Here we go again, with another thing that grinds my gears. People that are destroying the planet by going green. I know the concept behind going green is to help the planet, but we've been sold out. It's a corporate ploy to get us to buy more stuff in the name of the environment, even though it's doing harm.
Do you ever research the "green" products you buy? You can buy a million different products that claim to be green, or environmentally friendly, but are they? What standards do you need to meet to be "green"?
I'll give you some examples of why going green is harmful to our planet:
Energy efficient light bulbs. You know the ones that use 14 watts instead of 60. Everyone buys these now, because they are using less electricity, therefore polluting the environment less. Right? No. There are many problems with these bulbs. One is the fact that they all contain mercury. Mercury is REALLY bad for the environment. 1 gram of mercury is enough to contaminate a 20 acre lake. The mercury in a energy saving light bulb is in gas form. When it breaks, the gas is released and goes into the air, and then into our lakes and oceans. Airborne mercury is why all the fish in our lakes and oceans are contaminated. Problem 2, incandescent light bulbs generate a lot of heat. Energy efficient bulbs don't. In colder climates incandescent bulbs are actually helping to heat homes, meaning less natural gas burnt. "If all homes in Quebec were required to switch from (incandescent) bulbs to CFLs, there would be an increase of almost 220,000 tonnes in CO2 emissions in the province, equivalent to the annual emissions from more than 40,000 automobiles." Problem 3, how to get rid of them? They contain mercury and plastic. Meaning not only are they harmful to produce, but harmful to dispose of. They are supposed to get recycled, but how many of them do?
Another problem is hybrid cars. I've read many reports on hybrids. Most of them conclude that producing a hybrid car produces more pollution than a large SUV. This is probably made up for by consuming less fuel throughout the life of the hybrid, but what if you compair a hybrid car, to a non-hybrid car? On Top Gear, the British TV show, they drove a Prius at top speed, for ten laps around a test track, followed by a 350 hoursepower BMW M3 going the same speed as the Prius. The M3 got much better mileage than the Prius because the M3 wasn't working nearly as hard. If you want a bit of speed out of your car, you might consume a lot more fuel driving an under powered car.
The sad thing is, the government claims to be going green, but is pushing us in the other direction. They have programs like "recycle your ride". By recycle, they mean melt down the metal and send all the plastic, foam, rubber, mercury, fabric and fibreglass to the landfuil. The deal is, the government will send you money if you send your 15 year old, or older car to the scrap yard, and buy a new car. The theory is that, old cars put out more emisions than new cars, so why not take the old cars off the road? Countless studdies have proven that the greenhouse gases produced to make a new vehicle far outweigh the gases put out by an older car. So why did the government put this rediculous offer in place? To help bail out the car manufacturers. I heard countless adds on the radio of how you were harming the environment by driving an older model car. What does it say about where this planet is heading when our own government is spending our tax dollars, to play adds, guilting us into polluting? How many people traded in a perfectly good car, that they might only drive once a week, that was only polluting 10% more than a brand new car? Oh, and lets not forget the fact that the government collected lot of tax on that new car! Probably a lot more than they had to pay the person for taking part in the "recycling program".
I'm not even going to get into the BS that is "carbon credits". My point is that there is a lot of corruption when it comes to going green. We are lied to by corporations, producers and even our governments. Going green is just a new way to market things. The best way to go green is to stop buying new things. It used to be, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. Now it's "buy more shit". How does buying anything help the environment? Recycle what you can, Reuse something if possible, but most of all Reduce the amout of stuff you buy. It takes energy and creates pollution to produce everything, and uses more energy and creates more pollution to get rid of it all. If you must buy something, don't assume it's green because it says it is. Do your homework. Buy things with less packaging. Buy things that will last longer. Use common sence, because if you rely on the manufacturer, or the government for info, they will sell you whatever you want to hear.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Do onto Others...
You know what really grinds my gears? Thieves. I don't really like any type of criminal, but thieves really piss me off.
I work for a living. I spend 40 hours a week at my job. Between driving to and from work, making lunch for work, putting gas in my vehicle to get to work, and actually being at work, I spend almost 50% of my waking life, doing work related stuff. But that's the cost of living right? I have a house, and hobbies and food, and everything costs money, so I need to work. But wait! There is an easier way! Let other people go to work, and bust their ass all day long, and then, when that person buys something, with their hard earned money, just take it from them! So much less work!
