Four posts in one

One
Just flipping through my roommate’s copy of Affluenza. Chapter 5 has a section on time famine, which talks about how we thought technology would free us up and give us more leisure time, but instead, our world is getting increasingly complex and we are working even more. Instead of working 14 to 22 hours per week by the year 2000, as was estimated by a US Senate subcommittee in 1965, we’ve become swamped. As I pondered this in light of my current crazy schedule (working a 9-5, Monday to Friday job while attending university and stupidly volunteering to be on a conference committee), I realized that I could only think of one day in months that I had actually been on time for work. I average 8-12 minutes of lateness every day, a little less once the snow is gone and I ride my bike. Thankfully my boss just shrugs at my unconscious and clearly desperate attempt to find some balance in my life.

Two
An Angus-Reid poll was released a couple of days ago that found that Canadians in general believe that global warming is happening. More, apparently, is to be released in the coming weeks. To quote Pee Wee Herman, “everybody I know has a big but…” I’m guessing that the “big but” in this case will be that, ya, we believe it’s happening, but we don’t actually want to change anything about the way we live in order to make a difference. Maybe switch to compact fluorescents. Maybe.

Three
On the topic of making a difference, for some reason I really dig the latest Sierra Club campaign. Pretty much, I’m doing everything on the list, plus some. But I feel like I could convince people to do some of this stuff.

Four
Or maybe not. Overheard in the hospital gift shop yesterday (where I was buying a stamp, thankyouverymuch), a conversation about Beanie Babies. “Isn’t is amazing? Only $6. It’s incredible to think they can make them that cheap and ship them all the way over here and still only charge $6. Wow.” I said, “How much is a stamp?” Yep, I did nothing. Perhaps it was the memory of the last impromptu information session I conducted at work that made me hesitate (Random person at the opening of the new 911 call centre: “it smells so new!”. Me: “that’s the carpet offgassing.” My boss: head shake, snicker. Random person: blank stare, moving away.) or perhaps it’s the head cold. Or perhaps I’m just overwhelmed by the fact that my home province has the lowest levels of belief in global warming and, from what I can tell, fairly low levels of concern about the environment in general. So what to do? Dust off the ol’ soapbox? Bury head in the loamy prairie soil? Read cartoons? Read cartoons it is…

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