too, from the vast expanse to tiny life. I'll see fields, mountains, clouds, flowers, insects and birds. I will finish each day forgetting troubles and remembering highlights. A problem may arise and I will confidently and calmly: Gather all the facts. Describe the problem in detail. List all the possible solutions. List the advantages and disadvantages of each. Detail what to do. And follow through. If I should stray into that world of stress and worry it will be time to stop and relax. I will take easy deep breaths and think a peaceful scene, real or imaginary. Like a fresh farm field or an ocean sunset. My antidepressant is handy: Accept myself as I am and others as they are. From time to time I'll remind myself that I have so much to be thankful for. Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Articles written by Grampa Ken are free to copy provided that the hyperlinked byline is intact. Articles written by others are their copyrights and belong to them. Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:08:00 +0200  It's scary the way we have been commercialized and how our children are now being programmed for a life of consuming, and towards so much of the wrong things. If children are allowed to be 'brainwashed' in any way it should be towards living a healthier and happier life. It should include topics like honesty, nature, charity, healthy food and lifestyles. And parents should not be left alone to fight the huge tide of marketing that promotes and persuades children in the wrong direction.The New American Dream reviews a book by consumer expert Juliet Schor on this very disturbing trend. Excerpt The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture by consumer expert Juliet Schor, explores the damaging effects advertising and marketing have on children. According to this breakthrough research, the advertising-saturated culture our children are exposed to is causing an array of psychosomatic symptoms. Expenditures for advertising and marketing aimed specifically at children have risen to over $15 billion a year. This amount is likely to grow with the increase in children’s buying power, now estimated at more than $30 billion a year in direct purchases. Children influence an additional $670 billion worth of parental spending, making them a prime advertising target. It’s estimated that the average child watches more than 40,000 television commercials per year. According to a recent poll released by the Center for a New American Dream nearly 8 in 10 of Americans (79%) think there should be more limits on advertising to children. The majority of Americans (87%) think that our current consumer culture makes it harder to instill positive values in our children. The review cites the book's six tips to help parents reduce children’s exposure to advertising. This is really worth reading if you have kids. Read the full review at The New American Dream Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:01:00 +0200  As with any sales transaction slick ads and fast talk can result in disappointment or serious regrets later. Your new home buy is a big investment and the product requires careful scrutiny. Glitzy eye pleasing brochures are designed to appeal and to sell these costly products. As with most promotions it is likely to contain many exaggerations some of which may be serious and costly to the purchaser. There can be very carefully worded promises so as to fit the legal definition of truth. They might seem more like outright lies after the new owner moves in. "Minutes from downtown" could be 55 minutes, or more. That handsome couple standing on the beach might have had a few traffic lights to maneuver and difficult parking to get there. Strata fees are very likely to be on the low side and require raising at the first general meeting. "Top brand appliances" turned out to be just that but were the very bottom of the popular manufacturer's product line. I'm still smarting over that one!! So every word of every sentence in the spiel, ad or brochure should be carefully analyzed for deception. The Walkthrough The quality and completeness of the purchased product covers a very wide range of objects and workmanship and is where the greatest disappointments may lie. The walkthrough is when the buyer walks through the premises with the contractor or seller. Deficiencies are noted and the buyer signs acceptance upon these items being corrected. Most people aren't prepared for this and the process does not take much time. Costly discoveries may be made after occupancy but it may be too late or difficult to correct. Using a qualified building inspector is usually recommended for all home purchases. This is especially advisable if a house with a yard is the purchase. Even if a professional is to be hired it should be advantageous to do a self-inspection beforehand to check out details that someone experienced, perhaps in a hurry, might overlook. Self-inspections are easier for condos and finished home interiors as prospective owners will have a better idea of what they want and should expect. Make several personal walkthroughs beforehand if permissible and safe. Have a knowledgeable friend tag along to help find deficiencies. Carefully look for flaws, inferior work or product, and omissions. Take along a pad and pen, and checklist. For the home interior walkthrough the one page printable Interior Walkthrough Checklist should be helpful as a general guide. It may not be complete or suitable to your particular needs but should provide some suggestions about things to check that you normally might not think about. It is not meant to replace a professional inspection. Interior Walkthrough Checklist Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:24:00 +0200  Identity theft. Trendy, new age robbery. It's in the news a lot these days. Identity theft is on the rise with new creative techniques catching victims unaware. The US Federal Trade Commission has some pertinent information on the topic that is worth reviewing.What is identity theft? Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you know may have experienced some form of identity theft. The crime takes many forms. Identity thieves may rent an apartment, obtain a credit card, or establish a telephone account in your name. You may not find out about the theft until you review your credit report or a credit card statement and notice charges you didn’t make—or until you’re contacted by a debt collector. Identity theft is serious. While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and many days repairing damage to their good name and credit record. Some consumers victimized by identity theft may lose out on job opportunities, or be denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit. How do thieves steal an identity? Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personally identifying information such as your name and Social Security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information. For identity thieves, this information is as good as gold. Skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including: 1. Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it. 2. Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card. 3. Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information. 4. Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form. 5. Old-Fashioned Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access. 6. Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources. For more information about pretexting, click here. For more information on identity theft such as . . . What do thieves do with a stolen identity? How can you find out if your identity was stolen? What should you do if your identity is stolen? Should you file a police report if your identity is stolen? How long can the effects of identity theft last? What can you do to help fight identity theft? Read more at the FTC's About Identity Theft Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:24:00 +0100  Openly scamming consumers does not seem to be a public relations concern anymore - in fact it is commonly accepted by shoppers.There are many ways. I have read of large retailers being fined for unethical promotions like bait and switch where you are attracted to a store by an advertisement for a bargain-priced product. Once at the store, you discover that the product is sold out or otherwise not available. But business carries on as normal. There is not a lot of negative publicity and little or no reaction by consumers. Shoppers did not hear about it and/or expect to be treated this way. This is where we have arrived. The good old days is a misnomer because so much is so much better now than then. Some things aren't though such as our corporate-consumer relationship and marketing. 55 years ago I had just purchased my first car and I was ordering insurance for it. Over the phone. After supplying the details to the agent I asked how they considered the information adequate and truthful when not related to them in person. He replied that the transaction was conducted in good faith. Fast forward 2008. Good faith? What's good faith? It's trust of course, but what we have in our present day consumer world is deceptive wording, fine print clauses, disappointing products and services and costly surprises after the transactions. I don't long for the good old days but a corporate trend back towards good faith would be really nice. Shopping tip: Buy where they will cheat you the least. Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:16:00 +0100  7 Simple ways to Help The Environment and Your Wallet By Juan Anselmo Borla The world is a big place with big problems. Some environmental activists demand we stop living our lives and look at everything we do as an Earth-changing event, but not everyone can focus their entire lives around saving the planet. The truth is that it isn't necessary to make drastic changes in one's life to make a difference. It isn't even necessary to spend more money to be environmentally conscious. Below are seven simple ways to make a difference in the environment, and save money doing it. 1. Buying compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent ones. Advances in technology have led to a light bulb that's designed to last up to 15 times the life of a standard bulb. They cost more up front, but they are replaced much less often, which makes them cheaper in the long run. Plus, these bulbs will use less than a third of the power of incandescents, which will reduce electricity costs. They also generate less heat, so less air-conditioning is needed in the summer. 