See the problem is, thieves are psychopaths, literally. A psychopath is someone with an "abnormal lack of empathy". So basically, they don't care. When you see something you want, that someone else owns, what is stopping you from taking it? Maybe you don't want to get caught. Maybe you don't want to break the law. But are those the real reasons? Maybe you realize that that person worked hard for that item, and taking it is wrong, and will cause that person stress, anger, depression, hate and every other negative emosion we can feel. Maybe you realize that if you just start taking things from people, things will start getting taken from you.
The thing is, thieves don't have a conscience. They don't think about the people that will be hurt if they steal. Thieves have dicieded that they are more deserving than anyone else. The world had done them wrong, so screw it, they'll just take what they want.
I have had something of major value stolen from me. I worked very hard for it. I worked hundreds of hours to afford it. A thief decieded he wanted more than I did, and took it. Who let him make that decision? Who gave him the right to say "I didn't work for this, but I deserve to have it anyway"?
And what ever happens to the stolen goods? I gets joy riden, torched, sold for pennies on the dollar, or maybe just thrown into a ditch. People steal cars for transportation. Too cheap to call a taxi, take transit, or call a friend, they will break into your car, break your ignition and drive your car to where ever they are headed. Now you have a $300 deductable to pay, IF you have theft insurance. So you are out at least $300 because they didn't want to pay $50 for a taxi. Or maybe they smash your window out, to take $5.00 in change they see in the center console. Or maybe they kick in the front door to you house, to steal your $1500 TV because they know they can get $100 for it. Do they ever think twice? Hey, I'm going to cost a random person hundreds, or thousands of dollars, so I can make $50, or get a free ride somewhere. No they don't. They are psychopaths.
Now there are some people that are addicted to drugs, and need the $5.00 in your car, to buy some more crack, and I guess I'm supposed to feel sorry for that person, but that's the problem. We are all bleeding hearts. When we watch the nature channel and see a lion kill and animal for food, we're sad. We wanted the animal to escape death and live happily ever after, but if we were to see the lion starving to death, we would also be sad, and wish he had something to eat. We are all bleeding hearts. We want the lion to have food, but we want the prey to escape at the same time. Bad news, this is the real world. Evolution has made sure that the strongest, smartest, and fastest move on and the rest fall behind. It's how we became what we are. We are the top of the food chain because the weak links died, and the strong moved on. Back in the caveman days, if you were lazy, slow, dumb, or weak, you died. I know it's harsh, but that's how evolution works. Fast forward to North America today, and the lazy, slow, dumb and weak are propped up by society. These lesser beings are allowed to run around stealing cars, breaking into houses and being constant drains on society, because no one wants to see the the lion (contributing members of society) eat the lamb (thieves). The problem is, we are going to starve. We constantly have to pay out of our pockets so these thieves can have their day in court, steel our goods, cost us extra for insurance pemuims, have stores up prices to compensate for stolen goods, have our taxes go up to pay for extra police, etc, etc. These thieves cost us countless dollars, and what do they give back? We are a species that claims to be so civilized, and intelligent, and yet we let ourselves be handicapped, and brought down by our weakest links. I understand wanting to help out your fellow human, and I agree with that. If you see someone in need, help them. We support our mentally and physically handicapped, and I think that says something about us as humans. We are happy to help someone in need, that is a step forward in evolution as I see it, but why do we continue to help people that CHOOSE to be drains on society, like thieves? A lot of handicapped people have jobs, and contribute to us moving forward as a society, but criminals are intentionally doing things that hold us back.
The majority of thieves have no need to steal. They do it for fun, for entertainment, for the thrill. I know a fair amout of thieves. Not really by choice, but by ascoiation. They all came from good homes. None of them are addicted to drugs. None of them have habbits, or mental problems (aside from being psychopaths). They steal cars, dirtbikes, stereos and anything else not bolted down. I know they steal cars for "fun". They steal motorcycles to ride for a bit and make a couple hundred bucks on. They steal stereos, so they can sell them for $100 and buy some new Nikes. They aren't starving. They have a roof over their heads. They have no valid reason to steal, and they don't give a shit about anyone they hurt, how much damage they do, or how much it costs us as tax payers.
