8-8-08
As the Chinese finish out this last week of preparations before the most auspicious start date of this year's Olympics, I continue to be amazed (disturbed?) by the news stories (though censored I'm sure) about what they're doing to get ready for it all.
Here are some interesting notes:
• Organizers expect 550,000 foreign visitors and have 550,000 local volunteers lined up to help—one volunteer for every guest!
• Beijing is spending $40 billion to remake its subways, roads and image. $40 BILLION? Seriously?
• Government-sponsored etiquette campaigns are working to stamp out bad manners like jumping ahead in line, spitting, littering and reckless driving. Heh, heh ... heh.
• The government has actually made people move outta their houses so they could build their "Olympic Village" ... "Sorry. Your family has to move out of its forever home so we can build more parking for the Games."
The Exercise Pill
Well, hell ... now there is in fact a pill for almost everything. (Ok, so it's not actually available yet and only tested in mice, but whatever). In a time when we can pop a pill for a headache, a muscle ache, to sleep or stay awake, to stop smoking or to be less hungry, now there are some lab mice sitting around on their bitty haunches, stuffing their bitty faces and staying fit at the same time. Seems this new pill tells your cells to burn fat even when you're not doing anything. They're calling it "metabolic trickery." You can read more about it here. My mind is just reeling from the possibilities ... and maybe after this, they'll develop a pill that will make it seem like I actually worked an 8 hour day when in fact I never got outta bed. Ah, modern science.
Gardening
In the past few decades, the ways of the family garden have seemed to fade away with the convenience and quality now offered at most grocery stores (organic produce yay!) and the go-go-go lifestyle so many of us live. My grandparents had 2 large gardens that flanked their tiny house. They grew all the fruits and veggies they ate, and I can't once remember going to the store for produce. There was no need.
I've never grown anything from seed. Actually, I take that back. I grew some marigolds a few months back. Anyway, I paid $2.50 for ONE red pepper yesterday. That just seems outrageous and it wasn't even organic! So I've started thinking that all these increases in our food prices and troubles that people are having just paying for the basics may be what it takes to get us thinking about producing for ourselves again. I mean, not only is it much cheaper to pop some seeds in the ground, but there's also the whole zen aspect to gardening (not to mention the sense of accomplishment). Like I said, I've never done it myself, but my grandparents were so incredibly at ease, so peaceful, when they were tending to their gardens ... digging in and reconnecting with the earth ... growing something to feed the body and the soul.
So, with all the crap that's going on with our economy and all the uncertainty, perhaps this will be a good thing for us as a society ... a silver lining even ... where we go back to providing some of our own food and get our minds a little bit more settled at the same time. And hell, with employers cutting back hours and whatnot, it'll give us something positive to do with our extra time :)
Control
This is where it gets personal. I got a little wake-up call yesterday when a friend made a joking reference to my need to control everything. And he was right. There is a part of me (Ok, a big part) that needs to have control over every possible aspect of my existence. I plan for everything and take all kinds of circumstances and possible scenarios into consideration in my planning. Always be prepared ... that's me. I'm sure the Universe finds me quite amusing as I scramble to "control" things that I many times had no control over in the first place. So, I hereby announce that I am relinquishing (some) control and plan to let (some) things happen as they may. Thanks for the nudge MM :)
Something I learned today ...
A group of Unicorns is called a Blessing ... and more people are killed each year by donkeys than in airplane crashes.
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