2. Reusing shopping bags. Every bag reused is one less bag that needs to be manufactured. Also, several supermarket chains have started giving small credits towards their customers' bills when they bring in old bags to reuse. Some people like to keep old shopping bags in their trunk, just in case. Even more of an improvement would be using non-disposable canvas bags - they still count towards the credit at the check-out, but are made from eco-friendly materials. 3. Carpooling. Most people associate carpooling with going to work, but there are many other opportunities to share a ride. A great deal of money could be saved on gasoline by one car going to the mall rather than two. Also, with a little planning, shopping trips could be taken less frequently. 4. Turning off the water when not in use. Simple things like using half a sink full of water to wash dishes instead of running the water can prevent waste. Turning the water off while brushing your teeth is also a good idea. Finally, making sure faucets aren't left dripping will make a significant difference in water bills. 5. Completely turning off electronics. A great many of today's appliances and electronics have a standby mode. Televisions and stereos in particular tend to use a great deal of electricity while on standby. Plugging devices into a power strip that has an on/off switch can give consumers more control over their electricity use. Particular attention should be paid to anything with a big transformer plug, as these devices tend to use the most power and waste the most money. 6. Turning off the air-conditioning and/or heat when leaving the house. A great deal of electricity is wasted cooling or heating an empty home, which leads to bigger bills. Even setting the temperature one or two degrees different, keeping the system from activating as often, can save significant amounts of money each year. 7. Turning off the lights. A good rule of thumb is, "light is useless if there's nobody there." Turning off any ceiling fans, floor fans and lights when leaving the room saves just a little bit of electricity, and money, every time it's done. Of course, there are many more ways to help the environment while saving money. These seven are simply among the most often overlooked easy solutions. Public libraries and environmental websites are great sources of further information. About the Author Juan Anselmo Borla is a freelance writer and poet. He lives at Dancing Rabbit, a sustainable ecovillage in northeast Missouri. There, he hopes to make the world a better place by using his Chemical Engineering degree to develop an alternative fuels program. His fiancee and two cats hope he doesn't blow himself up in the process. Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:35:00 +0100  You just don't know what you're getting til you got it.Many consumers have something to complain about these days. The product or service purchased might be less than expected or totally unacceptable. Perhaps we were mislead by an enticing advertisement or slick talk. It's upsetting and we want to complain. In earlier years we could talk to a manager or customer relations person and get a satisfying result for our efforts. This is still worthwhile in a lot of cases but can also be frustrating and a great waste of time. For one thing the customer relations person may not exist, perhaps because dissatisfaction is too widespread in this present day retail-consumer environment. If we think that a retail outlet is marketing or selling unfairly and it appears to be a local problem, a complaint can be made to the manager. However if it is such as an obvious deceptive advertisement or display the effort may not be worthwhile. After all, if it was planned that way why wouldn't they defend their actions? If it is a larger corporate concern the same rationale might apply. My experience in writing complaints, about scammy marketing mostly, did not achieve much except to get it off my chest. I did observe that by addressing the letter to someone high in the organization, it could always be delegated downward. Also referring to the word 'ethical' seems to gather quick attention and I have even received a rebuttal from a corporate CEO. Still the fluffy replies will usually be empty and discouraging. "... the advertisement you refer to meets all legal requirements." " ... subject to the ethical standards generally accepted by the industry." " ... our intent has never been to mislead and I believe our practices will bear me out." " ... the new TV program listing channel is an industry accepted format." Finding a corporate address and contact may not be easy. An internet search or asking at the local outlet might find a person and place to write to. Related business or advertising associations are there to represent their business clients and this may not be very satisfying either. If a complaint is about a deliberate attempt by a company to deceive or cheat consumers, writing to a government agency or consumer's group is more appropriate. Again, not easy. There is not a clear direction and process in submitting concerns and complaints to someone who will act adequately. Letters to the editor can be good because they should be easy to get published and may get read by interested people. There is growing widespread callous treatment of consumers by corporations and