There are two problems with these people. One, because they lack the ability to see or care about the harm they are doing to everyone, they wont stop. Why would they? They have no moral compass to say, what you are doing is wrong. Two, the justice system is a joke. I doesn't help these inconsiderate douchetards understand what they are doing is bad. What message does it send, when you get slapped on the wrist for stealing a car? Well if all I get is a slap on the wrist, the damage I've done must not be that severe. The criminals are always the victims. Are we supposed to feel sorry for them because they don't know right and wrong? While they do, they just don't care.
We are forced to deal with the outcomes of thieves in our day to day lives. Someone I know just got her stolen car recovered. It was used for tranportation, and so someone could help themselves to her belongings. The things in her car, like her cds and her amp and sub were stolen, and aren't covered by insurance. She has been making trips to the rental car company, and the insurance company. She had to deal with the police. The long and short of it, it will cost her $300 for a deductable, $250 for a new amp and sub, replacing her cds, her time, and her stress. This is what we have to live with. This is acceptable. I'm sure the thief is "know to police", has stolen many cars, and will steal many more.
Now I think that these criminals aren't my problem, but people would argue and say that thieves are everyones problem, because we are all effected by them. Yes we are all effected by them, but they aren't my problem, because I can't do anything about them. If it was my problem, I could fix it. I can't arrest them. I can't send them to jail. I can't cut their hand off when I catch them stealing my stuff. I have to hope that the justice system takes care of them, and sets them straight, and look how well that's working. While my friend was at the insurance building, looking at her car, the adjuster to her that 90% of the vehicles in the building, were stolen recoveries. 90%. The justice system has failed, horribly. But what can I do about it? I can put an anti-theft device on my car, and HOPE someone doesn't smash my window out anyhow, for the shiny nickel I forgot on my seat.
There are good people and bad people in our society. I think we all need to support our fellow good people more. Lend a hand to someone in need. As for the bad people, there isn't much we are allowed to do. You used to be able to shoot a man for stealing a horse, but nowadays we've lost our balls. Stop being a bleeding heart for those that don't deserve it.
I'm going to watch the nature channel now. Maybe I can catch the part where the lion sinks it's teeth into it's preys jugular, I love that part.
I work for a living. I spend 40 hours a week at my job. Between driving to and from work, making lunch for work, putting gas in my vehicle to get to work, and actually being at work, I spend almost 50% of my waking life, doing work related stuff. But that's the cost of living right? I have a house, and hobbies and food, and everything costs money, so I need to work. But wait! There is an easier way! Let other people go to work, and bust their ass all day long, and then, when that person buys something, with their hard earned money, just take it from them! So much less work!
See the problem is, thieves are psychopaths, literally. A psychopath is someone with an "abnormal lack of empathy". So basically, they don't care. When you see something you want, that someone else owns, what is stopping you from taking it? Maybe you don't want to get caught. Maybe you don't want to break the law. But are those the real reasons? Maybe you realize that that person worked hard for that item, and taking it is wrong, and will cause that person stress, anger, depression, hate and every other negative emosion we can feel. Maybe you realize that if you just start taking things from people, things will start getting taken from you.
The thing is, thieves don't have a conscience. They don't think about the people that will be hurt if they steal. Thieves have dicieded that they are more deserving than anyone else. The world had done them wrong, so screw it, they'll just take what they want.
I have had something of major value stolen from me. I worked very hard for it. I worked hundreds of hours to afford it. A thief decieded he wanted more than I did, and took it. Who let him make that decision? Who gave him the right to say "I didn't work for this, but I deserve to have it anyway"?
And what ever happens to the stolen goods? I gets joy riden, torched, sold for pennies on the dollar, or maybe just thrown into a ditch. People steal cars for transportation. Too cheap to call a taxi, take transit, or call a friend, they will break into your car, break your ignition and drive your car to where ever they are headed. Now you have a $300 deductable to pay, IF you have theft insurance. So you are out at least $300 because they didn't want to pay $50 for a taxi. Or maybe they smash your window out, to take $5.00 in change they see in the center console. Or maybe they kick in the front door to you house, to steal your $1500 TV because they know they can get $100 for it. Do they ever think twice? Hey, I'm going to cost a random person hundreds, or thousands of dollars, so I can make $50, or get a free ride somewhere. No they don't. They are psychopaths.
Now there are some people that are addicted to drugs, and need the $5.00 in your car, to buy some more crack, and I guess I'm supposed to feel sorry for that person, but that's the problem. We are all bleeding hearts. When we watch the nature channel and see a lion kill and animal for food, we're sad. We wanted the animal to escape death and live happily ever after, but if we were to see the lion starving to death, we would also be sad, and wish he had something to eat. We are all bleeding hearts. We want the lion to have food, but we want the prey to escape at the same time. Bad news, this is the real world. Evolution has made sure that the strongest, smartest, and fastest move on and the rest fall behind. It's how we became what we are. We are the top of the food chain because the weak links died, and the strong moved on. Back in the caveman days, if you were lazy, slow, dumb, or weak, you died. I know it's harsh, but that's how evolution works. Fast forward to North America today, and the lazy, slow, dumb and weak are propped up by society. These lesser beings are allowed to run around stealing cars, breaking into houses and being constant drains on society, because no one wants to see the the lion (contributing members of society) eat the lamb (thieves). The problem is, we are going to starve. We constantly have to pay out of our pockets so these thieves can have their day in court, steel our goods, cost us extra for insurance pemuims, have stores up prices to compensate for stolen goods, have our taxes go up to pay for extra police, etc, etc. These thieves cost us countless dollars, and what do they give back? We are a species that claims to be so civilized, and intelligent, and yet we let ourselves be handicapped, and brought down by our weakest links. I understand wanting to help out your fellow human, and I agree with that. If you see someone in need, help them. We support our mentally and physically handicapped, and I think that says something about us as humans. We are happy to help someone in need, that is a step forward in evolution as I see it, but why do we continue to help people that CHOOSE to be drains on society, like thieves? A lot of handicapped people have jobs, and contribute to us moving forward as a society, but criminals are intentionally doing things that hold us back.
The majority of thieves have no need to steal. They do it for fun, for entertainment, for the thrill. I know a fair amout of thieves. Not really by choice, but by ascoiation. They all came from good homes. None of them are addicted to drugs. None of them have habbits, or mental problems (aside from being psychopaths). They steal cars, dirtbikes, stereos and anything else not bolted down. I know they steal cars for "fun". They steal motorcycles to ride for a bit and make a couple hundred bucks on. They steal stereos, so they can sell them for $100 and buy some new Nikes. They aren't starving. They have a roof over their heads. They have no valid reason to steal, and they don't give a shit about anyone they hurt, how much damage they do, or how much it costs us as tax payers.
There are two problems with these people. One, because they lack the ability to see or care about the harm they are doing to everyone, they wont stop. Why would they? They have no moral compass to say, what you are doing is wrong. Two, the justice system is a joke. I doesn't help these inconsiderate douchetards understand what they are doing is bad. What message does it send, when you get slapped on the wrist for stealing a car? Well if all I get is a slap on the wrist, the damage I've done must not be that severe. The criminals are always the victims. Are we supposed to feel sorry for them because they don't know right and wrong? While they do, they just don't care.
We are forced to deal with the outcomes of thieves in our day to day lives. Someone I know just got her stolen car recovered. It was used for tranportation, and so someone could help themselves to her belongings. The things in her car, like her cds and her amp and sub were stolen, and aren't covered by insurance. She has been making trips to the rental car company, and the insurance company. She had to deal with the police. The long and short of it, it will cost her $300 for a deductable, $250 for a new amp and sub, replacing her cds, her time, and her stress. This is what we have to live with. This is acceptable. I'm sure the thief is "know to police", has stolen many cars, and will steal many more.
Now I think that these criminals aren't my problem, but people would argue and say that thieves are everyones problem, because we are all effected by them. Yes we are all effected by them, but they aren't my problem, because I can't do anything about them. If it was my problem, I could fix it. I can't arrest them. I can't send them to jail. I can't cut their hand off when I catch them stealing my stuff. I have to hope that the justice system takes care of them, and sets them straight, and look how well that's working. While my friend was at the insurance building, looking at her car, the adjuster to her that 90% of the vehicles in the building, were stolen recoveries. 90%. The justice system has failed, horribly. But what can I do about it? I can put an anti-theft device on my car, and HOPE someone doesn't smash my window out anyhow, for the shiny nickel I forgot on my seat.
There are good people and bad people in our society. I think we all need to support our fellow good people more. Lend a hand to someone in need. As for the bad people, there isn't much we are allowed to do. You used to be able to shoot a man for stealing a horse, but nowadays we've lost our balls. Stop being a bleeding heart for those that don't deserve it.
I'm going to watch the nature channel now. Maybe I can catch the part where the lion sinks it's teeth into it's preys jugular, I love that part.
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