a general disregard by government on its citizens' behalf. One has to wonder just where we are and where we are headed. The root of the problem lies in the greed of business and ineffective or biased government. To arrest and reverse this deteriorating social trend to a more people friendly society is difficult. It will require changing the apathy of consuming citizens, the quality of politicians and the ethics of business people. It's unfortunate but advertising can sell junk as needs, garbage as food. Excessive and deceptive advertising should be outlawed as a start for social betterment. If we don't complain verbally, online, by letter or by email, things will only get worse. Let's tell the politicians to make it easier for taxpayers to protest unethical marketing, and governing. They can set up the proper consumer channels and publicize and encourage participation from the citizens. Some helpful consumer resources Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:42:00 +0100  The New Anti-Wrinkle Treatmentby Mary Desaulniers We are bombarded on all fronts with new anti-wrinkle treatments and new sophisticated skin regimen that are supposed to take years off the face—microdermabrasion, botox injections, face lifts and laser resurfacing. More than ever, we are harnessing the powers of technology to create a Brave New World of ageless boomers. And while I have no objections to wanting to look young (who doesn’t), I do think that being young is more a state of mind than a state of “looks.” Looks can be artificially manipulated; a state of mind can only be cultivated. Even the word “cultivation” tells us that the process of staying young takes time. And time is something our society seems intent on making dispensable. Yet the best things in life take time. Think of your children through the lenses of the family album; it is the changes tabulated in those pictures that make them so rich in character and experience now. Time deepens the experience; time ages the moment by filling it with layers made accessible through memories. Without time, we are like ants—filled only with a pale and surface instant. Living the moment is a call for cultivating the layers of time within the moment. And so with the face; the layers of time that wrinkle a face are tributes to its resilience. It has weathered the helter-skelter twenties and it has survived the frantic pace of the thirties (when most of us had full time jobs and children). The marks of having lived a life rich in love, struggles, failures and successes are written all over our faces and it is these we need to embrace because they are not signs that we need anti-wrinkle treatments, but signs that we have struggled, we have loved and we have lived. They are the marks of a life that is extraordinary in its ordinariness. These marks on our faces are not the things we need to fear; they are not the signs of age. The signs of age that we need fear are those that speak of a life unlived—a terrified urgency to keep everything as is, a fear of learning new ways of thinking, new ways of doing things, a fear of going beyond right and wrong, or more specifically, a fear of understanding the world and its events from the heart without the prescriptive lens of right and wrong, a fear of change, of investing heart, mind and soul into someone or something lest it goes “wrong,” a fear of making mistakes, of having to start all over again because those mistakes showed you a new and different path, a fear of pitting yourself against the wisdom of the ages because you have a need, a passion to find out for yourself what is right for you. I have seen age in twenty-something eyes and endless youthfulness in people over 70. So what are my anti-wrinkle treatments? 1.Find something you love and pursue it to the end. Ignore all nay-sayers; just follow your heart. 2. Begin each morning and end each day with exercising your mind; a half hour or twenty minutes of meditation on all that is right in your world and what you have to be thankful for. 3. Cultivate the long-term vision; see the layers of possibilities within each moment in time; with such long-term vision you will never be unsettled by an individual event because you are open to what it will bring in its wake. 4. Eat healthy foods and exercise; a strong body will empower your sense of self so that you can sustain the courage to do what is right for you. 5. Honor yourself and honor the world and all that lives, breathes, moves in it (including rocks, trees and skies). 6. Honor your desire which is a calling for change. Most people dread change and end up on the sidelines wishing wistfully for something better. They have not learned to honor their desire. Desire as Dr. Lee Pulos states in “The Biology of Empowerment,” ”is the purest of potential seeking manifestation or change.” Be open to change. Last but not least, know in your heart that you will have no regrets because being young is knowing that you can start all over again. A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is helping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can visit her at Great Body at 50 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:29:00 +0100 A while back I purchased a pumpkin pie from a local supermarket. When I unpackaged it at home I read the label and was quite amazed.
"Contains mince etc . . . . natural and artificial flavors, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, potassium sorbate (preservative), carame (color),cellulose gum, mono and diglycerides,sodium citrate, palmitate, sulfur dioxide (preservative), mononitrate, propionate (preservative)." (It's no surprise that those words do not clear my spell-checker.) These were Christmas pies and it was late November. They were solidly constructed perhaps to last through Christmas. Since then I have been reading the ingredients listed on all food packages to get some idea of what I might be eating. It's scary when I consider the content of some food products I have eaten for many years. But better late than never and I now avoid products with ingredients having unfamiliar names or contents that I consider unhealthy. Even familiar names like citrates and calcium propionate have me concerned even though they are commonly used. Why are they there? Why does a loaf of bread, baked in-store, contain added chemicals? Basically additives are there to increase profit by extending the shelf life or enhancing flavor. But which of those strange ingredients in food packages are somewhat unhealthy or perhaps harmful? If not in small amounts perhaps grouped with other products containing the same chemicals and accumulated over time? Sue Dengate's The Food Intolerance Network site contains comprehensive information on a wide range of additives. There is independent information about the effects of food on behaviour, health and learning ability in both children and adults. Sue is a psychology graduate and author of the bestselling Fed Up series, published by Random House Australia. Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:19:00 +0100 10 Things You Can Do Today to Simplify Your Life
Leo Babauta - Zen Habits Simplifying can sometimes be overwhelming. The amount of stuff you have in your life and the amount of things you have to do can be too big a mountain to tackle. But you don’t have to simplify it all at once. Do one thing at a time, and take small steps. You’ll get there, and have fun doing it. 1. Make a short list. Take out a sheet of paper and fold it into a small square, perhaps 3×5 inches. Or take out an index card. Now make a short list of the 4-5 most important things in your life. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things. 2. Drop 1 commitment. Think about all the things in your life that you’re committed to doing, and try to find one that you dread doing. Something that takes up time but doesn’t give you much value. Perhaps you’re on a team, or coaching something, or on a board or committee, or whatever. Something that you do each day or week or month that you don’t really want to do. Now take action today to drop that commitment. Call someone, send an email, telling the appropriate person or people that you just don’t have the time. You will feel relief. I’d recommend dropping all commitments that don’t contribute to your short list (from Item #1), but for today, just drop 1 commitment. 3. Purge a drawer. Or a shelf, or a countertop, or a corner of a room. Not an entire room or even an entire closet. Just one small area. You can use that small area as your base of simplicity, and then expand from there. Here’s how to purge: 1) empty everything from the drawer or shelf or corner into a pile. 2) From this pile, pick out only the most important things, the stuff you use and love. 3) Get rid of the rest. Right now. Trash it, or put it in your car to give away or donate. 4) Put the stuff you love and use back, in a neat and orderly manner. 4. Set limits. Read Haiku Productivity for more. Basically, you set limits for things you do regularly: email, RSS posts, tasks, feeds, items in your life, etc. And try to stick with the limits. Today, all you have to do is set limits for a few things in your life. Tomorrow, try to stick with them. 5. Simplify your to-do list. Take a look at your to-do list. If it’s more than 10 items long, you can probably simplify it a bit. Try to find at least a few items that can be eliminated, delegated, automated, outsourced, or ignored. Shorten the list. This is a good habit to do once a week. 6. Free up time. Simplifying your life in general is a way to free up time to do the stuff you want to do. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find time to even think about how to simplify your life. If that’s the case, free up at least 30 minutes a day for thinking about simplifying. Or alternatively, free up a weekend and think about it then. How can you free up 30 minutes a day? Just a few ideas: wake earlier, watch less TV, eat lunch at your desk, take a walk for lunch, disconnect from the Internet, do email only once today, shut off your phones, do 1 less thing each day. 7. Clear your desk. I can personally attest to the amazing feeling that a clean desk can give you. It’s such a simple thing to do, and yet it does so much for you. If your desk is covered with papers and notes and gadgets and office supplies, you might not be able to get this done today. But here are the basic steps: 1) Clear everything off your desk and put it in a pile (either in your inbox or on the floor). 2) Process the pile from top to bottom, one item at a time. Do not defer decisions on any item — deal with them immediately and quickly. 3) For each item, either file it immediately, route it to someone else, trash it, or note it on your to-do list (and put it in an “action” folder). If it’s a gadget or office supply, find a place for it in your desk drawers (or get rid of it). 4) Repeat until your pile is empty and your desk is clear. Be sure to get rid of any knick knacks. Your desk should have your computer, your inbox, perhaps a notepad, and maybe a family photo (but not many). Ahh, a clear desk! 5) From now on, put everything in your inbox, and at least once a day, process it in the same way as above. 8. Clear out your email inbox. This has the same psychological effect as a clear desk. Is your email inbox always full of read and unread messages? That’s because you’re delaying decisions on your emails. If you have 50, let’s say, or fewer emails in your inbox, you can process them all today. If you have hundreds, you should put them in a temporary folder and get to them one chunk at a time (do 20 per day or something). Here’s how you process your inbox to empty — including emails already in your inbox, and all future incoming emails: 1) process them top to bottom, one at a time, deciding and disposing of each one immediately. 2) Your choices are to delete, archive, respond immediately (and archive or delete), forward (and archive or delete), or mark it with a star (or something like that) and note it on your to-do list to respond to later (and archive). 3) Process each email like that until the inbox is empty. 4) Each time you check your email, process to empty. Ahh, an empty inbox! 9. Move slower. We rush through the day, from one task to another, from one appointment to another, until we collapse on the couch, exhausted, at the end of the day. Instead, simplify your life by doing less (see Items 1, 4 and 5) and doing them more slowly. Eat slower, drive slower, walk slower, shower slower, work slower. Be more deliberate. Be present. This isn’t something you’re going to master today, but you can start practicing today. 10. Single-task. Instead of multi-tasking, do one thing at a time. Remove all distractions, resist any urge to check email or do some other habitual task like that while you’re doing the task at hand. Stick to that one task, until you’re done. It’ll make a huge difference in both your stress level and your productivity. Zen Habits is a popular blog that covers: achieving goals, productivity, being organized, GTD, motivation, eliminating debt, saving, getting a flat stomach, eating healthy, simplifying, living frugal, parenting, happiness, and successfully implementing good habits. Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:30:00 +0100 The credit market business is big and it has been very heavily marketed. It must be a big money maker, judging by the cards that are continually advertised and junk mailed. There are applications for general credit cards from financial institutions, supermarkets, department stores and associations. Then there are the stores' own charge cards where you are encouraged to apply for one, or if you already have one, to use it. Buy more on your card and earn more loyalty points is one enticement.
There are too many businesses putting too much effort into marketing credit. The credit rates charged appear excessively high at a time (January 2008) when investment interest returns are historically low. A typical Canadian bank savings account holding $0-$5000 pays 0.10%-0.50% interest while a department store may charge 28.80% on the unpaid balance. There could be the argument that their costs are too high but that's because they market them too heavily and there are too many defaults. So many of these defaults are by people who could not wisely afford the purchases but were persuaded to do so on credit. And these corporations mean business: "If there is an error in your account you must notify us in writing within one month or we will consider the account statement as correct." Squeezing every drop out of their efforts the charge card agreement states: "We may use this information to promote products and services of third parties to you." This might be buried in small faded print on a very long customer agreement page. The 2007 mortgage meltdown has been a disaster for so many who may have been persuaded into a financially unwise investment. Slick sales persons and greedy companies sold mortgages they knew were risky with advertising always there as the slick persuasion tool. "Can you read this? You qualify!" ~ "Loans guaranteed: refused by bank, bad credit, bankrupt." There can be more serious negative economic results in consumer markets caused by general and retail credit, brought on by corporate greed and on the backs of lower income families. Perhaps it already is part of the crunch. Consumers need fairness and protection in this business and it can only come from governments. They could investigate the credit market mess and fix it. But they probably already know that. "Liars when they speak the truth are not believed." - Aristotle Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger of Social-Fix Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:13:00 +0100 The Cost of Competition on Kids
by Rae Pica The subject of competition is one that provokes some pretty strong feelings in the United States. In fact, even hinting that competition might not be such a great thing can cause one to be labeled un-American. The prevailing belief is that competition is good for everyone – that someone without a strong competitive nature is just a wimp. That being competitive is human nature and to be noncompetitive is to have been born without a necessary gene. But is it human nature, or is it learned behavior? The research shows that, given a choice, most preschoolers prefer cooperative to competitive activities. This would seem to indicate that dog-eat-dog is not a natural inclination. And in a New York Times essay, Nicholas Kristof told a hilarious story about trying to teach the game of musical chairs to a group of five-year-old Japanese children, who kept politely stepping out of the way so others could sit in their chairs. This would certainly seem to indicate “dog-eat-dog” is taught in some societies – and not taught in others. In America we play musical chairs in child-care centers, during play dates, and at almost every preschooler’s birthday party. The rules say that a chair is removed with every round – and one more child gets to sit against the wall and watch everybody else continue to have fun. The game is over when there remains one winner – and lots of losers. In case you don’t recall from your own childhood (or maybe you were always the one winner among many losers), being eliminated feels lousy, as does feeling like a loser. And those other kids you’re playing with? For the duration of the game they’re not your friends; they’re what’s standing in your way. Children only have to play this game once to know that, if they’re not going to be labeled losers, they have to do whatever it takes to win. And we’ve all seen what that means: punching, poking, kicking, scratching, screaming, and shoving. It’s no wonder the research shows that competition fosters antisocial behaviors. When parents consistently place their children in situations where winning is the ultimate goal – where the winners are considered heroes and the losers “losers” – winning is what they come to value. They learn that only the end result counts, not the process involved in getting there. Further, when parents themselves fail to conduct themselves with character, their actions speak much louder than any words preached about good sportsmanship and the value of teamwork and cooperation. While the goal of many parents is to give their children a running start on the development of sports skills (because success in sports certainly must equal success in life!), the research shows that competition is actually detrimental to skill development. One reason is fear of failure and its resulting stress, which isn’t conducive to either learning or performance. Young children, in particular, are susceptible to this problem because pleasing their parents means so much to them. And when their parents focus on winning – either through action (screaming on the sidelines) or words (asking “Who won?” instead of “Did you have fun?”) – winning becomes the children’s goal as well. Of course, you may think the goal of winning would be enough to propel children into performing their best. But young children aren’t cognitively ready to make that connection. They attribute winning or losing to ability, not effort. Nor are they emotionally ready to handle the pressure of playing mistake-free games. And they’re not physically ready to play without making mistakes! Finally, when product (winning) is emphasized over process (making an effort), extrinsic reward is granted more validity than intrinsic reward. As a result, trophies and championships become the whole point of participation. And while this may not seem like such a bad thing in a goal-oriented society, we’re back to the issue of the young child’s stage of development. Children under the age of eight are motivated by pleasure. And, yes, winning feels good when everyone around you is making a big deal out of it. But does that feeling last? And what about the children who aren’t winning? Dare I say it? Winning isn’t everything. And if we want our children to grow up to be self-assured, character-driven adults – who also happen to have positive feelings about physical activity – then it really shouldn’t be. Rae Pica is a children’s physical activity specialist and the author of Your Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout North America. Visit her and read more articles at Moving and Learning. ~ ~ ~ Article Source Sun, 27 Jan 2008 15:24:00 +0100 Corporations, often with the use of intense credit marketing, play a big role in how our social well-being develops. In the drive for greater sales and profits much pressure is applied to consumers, resulting in too much consumption. We, including very young children, are continually bombarded with slick advertisements convincing us that we must have more. So much of this is not needed or completely useless.
The competition amongst companies for revenue and profit encourages the use of excessive, powerful marketing resulting in greater sales. The delivery of inferior products and services also becomes more common as they 'progress' towards achieving profit goals. Deception and disappointment are continually on the rise. There are moves going on, quite noticeably on the internet, to alter our lifestyles. More and more of us are wanting to protect the environment and live a sustainable, healthy and simpler life. Consumers are becoming more aware of dishonest business practices and the pressure marketing of things they don't need. As this trend towards a more sensible lifestyle becomes widespread sales and profits will ease. That also brings on the possibility of economic deterioration or collapse. However avoiding any degree of economic slump by encouraging consumers to purchase more, by lowering interest rates and using other incentives, only pumps more hot air into the bubble. Like a drunk who has been on an extended binge we can be certain that a hangover lies ahead. We don't know if this will be soon or if the party will continue but there will be a big headache. This is a serious growing problem without a simple solution. If we could only make an easy transition. "The finest lives, in my opinion, are those who rank in the common model, and with the human race, but without miracle, without extravagance." - Michel de Montaigne Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:19:00 +0100 Today, over 27,000 children died around the world
by Anup Shah from a page created Sunday, May 06, 2007 Around the world, 27–30,000 children die every day. That is equivalent to: 1 child dying every 3 seconds 20 children dying every minute A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring almost every week An Iraq-scale death toll every 15–35 days 10–11 million children dying every year Over 50 million children dying between 2000 and 2005 The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes. In spite of the scale of this daily/ongoing catastrophe, it rarely manages to achieve, much less sustain, prime-time, headline coverage. Why is this tragedy not in the headlines? Unfortunately, it seems that the world still does not notice. It might be reasonable to expect that death and tragedy on this scale should be prime time headlines news. Yet, these issues only surface when there are global meetings or concerts (such as the various G8 summits, the Make Poverty History campaign in 2005, etc). Furthermore, year after year, we witness that when those campaigns end and the meetings conclude, so does the mainstream media coverage. It feels as though even when there is some media attention, the ones who suffer are not the ones that compel the mainstream to report, but instead it is the movement of the celebrities and leaders of the wealthy countries that makes this issue newsworthy. Even rarer in the mainstream media is any thought that wealthy countries may be part of the problem too. The effects of international policies, the current form of globalization, and the influence the wealthy countries have on these processes is rarely looked at. Instead, promises and pledges from the wealthy, powerful countries, and the corruption of the poorer ones—who receive apparently abundant goodwill—make the headlines; the repeated broken promises, the low quality and quantity of aid, and conditions with unfair strings attached do not. Read the entire article at Global Issues. The Global Issues web site looks into issues that affect everyone. There are over 550 articles on poverty, globalization, human rights, geopolitics, and the environment. A nice humane effort here by Anup Shah. Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:19:00 +0100 Why do some governments actively promote gambling as a source of revenue when it is known to be so harmful to so many of its people? It is common knowledge that gambling can be addictive and destroy or take lives, yet they still want that revenue. For its citizens? When they report the income from lotteries or casinos they should balance the books with the loss to players, their citizens.
Through their marketers they use sly tactics to entice more playing. Glossy lottery commercials constantly pop up showing just how wonderful it will be to win an enormous amount of money. "Play now and get super rich". Perhaps broken gamblers would like to get back the money they lost but the odds are stacked against them. They need help not encouragement to try again! As if to justify this greedy and often cruel business they post warnings: A short quick justifying blip might complete an ad or commercial: "Know your limit. Play within it." But play to win! They even warn: "Gambling can lead to financial and legal problems, loss of career and family, and other serious issues." No kidding! Well cease and desist! And "Call this help line if you have a gambling problem". It's too late I have lost everything! I'm having a very difficult time understanding this. Government is supposed to be there for the people. If these actions are acceptable isn't it remotely possible that our politicians could introduce the pressure selling of alcohol, tobacco and drugs. But, "Know your limit. Drink, smoke and snort within it." Gambling might have a place in society for people who want to gamble but it should not be marketed. Ideally any gambling should be non-profit with the participants playing with and winning or losing money to each other. The Canada Safety Council's Canadian Roulette has information on gambling's effect including bankruptcy, family breakup, and suicides. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:18:00 +0100 Half of the world lives with very little in a poor environment; many are starving or very sick with no chance of surviving. Meanwhile most of us in our democratic free-enterprise societies are consuming wildly. The more we get the more we want, prodded on by constant sly marketing. This persuade-consume routine is harmful to us and to the world as it balloons unabated.
Corporations, which are often intertwined with government, use shrewd invasive marketing to convince us to keep buying more. They compete strenuously with one another to achieve a greater profit for management and shareholders. Marketing methods become sleazier and the products and services often less than should be expected. Intense, creative advertising spreads into every corner of our lives like a virus. It is hard to see a change of direction. Public attention to this deteriorating state of society is unlikely because almost all of the media that keep us informed are also profit driven. Corporate media rely on corporate advertising revenue to exist. There is some very good public service media, but this is tiny in comparison to the gigantic corporate machines. Perhaps the internet will produce an abundance of information sources to counteract the worsening condition. There are numerous social advocacy websites appearing as a sign that this may be happening. Perhaps the structure of government and the laws and enforcement will change to benefit all citizens in a healthy and just manner. We can hope and we can speak up. "Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress." - John Clapham Grampa Ken ~ Author of 32 KEYS About Life and Blogger at Social-Fix |
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